I haven’t posted anything for a year. Since then, I have traveled to Italy and started teaching again. I am now at the Allen Community College in Iola, Kansas. I am teaching Physics and Physical Science. In support of this, a primary interest is in the role of simulations and games in the teaching of science.
Libraries
It has become quite clear that reading, really reading, has become a lost art and a lost passion. It is my observation that most students and adults read words not ideas. It seems equally clear that the goal of most students is to pass a test.
How does one introduce others to the ‘joy of reading’?
In this digital age, how does one to sit down with a good book and explore another world? I have been thinking that the world needs to know that equations tell stories. However, this seems a big leap for folks who hardly know how to immerse themselves in a story; ‘real’ or fiction.
The worlds of a reader; now that’s an interesting thought. I have explored Middle Earth, the Star Wars universe, physics, historical Europe, and the list goes on. How many worlds did I bring into being, again, as I read these stories?
Do we bring those worlds and those characters to life as we read and build them in our mind? I still remember Sophie’s World and Myst. Are writers indeed world builders? Are we characters in a book. Is this a topic for philosophy, religion or fantasy and science fiction?
“I counted my years and found that I have less time to live from here on than I have lived up to now.” Thus begins a poem by Mário Raul de Morais Andrade. He was a Brazilian poet, novelist, musicologist, art historian and critic, photographer. One version ends, “We have two lives. And the second begins when you realize you only have one.”
Of course if you are a reader, you live many lives and visit many worlds, real and fictional. But, in the end those will all dissolve into worm food. All except that which we pass on to other minds.
The poem reminds me that, “life is too short to drink bad wine; or bad coffee.” And causes me to reflect on the age-old questions of “who am I” and “why am I here.”
As I work with the chatGPT instance of Artificial Intelligence, it strikes me those questions are becoming more important. Robotics will provide tools for building things and AI will design what they build. What is the role of humans in this new world. A favorite view of this of mine is explored in the animated movie, WALL-E. Sitting in a recliner with a laptop arguing with people we don’t know and exchanging pictures of puppies seems to be the beginning of that trajectory.
I sit on the porch, look at the moon, and wonder.
I asked my research assistant to write an essay on the Joy of Reading. For full disclosure, my research assistant is chatGPT.
Title: The Joy of Reading: A Gateway to Imagination and Empathy
Introduction:
Reading is more than just decoding words on a page; it is a gateway to a world of imagination, knowledge, and empathy. In an era dominated by digital distractions, the joy of reading remains a timeless pleasure that enriches our lives in ways beyond measure. This essay explores the multifaceted joy of reading and its profound impact on individuals and society.
Exploration of Different Worlds:
One of the most enchanting aspects of reading is the ability to explore different worlds, both real and imaginary. Whether it’s delving into the mystical realms of Middle Earth, traversing the cosmos in science fiction, or immersing oneself in the pages of history, reading transports us to places we could never physically visit. Through books, readers can witness the rise and fall of civilizations, experience the wonders of far-off lands, and confront the challenges of different eras.
Building Empathy:
Reading also fosters empathy by allowing us to inhabit the minds and hearts of characters from diverse backgrounds. As we follow their journeys, we gain insights into their thoughts, emotions, and struggles. This vicarious experience of walking in another person’s shoes broadens our perspective, making us more compassionate and understanding individuals. It bridges gaps of understanding between cultures, generations, and social groups, promoting a more harmonious society.
The Power of Imagination:
Reading sparks the fires of imagination like few other activities can. Unlike visual media, books require us to conjure images and worlds in our minds. This mental exercise not only keeps our creative faculties sharp but also allows us to co-create the story with the author. Readers become active participants in the narrative, enhancing their sense of ownership and connection to the material.
Knowledge and Learning:
Books are repositories of knowledge, and reading is an essential tool for learning. Whether it’s for academic pursuits or personal enrichment, reading broadens our horizons and deepens our understanding of the world. It empowers us to engage in lifelong learning, fostering intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills.
