Re: [Phys-l] "Who's On First"

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@hep.anl.gov>]

Hi Tim-
	Nice idea.  Another, often fruitful exercise, is "telephone". 
Line up several students, and give a short message to a student at one end 
of the line.  The message is then passed along the line by whispering. 
The last person in line then writes down the received message, as 
understood for comparison with the original.
	If a miracle happens and the original and final are identical, 
repeat with a more complicated message.
	Several points can be made:
	Untrustworthiness of 3d party communications.
	Entropy.
	Importance of checking presumed facts.
	.......
			Regards,
				Jack


On Sat, 7 Oct 2006, Folkerts, Timothy J wrote:

> I was amazed the other day when I was talking to a student after class (on the baesball team no less) who had no recognition of the line "Who's on first".  Later I took an informal poll, and very few students knew of the famous Abbott & Costello routine (named best comedy sketch of the CENTURY by Time magazine).
>
> So I was thinking I would use play routine for the class.  Partly it would just be a good break from all the other seriousness.
>
> But is it also a lesson in communications.  As teachers, we are ofen in the position of Bud Abbott, trying to explain things that seem perfectly clear to us, but which come across to the students as nonsense.  No matter how many times Abbott says "Who's on first" - no matter how carefully or excitedly - Costello doesn't get it.
>
> Perhaps most insightful is the very end:
>
>
> Costello: ... I throw the ball to who. Whoever it is drops the ball and the guy runs to second. Who picks up the ball and throws it to What. What throws it to I Don't Know. I Don't Know throws it back to Tomorrow, Triple play. Another guy gets up and hits a long fly ball to Because. Why? I don't know! He's on third and I don't give a darn!
>
> Abbott: What?
>
> Costello: I said I don't give a darn!
>
> Abbott: Oh, that's our shortstop.
>
>
>
> Costello can parrot back the some of the phrases, but in reality 1) he has little or no understanding of what he is saying and 2) he doesn't care.  That sure sounds like some of MY students.
>
> If anyone is interested, I found the audio at  http://www.phoenix5.org/humor/WhoOnFirst.html
> The text is available at many sites including http://www.baseball-almanac.com/humor4.shtml
>
>
> Tim Folkerts

--
"Trust me.  I have a lot of experience at this."
		General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
		just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley