But what if?

(Professor is explaining the college's consequences for plagiarism a day before our first paper is due)

Student: So, what if we just happen to think of the exact same ideas as someone else and put it in the exact same words without realizing it?

Professor: I really doubt that would happen, especially for an assignment like this where you're going to be referencing authors for every point you make or attack.

Student: But what if...like...what if something I say happens to look exactly like something on Wikipedia, for example?

Professor: You're not going to have the same word-for-word ideas for this paper as someone put on Wikipedia.

Student: Okay. But, what about...what if I wrote something, and then uploaded it to Wikipedia, but  when you checked it you didn't know I put it there so you thought I stole it?

Professor: Did you do that?

Student: I mean, no, but what if?

Professor: Just don't do that.

Student: But I mean, you couldn't know if I wrote it or not...so it could be my work?

Professor: Do we need to have a conversation?

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+3 because if you're going to plagiarize from Wikipedia, at least try not to draw attention to it. You're not being smooth.