Re: Survey of American Attitudes Toward and Knowledge of Science

From: Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Date: Sat Jun 24 2000 - 23:03:38 MDT


Everitt Mickey wrote:

> I could have SWORN that the encyclopedia i read it in said otherwise...and
> with pictures yet....
>
> EvMick <-------silently apologizing to gradeschool teacher...

Partner, you only need to scan some of the silliness that has made
it into the encyclopedia. I had one from my own childhood that
says that modern passenger airliners [photo of a DC3. My parents
couldnt afford a real modern encyclopedia set in the 60s] had
wings that could withstand 30 tons per square inch. (?) They showed
a cartoony picture of an airplane with an inverted pyramid platform,
the contact patch presumably one square inch, with four elephants
standing upon it.

I now understand they were referring to the shear strength of
the then-high tech aluminum alloys, but at the time it baffled me.
It sure wasnt a very good way to explain the concept.

Nearly all of us owe our elementary school teachers, and hell, all
our teachers for that matter, a thanks and an apology for not quite
grokking what it is to live on a teachers salary, and for putting up
with our adolescent shit. Thanks teachers, even those who were
occasionally full of baloney.

spike



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