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Re: Sig Figures



At 2:24 PM -0700 2/2/00, Jim Green wrote:
However, remember that if HS physics is not taught correctly (eg a la
Bill Nye) then the college instructor will have to spend valuable time
un-teaching the cartoon physics.

There is NO way that the 'college instructor' is gonna get
off this easy!
Even without Bill Nye, Paul Hewwitt and any number of other
infidels who make science interesting to young folk, NO instructor
will EVER be able to successfully assume that the young minds are
coming to them as a clean slate, ready to absorb the distilled wisdom
of the ages.

Even some ADULTS remain convinced of such evil notions as the tidal
action being driven by the 'motion' of the moon and to a lesser
extent the sun.


And also remember that the state core curricula are written by those who do
not know much physics and those people are sometimes supported by
legislatures who know even less. I cite here the Alabama (I think) state
law which defines pi as exactly 3!

FORGET that old chestnut about Alabama defining pi = 3.

It was INDIANA and the bill was shot down effectively by a Purdue
prof who just happened to be at the assembly when it was brought up
the first time.

The very real outlawing of evolutionary teaching is MUCH more important.

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