An opportunity to make a difference in Education

[neutralino]

Quantum mechanics should not be taught to students who do not have the appropriate prerequisite knowledge. Most high school students have not learnt enough maths or classical mechanics, and so one should not try to jump ahead and teach them quantum mechanics, for whatever reason.

[dleviwing]

When the physicist understand why the math works, then they can teach the laymen about the quantum concepts. The introduction of Feynman's book "QED" basically tries to convince the reader that the human race is too abstractly ignorant to comprehend Quantum physics. He was wrong to promote such BS. You don't need a PhD in math to understand reality; you just have to know how reality works in order to explain it to others; I guess they just don't know how reality works yet.

[Graybeard]

Quantum mechanics should not be taught to students who do not have the appropriate prerequisite knowledge. Most high school students have not learnt enough maths or classical mechanics, and so one should not try to jump ahead and teach them quantum mechanics, for whatever reason.

Hmmmmm ...... I think I disagree .... tho I do totally understand why you are saying it. When the bronze age commenced they thought it was a new way to 'make and shape' a new type of stone (they had NO concept of metal).... and so you could reasonably say that first you would need to understand how to make stone tools before advancing to the 'bronze method'.

But new generations, not held back by a convention-of-elders were free to reveal the true possibilities of bronze. And to develop those possibilities did not require a pre-requisite knowledge of stone.

I know the analogy is loose. But perhaps its time we let QM concepts be interpreted by those who are not fettered and hung-up by Classical Maths. After all, we haven't really got so far with our pre-QM concepts.

A paradigm shift means everyone starts back at zero.

When the physicist understand why the math works, then they can teach the laymen about the quantum concepts. The introduction of Feynman's book "QED" basically tries to convince the reader that the human race is too abstractly ignorant to comprehend Quantum physics. He was wrong to promote such BS.

A bit harsh ... he was speaking from the 60's. In retrospect what was your view at that time .

If anything he has the gift of describing QM to the human race as tho it is no more difficult than changing the spark plug on your lawn mower .... Otherwise I wouldn't be able to reply to this post ... lolol.

I don't think we need to develop new concepts at any greater rate than we need to 'forget' old ones. New generations will see to this.

cool bananas ... greg

[neutralino]

I know the analogy is loose. But perhaps its time we let QM concepts be interpreted by those who are not fettered and hung-up by Classical Maths. After all, we haven't really got so far with our pre-QM concepts.

The problem is that the analogies concern things that are intuitive, whereas quantum mechanics is not. Sure, you can teach a child from a pretty young age that if they throw a ball up in the air, it will fall back down; they can then try it, and it works. However, it's not until the child understands algebra and quadratic equations that he can calculate how high the ball will reach if he throws it with a certain speed.

The thing with QM is that you can't do the first step: there is no equivalent to throwing a ball in the air. Sure, you could maybe drum some 'rules' into their heads at a young age, but then that won't really do the child any good when (the few) come to studying the subject in detail in the future. It is a far better use of their time and their education to teach them maths and classical mechanics, with those who are then successful going on to studying QM.

Just my opinion, anyway.

[MJA]

QM is probability, but nature is absolute.
Religion is faith, but God is Truth.
Science is measure, but the universe is measureless.
Geometry divides a perfect circle, but there is no such thing.
History is stories of the past, but much like the future no one can tell the true past.
Mathematics is an equation, but equal was over-looked.
Education is the attainment of knowledge, but it should be the achievement of wisdom, of absolute truth.

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MJA

[neutralino]

QM is probability, but nature is absolute.
Religion is faith, but God is Truth.
Science is measure, but the universe is measureless.
Geometry divides a perfect circle, but there is no such thing.
History is stories of the past, but much like the future no one can tell the true past.
Mathematics is an equation, but equal was over-looked.
Education is the attainment of knowledge, but it should be the achievement of wisdom, of absolute truth.

=
MJA

More irrelevant ramblings, as always.

[MJA]

More irrelevant ramblings, as always.

What would you call this lastest post of yours, important scientific theoretical quantum physics?
Or simply the measurement of you?


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MJA

[MJA]

Mark Twain on Quantum Mechanics:

Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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MJA