Re: [Phys-l] fire starter from the sun - revisited

["Folkerts, Timothy J" <FolkertsT@bartonccc.edu>]

I wasn't specifically taking your comments as an endorsement of Myth
Busters.  I just wanted to comment that I have found the quality of
science questionable on the show.  I WOULD use it as a springboard for
discussion here (as you did!), but I would avoid it for classes since I
find more problems than I would want to explain and correct for
beginners.  Much the same way that several people here have commented
that they don't cover misconceptions - concentrating instead on the
correct ideas directly.


Tim F
  
-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
[mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Polvani,
Donald G.
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 3:38 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] fire starter from the sun - revisited

Tim Folkerts wrote:

> There's nothing like good data to settle an argument.  Unfortunately,
"Myth Busters" is nothing like good data. ;-)
> I have watched the show a few times, but I found myself constantly
questioning their scientific and engineering
> expertise.  Details that seemed perfectly obvious to me completely
escaped them.  It was mildly entertaining, but
> certainly not the place I would go for examples to show in class of how
to approach scientific or engineering problems.   

Actually, I find the show, sometimes at least, interesting and enjoyable
and really wasn't aware, in my post, that I was recommending it as a
source or scientific or engineering expertise or even a source of class
examples.

See the URL below for a more academically oriented reference to the same
myth and researched by the same people and same institution as was
presented on the Mythbusters show (MIT, which I believe does qualify in
many peoples' opinion, including my own, as a source of scientific and
engineering expertise and class room examples).

http://web.mit.edu/2.009/www/lectures/10_ArchimedesResult.html

Don

Dr. Donald Polvani
Northrop Grumman Corporation 
Advisory Engineer
Oceanic and Naval Systems
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l