tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post5903717970021891434..comments2024-03-29T06:37:18.029-04:00Comments on Not Running a Hospital: Bret demolishes the '80s and moves onPaul Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065446378970179507noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-13456429546583008602011-05-22T07:22:19.951-04:002011-05-22T07:22:19.951-04:00This is pretty nice--I always had trouble visualiz...This is pretty nice--I always had trouble visualizing what an equation meant in the real world--i.e., how a body moved---how a force field changed, etc.<br /><br />I remember (with horror) my final exam in theoretical mechanics...it was taught by a Chinese guy who could barely speak English. He never explained anything and didn't care if you came to class (it was useless anyway).<br /><br />BUT--the exam counted 100%. When I sat for the exam, there was ONE problem, with several subparts--all centering around one situation. A man threw a 5 ball bolo into the air-(in Australia they have 3 balls tied together with a string--they threw it and tangled up birds and kangaroos). Only the balls were attached to each other by springs,not ropes. So--give 5 balls of mass=m1, m2 , etc and 5 springs of strength= k1,k2, etc. And the man threw the balls up with force F, against gravity G---"write the equations of motion for each ball".<br /><br />I cried---guys got up and left, trashing their exam book. I did my best. I got an "8"--yes 8 of 100 pts. Grading on a curve-it was worth a "B".<br /> <br />Now you know why of 87 freshmen physics majors,7 graduated--if we had a teacher who used visuals to help students "see" the equations effects on the variables--it would have helped a lot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-22880276566393689692011-05-19T13:03:09.511-04:002011-05-19T13:03:09.511-04:00My family physician colleague, who was an MIT unde...My family physician colleague, who was an MIT undergrad a long time ago, commented: "Differential equations rule our lives. Too bad very few understand them."76 Degrees in San Diegohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14358630186174729315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-43852601707469848602011-05-19T07:45:20.260-04:002011-05-19T07:45:20.260-04:00This is amazing. It makes you WANT to understand t...This is amazing. It makes you WANT to understand the data that is being presented. Thanks for sharing.Robin Eichertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-56867254559954676672011-05-18T17:06:28.040-04:002011-05-18T17:06:28.040-04:00That is SLICK. Especially helps those of us math-p...That is SLICK. Especially helps those of us math-phobes. What a teaching tool!<br /><br />nonlocalAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-67907833092331865062011-05-18T12:58:37.351-04:002011-05-18T12:58:37.351-04:00Very cool!Very cool!rlbateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15236331355857884458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-38693771494170517552011-05-18T12:18:27.652-04:002011-05-18T12:18:27.652-04:00How about being able to do this with your insuranc...How about being able to do this with your insurance risk algorithm? You know, the data they have on you with no transparency?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-53037217839330746862011-05-18T11:10:10.916-04:002011-05-18T11:10:10.916-04:00Wow. Imagine this applied to the menstrual cycle.....Wow. Imagine this applied to the menstrual cycle... <br /><br />Of course, we would probably have to have a mathematical formula for the interactions, which I'm not sure that we have.Margaret Polaneczky, MD (aka TBTAM)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16555722791007332247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-13840438161896688802011-05-18T10:31:11.224-04:002011-05-18T10:31:11.224-04:00That was well done and very cool--for someone like...That was well done and very cool--for someone like me who is not much for math, the visualization/interaction with the concepts clicked. Glad you shared-thanks.ParadiseDrummerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12143509383445452392noreply@blogger.com