Escape and Relaxation:
In today’s fast-paced world, reading offers a sanctuary for relaxation and escape. It provides a respite from the constant stream of information and a chance to unwind. A good book can transport us to a place of serenity and calm, rejuvenating our minds and spirits.
Conclusion:
The joy of reading is a treasure trove of experiences waiting to be unlocked. It offers an escape from reality, a bridge to understanding, and a path to self-improvement. To introduce students and adults to this joy, we must emphasize its transformative power in our education systems, promote diverse and engaging reading materials, and create environments that encourage reading as a lifelong habit. By doing so, we not only enrich individual lives but also cultivate a more empathetic, imaginative, and enlightened society. So, pick up a book, turn the page, and embark on a journey that promises to fill your life with boundless joy and discovery.
Trivial Pursuit
It seems we substitute the memorization of factoids for knowledge and the substitute knowledge for wisdom. These factoids are often about sports or celebrities.
With this measure of knowledge or wisdom, chatGPT has already passed the Turing test. The bar is rather low.
I am using a new way to update these musings. In my interest in how equations tell stories, I thought this might be a good time to start talking about that. It seems this might be a good place to start.
\displaystyle \overrightharpoon{F} = G \frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}\^{r}
This is the description of a commonly experienced phenomena. The first question is, when you look at this, what do you see? Is it just a jumble of letters and symbols? Or, is it a math problem. Or, do you see a description of the force created between two masses? What do you see? I don’t think these are the only three answers.
In his book, “Imagined Worlds”, Freeman Dyson makes a comment I think is relevant to this series.
“In discussions of human affairs, I turn for guidance not to sociology but to case studies and science fiction. For me, Wells’s “The Time Machine” provides more insight into past and future worlds than any statistical analysis, because insight requires imagination.”
I was searching for a meaning for enchanted today and found an interesting connection. A greeting in French is “enchanté” or “pleased to meet you” seems to me to carry a more interesting meaning than the phrases,”How are you? Fine thanks, how are you?”
In, “The Pleasure of Finding Things Out,” Richard Feynman observes that knowing more about a visually pleasing thing, like a flower, can increase the item’s aesthetic to you. An artist in this discussion thought the scientific view of the flower was less beautiful; Feynman disagrees.
It is sometimes difficult to express what has triggered a particular set of thoughts. For me the above describes how we can say or view the world from many different perspectives. Often, stories heard are quite different from the story that has been told. That isn’t always a bad thing.
Why does anyone want to read a story? The opening paragraphs of a story do most of the work. My favorite opening line of a story is, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”; “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. When I read that I was hooked and spent the next few weeks learning about hobbits and middle earth. As curious as I am(and was) with regard to how the ‘real’ world worked. This line drew me into a completely different world.
The question I have considered for a few years now is, why can’t introductions to the sciences and mathematics be as engaging? The opening sentence in the preface to a recent physics text starts, “The physical universe is enormously complex in its detail. Every day, each of us observes a great variety of objects and phenomena”; “College Physics”, by Urone and Hinrichs. I think many imaginative genius are turned away from making major contributions because the stories in the sciences are often buried deep in quite obtuse stories.
In an earlier piece I said that there may be more truth in fiction and more fiction in truth than we realize(or something to that effect). So, if one couched physics in an exploration of, “It was a vast, shining globe and it cast a light of lambent topaz into space–but it was not a sun”; “Star Wars: A New Hope”; by George Lucas, what would happen?
I suspect more young potential scientists read that line and were hooked than by any science textbook. Discovery is exciting; why is it often lost during education?
Evey kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact” – Carl Sagan
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” ― Socrates
Imagination and elementary teachers. It seems to me some of the most imaginative people I know are elementary teachers. I think that they “get it” from their students!
There is plenty of time to learn Physics and Math but only a short time to ‘learn’ imagination.
It is my opinion that we do not allow children to be children long enough. We want to dress them up as adults. We want them to consider things on our terms; not theirs. “Calvin and Hobbes” and “Peanuts” provide great models. They will enter the confusing years of adolescence soon enough; but that is an entirely different story.
“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” – Aldous Huxley