Re: [Phys-l] teaching different descriptions of "reality"

[Ludwik Kowalski <kowalskil@mail.montclair.edu>]

Simple examples are usually sufficient. "True values" of measured 
quantities are examples of physical reality.

Ludwik Kowalski
Let the perfect not be the enemy of the good.

On Apr 19, 2006, at 5:38 AM, Brian Blais wrote:

> Leigh Palmer wrote:
> > Brian Blais raises the question of introducing the concept of reality
> > into physics teaching. I think students should be told that reality
> > is a deep concept, and that we won't treat it in a physics class. It
> > is a good topic for bull sessions, of course, as are sex, politics,
> > and religion.
>
> I agree, but I think it is one thing to tell a student that we are not 
> speaking about
> reality, and another to find a demonstrable way to make them 
> internalize it.  I think
> students think of physics, especially classical physics, to be dealing 
> with reality,
> and certainly many of the concepts in classical physics match their 
> own personal
> definition of real.  I think the first time it started to really click 
> with me that
> we were dealing with descriptions was when I was first introduced to 
> quantum theory.
>   I believe, however, that one can get the same sort of notion by 
> looking at many
> different descriptions of classical systems.  Personally, I find the 
> contrast between
> least-action principles and force principles to be really striking in 
> this regard.
> Asking the question about reality goes hand-in-hand with asking what a 
> particle "knows".
>
>
> 			bb
>
> --
> -----------------
>
>              bblais@bryant.edu
>              http://web.bryant.edu/~bblais
>
> _______________________________________________
> Forum for Physics Educators
> Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l