Re: Physics Myths

[Bowman_David/tiger_mpc@tiger.gtc.georgetown.ky.us]

Rick T. wrote:
> Thanks to Jim, Jack, and all the others who have shown that most
> real-world phenomenon are just too damned complicated to even try to
> discuss with non-physics majors at a math level below complex
> variable/partial differential equations.  This certainly goes a long
> way towards solving the problem of too much material to cover in too
> little time. ;-)  
>
> Rick
I'm glad we could help. :-)  I have always thought the task of teaching real
(i.e. correct as far as we know) physics to non-majors (let alone secondary
school) is quite impossible.  The easiest substitute is to tell simple lies
rather than the *very* subtle truth.  Whenever/wherever a teacher actually
finds a way to tell (just some small aspect of) the truth--and yet have a
significant fraction of the students understand it, that teacher has my most
profound respect and admiration.  Doing this is, by far, the hardest part of
lower level physics teaching.  This is harder than originally learning the
correct physics in graduate school to begin with.

David Bowman
gtc.georgetown.ky.us