To avoid confusing my clients, I just tell them that these irregularities are due to the earth's tilt and elipital orbit and leave it at that. And this satisfies them. (As soon as I mention the word "orbit" they know it's a complcated subject and never press me for more information).
John John L. Carmichael Jr. Sundial Sculptures 925 E. Foothills Dr. Tucson Arizona 85718 USA Tel: 520-696-1709 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: <http://www.sundialsculptures.com> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anselmo Pérez Serrada" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <sundial@rrz.uni-koeln.de> Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2002 8:31 AM Subject: Re: Keeping it simple > > > > > > I believe that the simplified explanation of these concepts is very > > important. Complex scientific overloading, however accurate, can > > easily intimidate the casual user of one of our creations, to the > > point of actually making them give up or lose interest in > > understanding the concept at all. Not everyone, obviously, is looking > > for that level of information. An elegant, simple explanation for > > some of these basic concepts - the ones they must confront in order to > > understand and use the dial they are standing in front of - is what is > > needed to welcome the uninitiated to the concept, and for that matter, > > to dialing as a whole. > > > > I too am trying to figure out how to explain these things, and I hope > > that by doing so I might even increase our ranks by sparing my > > customers the initial intimidation of the subject matter. If the > > mountain does not look too steep more people may be inclined to climb > > it, so to speak. I wonder what the "party definitions" would be to > > some of these basic dialling concepts, such as EoT? > > > > Jim, > > I agree 150% with you! It is very important not to make things more > complicate than they are... Sometimes it is the lingo, some others the > tools (mathematical, > theoretical, academical) we use to describe them and some others our own > limitations to express them... And unfortunately many people gets > discouraged from > knowing more about someting beautiful, useful or simply' mind-expanding' > (so as to call it) because of this. > > As an accidental teacher, I tend to think a lot about which are the > foundations, the barebones, of what I am going to teach: which is the > core and which is just > chatter. And I can't help thinking that maybe it is our fault that most > people are so'scientifically and technically illiterate'... even my own > engeneering colleagues! > > Best regards, > > Anselmo > > > > > > - > -
