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Re: POLARIZATION



At 1:33 PM -0500 6/11/98, Gary Karshner wrote:
Ludwik,
Have you looked up the definition of "factoid."

I'm not quibbling with Leigh's use of the word, BUT one of those
major cable networks uses the word and has made it 'poplular' with the
meaning of 'a small interesting bit of information', NOT intended to be
erroneous.
I think that we (teachers) are illadvised to ignore the 'popular'
use of words.


Leigh's use of the
word is I believe correct. Unfortunately my thirty year old office
dictionary never heard of it, but if memory serves a factoid is "something
that seems like a fact or is unvarifiable" Is this the way we teach physics
- even the conceptual varity?

Gary


"Factoids", as Leigh calls them, are very important components of physics,
I think. What would be the purpose of "real conceptual physics" without
factoids? We learn some factoids, then we ask the "why" questions, we test
the validity of explanations, etc.
Gary Karshner

St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas
KARSHNER@STMARYTX.EDU


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