Happy Perihelion Day

Just a special wish for a happy day for all astronomers on January 4th.
Given the success so far from Stardust and Spirit, looks promising already.

Incidentally, when interviewing applicants for university places to do
astronomy, I find that asking a question about the explanation of the
seasons reveals that some still think perihelion is on June 21st.

There is compensation, from those who can give a coherent and correct
explanation.

--
Mike Dworetsky

(Remove "pants" spamblock to send e-mail)

Mike Dworetsky wrote:
I find that asking a question about the explanation of the seasons
reveals that some still think perihelion is on June 21st.

Someone I was talking to, whose daughter was doing teacher training,
told me that this is what they were taught on their TT course. If
teachers are being told to teach this, it's not surprising that
prospective students believe it to be so (like the old QCA diktat that
the synodic month is 28 days).

Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

--
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+ Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books +
+ (N51.162 E0.995) | http://www.astunit.com +
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"Mike Dworetsky" wrote in message
...
Just a special wish for a happy day for all astronomers on January 4th.
Given the success so far from Stardust and Spirit, looks promising
already.

Incidentally, when interviewing applicants for university places to do
astronomy, I find that asking a question about the explanation of the
seasons reveals that some still think perihelion is on June 21st.

I groaned when I read "Astronomy" (the USA mag) peice on mis-conceptions /
lack of education. Some of the quotes / questions were cringeworthy.

Kev

JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Stephen Tonkin
posted at Sun, 4 Jan 2004 11:21:37 :-

Mike Dworetsky wrote:
I find that asking a question about the explanation of the seasons
reveals that some still think perihelion is on June 21st.

Someone I was talking to, whose daughter was doing teacher training,
told me that this is what they were taught on their TT course. If
teachers are being told to teach this, it's not surprising that
prospective students believe it to be so (like the old QCA diktat that
the synodic month is 28 days).


I assume that not a great deal of science is covered in a TT course,
that only a small part of it is relevant to astronomy, and that some of
it may be right.

ISTM that the FAQ could contain a section on, or a link to a page in,
errors commonly taught or published in educational-type materials.

We had an example in September concerning the Brownies.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.

"Stephen Tonkin" wrote in message
...
Mike Dworetsky wrote:
I find that asking a question about the explanation of the seasons
reveals that some still think perihelion is on June 21st.

Someone I was talking to, whose daughter was doing teacher training,
told me that this is what they were taught on their TT course. If
teachers are being told to teach this, it's not surprising that
prospective students believe it to be so (like the old QCA diktat that
the synodic month is 28 days).


H...e...l...p!! Say it isn't so!! It could explain much.

--
Mike Dworetsky

(Remove "pants" spamblock to send e-mail)

Dr John Stockton wrote:
ISTM that the FAQ could contain a section on, or a link to a page in,
errors commonly taught or published in educational-type materials.

Is that an offer to write it?

Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

--
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books +
+ (N51.162 E0.995) | http://www.astunit.com +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Stephen Tonkin
posted at Mon, 5 Jan 2004 05:47:31 :-
Dr John Stockton wrote:
ISTM that the FAQ could contain a section on, or a link to a page in,
errors commonly taught or published in educational-type materials.

Is that an offer to write it?

To edit it, perhaps; but I do not have good access to the original
materials. It would need to be a collective effort.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.

In article , Dr John Stockton wrote:
To edit it, perhaps; but I do not have good access to the original
materials. It would need to be a collective effort.


And "Kev" wrote in article
:
I groaned when I read "Astronomy" (the USA mag) peice on mis-conceptions /
lack of education. Some of the quotes / questions were cringeworthy.


Not having opened this month's "Astronomy", I'm wondering if you've
just volunteered yourself to re-write part of this article for Steven
(assuming Kev is talking about this month's edition).

Here's a few links from Google (I think I used "astronomical"
"blunder" and "common error" in several searches) to spike your collection.
http://observers.org/tac.mailing.lis...ober/0449.html
http://www.amnh.org/naturalhistory/e...0200_pick.html


--
Aidan Karley,
Geologist,
Writing off-line in a hotel in Moscow at Tue, 06 Jan 2004 11:04 GMT.

JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Aidan Karley posted at
Tue, 6 Jan 2004 14:00:04 :-
In article , Dr John Stockton wrote:
To edit it, perhaps; but I do not have good access to the original
materials. It would need to be a collective effort.


And "Kev" wrote in article
:
I groaned when I read "Astronomy" (the USA mag) peice on mis-conceptions /
lack of education. Some of the quotes / questions were cringeworthy.


Not having opened this month's "Astronomy", I'm wondering if you've
just volunteered yourself to re-write part of this article for Steven
(assuming Kev is talking about this month's edition).

Here's a few links from Google (I think I used "astronomical"
"blunder" and "common error" in several searches) to spike your collection.
http://observers.org/tac.mailing.lis...ober/0449.html
http://www.amnh.org/naturalhistory/e...0200_pick.html

I don't see the magazine, but will look at those links.

I had in mind to cover only material that would affect UK learners -
which does not, of course, rule out material from the USA distributed
here. The Americans can wash their own dirty linen, and so can the
others.

One need not go into detail; I have beginnings at URL:http://www.merlyn
..demon.co.uk/astro2.htm#No.

Stephen - how about a link to in the FAQ to Phil Plait's "Bad
Astronomy", probably at www.badastronomy.com, and the related ISBN ?

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.

In article , Dr John Stockton
wrote:
I don't see the magazine, but will look at those links.

I had in mind to cover only material that would affect UK learners -
which does not, of course, rule out material from the USA distributed
here. The Americans can wash their own dirty linen, and so can the
others.

They'll very likely have a *lot* of the same dirty laundry. Many
people writing textbooks have this awful habit of copying other
textbooks and not checking things themselves. Have you seen Steven J.
Gould's essay on the "Case of the Creeping Fox Terrier Clone"?


http://www.merlyn
..demon.co.uk/astro2.htm#No.
I decipher that as being
"http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/astro2.htm#No"
(instead of the home page for Merrill Lynch, beancounters to the
rich and extremely rich)

Took me a couple of seconds to twig that "NUSA" stands for
news:uk.science.astronomy in your notation.

Here's one you can add to your list : the claim that prior to
Columbus, people thought that the Earth was flat. It was actually a
myth invented in the 19th century to make some religious point for
rabid god squadders about the stupidity of their ancestors (or
something like that - the perversity of the religious falls below my
mental radar generally).

--
Aidan Karley,
Geologist,
Writing off-line in a hotel in Moscow at Wed, 07 Jan 2004 22:59 GMT.