In a message dated 9/27/00 12:12:40 PM, kforinas@IUS.EDU writes:
<< Our campus is undergoing a revision of general ed requirements for
all students. Our dean of natural sciences asked each discipline to
come up with the five most important concepts in our discipline that
any well educated person in any discipline should know (a 'science
literacy' list a la Hirsh).
I came up with the following pie in the sky list (I tired to be as
idealistic as possible); if anyone out there is bored and would like
to amend the list or has a broader perspective I'd appreciate it. >>
It seems to me that it is important for the student to acquire a Newtonian
world view. By that I mean they should see the forest as well as some of the
trees. The ability of Newton's laws, including the law of gravity, to
explain a wide spectrum of diverse observations is what makes it so
significant.
The same goes for other areas of physics, but I use the Newton's laws as an
example.