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[Phys-l] the role of simulation



On 01/18/2008 12:11 PM, LaMontagne, Bob wrote:

- can't reboot a shredded worm for a do-over.

Why not? Worms are cheap.

Any halfway-decently-designed biology unit would account
for the possibility that the first dissection might go
awry.

MOST IMPORTANTLY we should teach students that they should
never allow themselves to be put in a situation where one
screw-up is fatal.

As a corollary, we should never put them in such a situation.

Simulation is one way to avoid such situations, but not the
only way. Not by a long shot.

Simulation works best for maintaining or enhancing proficiency
*after* a fair degree of proficiency has been attained ... for
the simple reason that it takes a somewhat sophisticated user
to know what parts of the simulation are apt and which are not.

Simulation never works by itself; it must be used in conjunction
with theoretical analysis and old-fashioned real experimentation.