Comments on: Sunspots

By: Bruce Jones

Bruce Jones — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:17:09 +0000

Max,

Feitlebaum!!!

Oh, and Friday the 13th falls on a Tuesday this month.

By: Quartermaster

Quartermaster — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:45:08 +0000

Virgil,
For the mathematician, math is a wonderful toy to play with. To the Engineer and Physicist it is a tool and a language. Engineers and Physicists often are at odds because the work they do is different. The Physicist finds, the Engineer uses what the Physicist finds. Engineering students traditionally have trouble in the Physics Departments because the manor in which the courses are taught has a different thrust. The prime difference is rigor in thought and expression. Physics being a basic science (actually THE basic science) is taught with rigor and Engineering courses are not, but with a practical bent. Ways of doing things in Engineering Mechanics will get you crucified in Classical Mechanics (I know I took both courses and was a TA in the Physics Department at Tennessee Tech my last year of Engineering School). This is as it should be and not an abberation.

I can see why a PoliSci major would have problems with Calculus taught in the manor you suffered. The Engineer, however, did not do his math students any favors, however. Math should be taught rigorously as well and for the same reason Physics is.

By: virgil xenophon

virgil xenophon — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:33:32 +0000

Quartermaster

Math, Engineering and Physics may be all in the same family, but sometimes they operate in parallel alternate universes. All I know is that my first semester of calc as an undergrad was taught by a math guy, and the 2nd semester by an engineer and it was like two parallel universes as between the different approach/take they brought to the same subject–the one theoretical, as in “devise the equation that would solve this problem”; the other, “plug and chug” to solve the problem. T’was a mild consternation to this simple-minded Poli-Sci major.

By: virgil xenophon

virgil xenophon — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:16:07 +0000

Max/

Well, ya got company in me, as I’m 64, although Spike was really of my father’s generation. I remember him mainly from the old Ed Sullivan TV variety shows–harder and harder to find people remember seeing those live either….Didn’t Paul Tibbets say not too long before he passed that he couldn’t talk to anyone under 80 anymore?

By: MaxDamage

MaxDamage — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:48:35 +0000

Marianne, you refer to your Spousal Unit as “My Old Flame?” I seem to recall a Spike Jones song by that very name.

Tell me that’s an inside joke.

For that matter, tell me that others know of Spike Jones. Seems as I grow older the common past I share with the rest of humanity becomes less and less.

– Max

By: SSG Jeff (USAR)

SSG Jeff (USAR) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:37:31 +0000

I still want to see James Hansen take a box walk (you know, the one with all your possessions in it), escorted by security, out of the front door of whatever NASA facility he works at.