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Re: The Mechanical Universe

I've seen several references on the list to The Mechanical Universe,
and I've visited their www site. However we don't have easy access
to the videos or text to trial this series.

Could anyone who has used this material in their
university-level teaching of introductory physics give me an idea of
how useful they've found it, and what the teaching level is (i.e.
what standard physics text the level most resembles)? Also, how old
is it - i.e. is the video series "dated" at all? I've used some
relatively old astronomy videos, only to lose student concentration
while they laugh at the old hairstyles etc!

Thanks
Margaret Mazzolini

Margaret:
I don't think the series is old enough for the clothing and hair styles to
be particularly distracting although there is a more than ample amount of
footage scanning the lecture audience which contribution to the teaching or
learning of physics escapes me. It is also the case that the history
portrayed in the historical vignettes is more characteristic of the
"historical myths" told in physics texts than it is representative of the
scholarship in the history of physics available at the time of the
production of the series.

There are some interesting video segments in it. I seem to recall that
recently on this list someone was looking for copies of part of the text
(was it the second part?) and having trouble because it is no longer in
print.

Dewey

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Dewey I. Dykstra, Jr. Phone: (208)385-3105
Professor of Physics Dept: (208)385-3775
Department of Physics/SN318 Fax: (208)385-4330
Boise State University dykstrad@varney.idbsu.edu
1910 University Drive Boise Highlanders
Boise, ID 83725-1570 novice piper

"Physical concepts are the free creations of the human mind and
are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external
world."--A. Einstein in The Evolution of Physics with L. Infeld,
1938

"Don't mistake your watermelon for the universe." --K. Amdahl in
There Are No Electrons, 1991.
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