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RE: BBC analogies
Here is another one:
Question at Physics exam: How to measure the height of a building with a
barometer?
Student: Measure barometer length, hang it to a rope, measure rope length,
lower it from the roof. Height=barometer length + rope length. Professor:
not the right answer.
Student: Drop the barometer from the building, measure falling time, deduce
height. Professor: not the right answer.
Student: Put barometer on the roof, measure shadow length on the soil,
deduce height. Professor: not the right answer.
Student: Hang barometer to a rope, let it oscillate close to soil, measure
period, deduce height. Professor: not the right answer. He offers a last
chance.
Student: You probably want to measure the difference in atmospheric
pressures. But this is so boring. Here is a better way. Make a deal with the
house administrator: in exchange to this beautiful barometer, tell me which
is the height of the building.
The student was Niels Bohr the only graduate of Copenhagen U. to receive the
Nobel Price.
Dr. Victor Steiner
Ministry of the Environment
Radiation and Noise Div.
Tel Aviv Univ.
Sackler School of Medicine
Room 719
Ramat Aviv 69978
Israel
Tel. 972-3-6420822
Fax. 972-3-6426268
Email victors@sviva.gov.il
-----Original Message-----
From: Jose Julio Rozental [mailto:joseroze@netvision.net.il]
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 11:33 AM
To: Stabin, Michael; radsafe
Subject: Re: BBC analogies
Dear Mike, and colleagues, that have commented this issue.
With due respect these analogies look like the anecdote of Albert Einstein
and his blind friend
This story shows how complex Einstein could be. Not long after his arrival
in Princeton he was invited, by the wife of one of the professors of
mathematics at Princeton, to be guest of honor at a tea. Reluctantly,
Einstein consented. After the tea had progressed for a time, the excited
hostess, thrilled to have such an eminent guest of honor, fluttered out into
the center of activity and with raised arms silenced the group. Bubbling out
some words expressing her thrill and pleasure, she turned to Einstein and
said:
"I wonder, Dr. Einstein, if you would be so kind as to explain to my guests
in a few words, just what is relativity theory ? "
Without any hesitation Einstein rose to his feet and told a story. He said
he was reminded of a walk he one day had with his blind friend. The day was
hot and he turned to the blind friend and said,
"I wish I had a glass of milk."
"Glass," replied the blind friend, "I know what that is. But what do you
mean by milk ?"
"Why, milk is a white fluid," explained Einstein.
"Now fluid, I know what that is," said the blind man. "but what is white ?"
"Oh, white is the color of a swan's feathers."
"Feathers, now I know what they are, but what is a swan ?"
"A swan is a bird with a crooked neck."
"Neck, I know what that is, but what do you mean by crooked ?"
At this point Einstein said he lost his patience. He seized his blind
friend's arm and pulled it straight. "There, now your arm is straight," he
said. Then he bent the blind friend's arm at the elbow. "Now it is crooked."
"Ah," said the blind friend. "Now I know what milk is."
And Einstein, at the tea, sat down.
Jose
joseroze@netvision.net.il
Israel
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