Deep Thoughts

[Mark]

I came across this the other day. Just a tidbit.
"No one can be so obstructive of progress as the expert who has worked all his life on a single subject."
E. Bright Wilson Jr.

Another thing, a phrase when I was reading about pulse-detonation engines.
"Cilliating detonation."

[Mark]

Why is a pulsejet like a Florida orange tree? Answer -- I don't know, but there is some analogy or likeness there.
Mark
http://www.zompist.com/facts.html

[Mark]

http://tinyurl.com/peafm

[Bruno Ogorelec]

Bingo!

From the text about magnetic deflagration:

The cognitive leap that Chudnovsky made between magnetism and burning is also a testament to a well-rounded education. "Deflagration is mostly studied by engineers who work on rocket propellants and gasoline engines," he said. "These days I think very few physicists know what deflagration is. But to get my Ph.D. in Russia, I was required to study all subjects in physics. So I was lucky that at some time in my life I studied this material."

This is exactly what I was ranting about a few days ago in discussion with Dynajetjerry -- http://www.pulse-jets.com/phpbb2/viewto ... 4&start=15.

The narrow focus of education is killing us, not making us more efficient. Physics without Shakespeare is not as good as physics with Shakespeare. Biology bolstered by mechanical engineering is better than biology alone. Or, as a farmer friend of mine used to say, a man and a cow are smarter than a man alone.

[larry cottrill]

Or, as a farmer friend of mine used to say, a man and a cow are smarter than a man alone.

More importantly, a man with a cow is smarter than a man who's never had one.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I have often complained about someone being a mile wide and an inch deep. But it is profoundly sadder to be a mile deep and an inch wide - developing into a kind of "autism through advanced knowledge".

L Cottrill

[Mark]

"His delight in a soap-bubble was like that of a boy, ..."
Some stuff from the early days of science.
Mark
http://tinyurl.com/pfc4u

[Mark]

http://www.primitiveways.com/fire_from_ice.html

[larry cottrill]

"His delight in a soap-bubble was like that of a boy, ..."

Faraday was one of those "once in a century" people like Beethoven or Einstein. He was not only "the Father of modern Physics" but spent great time, energy and money striving to help the wretched poor in London where he lived (at about the same time as Charles Dickens). His ability as an experimental observer is almost unparalleled; Fermi was something like that, a century later. And, both Faraday and Fermi are reputed to have been superb teachers.

L Cottrill

[Mark]

"Without her knowledge the can leaked out the butane from a faulty seal on the can and the butane puddled on the floorboard of her car. When she later lit a cigarette the entire car burst into flames. She suffered numerous 2nd and 3rd degree burns from the flash fire. Her case was settled by Mr. Willis within months after suit was filedfor a confidential amount."
Mark
http://www.tiredefects.com/fix-a-flat/Default.htm

[Mark]

"Deployment of energy is often evidence of motivation."
"Motivation is having the encouragement to do something."
"It is a fact that some of history's most productive artists have also been drug users, although it is not clear whether this correlation is also of a causative nature."
"There are two kinds of motivation:
Intrinsic motivation occurs when people are internally motivated to do something because it either brings them pleasure, they think it is important, or they feel that what they are learning is morally significant.
Extrinsic motivation comes into play when a student is compelled to do something or act a certain way because of factors external to him or her (like money or good grades)."
"Elton Mayo found out that the social contacts a worker has at the workplace are very important and that boredom and repetitiveness of tasks lead to reduced motivation."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation

[Mark]

I hate when that happens. ha
Mark

"5. Allowing individuals with highly negative emotions or personality or character to get too close
to the cell (I know this sounds crazy, but it's true). Wilhelm Reich described this effect on orgone
energy as the "Y" factor ("Y" standing for "you")."
http://educate-yourself.org/fe/fejoewatercell.shtml
http://tinyurl.com/mqa8p