"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
- Albert Einstein
Posted by a relative on Facebook from "Everyday Humor"
On the other hand, sometimes we are our own worst enemies for learning. How many people do you know who say, "I was never good at…" Consider most Americans image of their foreign language ability. If you ask them what a Mexican calls a hat or an afternoon nap, most can correctly answer (fill in the blank). Or how the French say "goodbye" or what a Swedish buffet is called, or … I guess that most Americans know at least ten words in each of at least ten languages. Da?
See "You can speak foreign languages".
Showing posts with label Albert Einstein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Albert Einstein. Show all posts
Friday, May 03, 2013
Thursday, December 06, 2012
A more thoughtful blog than this blog
Maria Popova is the "curator" of the blog "Brain Pickings". If you are interested in books, this is a go-to-site for thoughtful commentary on books of many genres. See "She's Got Some Big Ideas", , Bruce Feiler, New York Times, 2012-11-30.
From the article I added Albert Einstein's "Ideas and opinion" to my reading list. Popova is quoted in the article with:
“In times of turmoil, I often turn to one of my existential pillars of comfort: Albert Einstein’s ‘Ideas and Opinion.’ ” She ended with this thought: “There is a way to critique intelligently and respectfully, without eroding the validity of your disagreement. It boils down to manners.”
Her latest entry as of 2012-12-06 is "The 10 Best Psychology and Philosophy Books of 2012"
By: Maria Popova 2012-12-04, "From Buddhism to the relationship between creativity and dishonesty, by way of storytelling and habit".
From the sidebar, I went to "Isaac Asimov on Science and Creativity in Education"
by Maria Popova, 2011-01-28 "What vintage science fiction has to do with the future of self-directed learning."
It includes some snippets of Bill Moyers' interview with Isaac Asimov. From this article, I added Asimov's "The Roving Mind" to my reading list.
My booklist from suggestions on the web is getting so long, maybe I should turn my computer off, sit in an easy chair, and start reading the books on my list (plus a few I would like to reread). Maybe I'll be halfway through my list be next Christmas? Maybe by the time you make your way through all of Popova's blog entry you'll visit my blog again next Christmas.
Happy reading. May you always find something not only interesting but something you find is more interesting than anything else for the moment.
From the article I added Albert Einstein's "Ideas and opinion" to my reading list. Popova is quoted in the article with:
“In times of turmoil, I often turn to one of my existential pillars of comfort: Albert Einstein’s ‘Ideas and Opinion.’ ” She ended with this thought: “There is a way to critique intelligently and respectfully, without eroding the validity of your disagreement. It boils down to manners.”
Her latest entry as of 2012-12-06 is "The 10 Best Psychology and Philosophy Books of 2012"
By: Maria Popova 2012-12-04, "From Buddhism to the relationship between creativity and dishonesty, by way of storytelling and habit".
From the sidebar, I went to "Isaac Asimov on Science and Creativity in Education"
by Maria Popova, 2011-01-28 "What vintage science fiction has to do with the future of self-directed learning."
It includes some snippets of Bill Moyers' interview with Isaac Asimov. From this article, I added Asimov's "The Roving Mind" to my reading list.
My booklist from suggestions on the web is getting so long, maybe I should turn my computer off, sit in an easy chair, and start reading the books on my list (plus a few I would like to reread). Maybe I'll be halfway through my list be next Christmas? Maybe by the time you make your way through all of Popova's blog entry you'll visit my blog again next Christmas.
Happy reading. May you always find something not only interesting but something you find is more interesting than anything else for the moment.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Science and the real world
"Nature knows nothing of the scientific laws we cook up. Nature does its own thing."
- "Physics is always a work in progress", unattributed, Reader Weekly, 2009-08-13
Newton's gravitational theory works fine for life on earth and space travel within the solar system. It doesn't work for GPS satellites. Time is faster at the altitude of the satellites than it is on the surface of the earth. Time is probably not that much faster away from the earth to affect calculations for space travel, but it is sufficiently faster to affect calculations down to a few meters on earth. To make these calculations, GPS satellite engineers have to use Einstein's theory of relativity.
Max Planck's law of thermal radiation has been used in many applications involving heat generation and transmission. His law breaks down at the tiny distances now being used in hard-disk recording devices. The recording head heats up more than would be predicted by Planck's law.
"What we call law today eventually breaks down, new opportunities for scientific and engineering progress usually appear."
- Ibid.
- "Physics is always a work in progress", unattributed, Reader Weekly, 2009-08-13
Newton's gravitational theory works fine for life on earth and space travel within the solar system. It doesn't work for GPS satellites. Time is faster at the altitude of the satellites than it is on the surface of the earth. Time is probably not that much faster away from the earth to affect calculations for space travel, but it is sufficiently faster to affect calculations down to a few meters on earth. To make these calculations, GPS satellite engineers have to use Einstein's theory of relativity.
Max Planck's law of thermal radiation has been used in many applications involving heat generation and transmission. His law breaks down at the tiny distances now being used in hard-disk recording devices. The recording head heats up more than would be predicted by Planck's law.
"What we call law today eventually breaks down, new opportunities for scientific and engineering progress usually appear."
- Ibid.
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