Re: prove it objectively

[David Dockstader <DRDOCK00@UKCC.uky.edu>]

On Sun, 2 Feb 1997 12:21:12 +0800 Leigh Palmer said:
> >  PRACTICE SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY. PHYSICS IS AN EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCE.
>
> What Ludwik shouts above is very close to my heart. I feel that the
> connection between physics and reality has been culturally severed in
> our western youth. Perhaps it has been television that was responsible;
> I don't know. What I do know is that somehow we physics teachers are
> also responsible because we are not recognizing the problem exists,
> and we are the logical people to remedy it.
However, most education seems to have the opposite effect.  Schools teach
stuff that was known and usually tests ask students to repeat stuff that
is well established.  It is rare that a student on a test is asked to figure
something out, it is even rare for a student to be asked how somebody else
figured something out.  It also seems common for most experiments done in
into science classes to be so well know that any student who pays attention
in class knows what the results should be, before the experiment is done.
It also seems the case that teachers are not particularly responsive to
new ways of looking at old things.

Even you folks who I suspect are much better than average often fall into
this trap.  When Jim Green suggested tides weren't what we thought they were,
he was not well received.  Granted, he may not have stated his case well
here, but he has done a very nice job on his web page.  If you haven't seen it
yet take a look.  I knew, understood, and had experienced on water some of the
things he was talking about, but I was really surprised to see just how messed
up the tides really are from the maps he shows.  It was a real educational
experience for me.  Thanks Jim!

When I suggested that our conventional models of static/dynamic friction
were not applicable to tires I was not well received by many of you.  I was
able to demonstrate a higher dynamic coefficient of friction for soft rubber
quite easily using a force probe with a CBL and TI92.  I  first did this
with a pair of technical rock climbing shoes, but have found the same
effect with every pair of Nikes I have tried (4 pairs I think).  It didn't
work with hiking boots!  Most of you refused to believe those of us who
told you we had experienced this with cars or motorcycles, most of you
probably won't believe me now, and most of you probably won't try it yourself.
Is it any wonder that the connection between physics and reality is lost on
the rest of society when we can barely make the connection ourselves.

In our defense though, we are all busy doing the stuff that interests us.