Re: macroscopic vs microscopic degrees of freedom

[Bob Sciamanda <trebor@VELOCITY.NET>]

I appreciate your concern, Rick.  At the same time our concern must pale
in comparison to those who teach some other subjects eg., the history
teacher, or text, who enumerates the N causes of the American civil war!

Bob

Bob Sciamanda (W3NLV)
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor

----- Original Message -----
From: Rick Tarara <rbtarara@SPRYNET.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Sunday, October 31, 1999 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: macroscopic vs microscopic degrees of freedom


> > And I like "internal energy," but to each his or her own.
> >
> > > James Prescott Joule operated his paddle-wheel and called the
long-term
> > > result heat.  Lots of other people do the same.
> >
> > Perhaps.  I don't really care.
> >
> > John Mallinckrodt      mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
> > Cal Poly Pomona          http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm
>
> I repeat my earlier stated concerns.  While these attitudes are
certainly OK
> amongst practicing Physicists, are they really OK amongst teachers of
> Physics?  Do we make physics even more inaccessible to students if every
> instructor has his/her own set of pet definitions and unique curricula
such
> that REAL conflicts (for the student) occur when moving from one course
to
> the next?
>
> Rick