Some subscribers to Phys-L might be interested in a recent post "The
Old Barometer Story (OBS) Redux" [Hake (2013)] and its significance
for education. The abstract reads:
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ABSTRACT: John Denker of the PhysLrnR list called attention to
"Angels on a Pin: A Modern Parable" [Calandra (1968)] at
<http://bit.ly/10KKI4h> and wrote: "There's a lot more that could be
said about this story."
And there's also a lot that's *already* been said about the "Old
Barometer Story" (OBS). See e.g.:
(1) the Wikipedia Entry on "The Barometer Question" at <http://bit.ly/11TY6Ub>;
and (in approximate chronological order):
(14) "The myth of Niels Bohr and the barometer question" ["Johann"
(2011)] at <http://bit.ly/149Q6Os>.
NOTE: Ralph Raimi (2008) at <http://bit.ly/VlVmNy> states that he
heard the OBS in 1943, 15 years before the publication of 1958
"Reader's Digest" version of the OBS referenced by B. & D. Mikkelson
(2011)] at <http://bit.ly/14e674Z> as the earliest version of the OBS
of which they were aware. DOES ANYONE HAVE A PRE-1958 REFERENCE TO
THE OBS?
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REFERENCES [URL shortened by http://bit.ly/ and accessed on 25 Jan 2013.]
Hake, R.R. 2013. ""The Old Barometer Story (OBS) Redux," online on
the OPEN! AERA-L archives at <http://bit.ly/Ur7zOm>. Post of 25 Jan
2013 16:12:22-0800 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to
the complete post are being transmitted to several discussion lists
and are also on my blog "Hake'sEdStuff" at <http://bit.ly/SOQnCW>
with a provision for comments.