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Cautions about Planet-Earth running out of fossil-fuels.
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A BEGINNING NOTE --- SEE END NOTE BELOW
Below is the first of many essays written while
involved in a first professional sabbatical at Coe College
lasting September of 1973 through January of 1974. Here
the initial 241 essays are presented in alphabetic order
according to the first word of the titles which follow the
percent signs. The order of writing them is unknown, so
the dates assigned to the essays here are based upon the
alphabetic order in which they are presented; not really
the dates of the writing of the individual essays.
Other activities successfully engaged in during the
sabbatical included: (2) visiting a dozen small colleges
and universities within a few hours driving time from Coe
College, and there interviewing all members of the physics
departments, and often the Academic Dean and/or President
of the institution. (3) Creating computer software for
physics students to use in an IBM 1130 Computer -- in the
data analysis of results of laboratory experiments --- via
free-formatted placement of data on computer punch cards.
These activities sought to help address the crisis
that had developed in physics education nation-wide. The
writer was involved in the American Association of Physics
Teachers, serving approximately 15 years on the National
Council of AAPT during succeeding years and offering some
leadership in integrating the use of computers into the
teaching of physics in the early years of the availability
of computers on college and university campuses.
Click for comments after the last of the first 241 essays.
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%ABSTRACTIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS 730901
Some people communicate best through abstractions.
Other persons communicate abstractions best through the
creative use of appropriate illustrations. In the latter
case it is not only the particular illustrations which are
communicated. They are a channel of communication for the
communication of the abstractions which they illustrate.
The persons who make use of such illustrative channels of
communication may find it impossible to use abstractions
as channels of communication.
Scientists are usually included to use abstractions
as their primary channel of communication. Illustrations
are regarded only in their particularity. Illustrations
are but means to validating the abstractions which are
"really real". Illustrations are "without power" unless
rational arguments can be presented to show convincingly
and statistically that the illustrations are "nothing
but" special cases of a general law or theory. A few
illustrations are not regarded as pointing powerfully to
realities. Statistical proofs are valued more highly than
pointers.
The arationalists which constitute a large fraction
of our society are likely to communicate via the use of
illustrations rather than via the use of abstractions.
Natural scientists who plan and carry out educational
programs of science instruction are likely to communicate
via the use of abstractions. Scientists often wish to
communicate via the use of abstractions alone, without the
support of illustrative examples of the abstractions. High
density information is valued more highly than is low
density information, such as is carried in illustrations
of abstract principles. Because of this disparity in
states of consciousness it is difficult for rationalists
and arationalists to be in dialogue. The alienation tends
to create feed-back loop mechanisms which intensify real
problems.
Natural scientists will be helpful more often if they
seek ways to use many available channels of communication
to help others understand how scientists view reality. A
mutual understanding of the nature of reality will not be
possible so long as participants in reality seek to
maintain standard ways of viewing reality.
(c) 1999 by Paul A. Smith in
GO: essayz.com "Search for Integrity and Honesty"
(On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)
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