jimerb

Greippi, do you consider yourself translating into another language? Or do you feel you are forced to stay within the vocabulary of the science? I'm wondering if a professional linguistic translator who then went on to study science would be more likely to be an excellent teacher.... Consider something like trying to explain the Pythagorean theorem. You can start talking about formulas which is sure to lose the grandmother but if your conversation talks about relationships between distances and angles to a tree in the back yard then I believe with a little planning in your head you could construct English around the theorem to tell grandma how to figure out how tall the tree is. Grandma might not go to the blackboard, but she might be able to guesstimate how tall the tree is in much the same way as you figure out a tip in the restaurant (who cares if she's a little off.) Maybe the right term for it is "good enough education." Not good for graduating from Harvard but fine for everyday living.

hmmm. Interesting. I don't propose that she would be able to compute heavy formulas or take her new found knowledge and apply it in the scientific community at large but rather maintain a working understanding of the topic so she could keep up at the party after the next set of nobel prizes are handed out in science. Einstein also said, "The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking." Isn't a good scientist in effect a linguistic translator converting the words of science into the words of English?

I like to consider myself a science and math buff but I'm certainly no expert in any of the disciplines. Computer science is my bag. One common frustration for me is that in a learning environment I find that teachers or mentors stop talking in English and start talking in 'tech speak.' A saying I hold dear to my heart is from Einstein who said, "You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother." I have found this to be very true. On the subjects I have mastered the most, I challenge myself to explain them in the most elementary way using only English that any lay person can understand. I find that trying to get the true essence of the topic across using only English, challenges my intellect. I'm wondering if there are limits to this... Can any distinguished scientists or mathematicians here attest to the ability of being plain spoken at an advanced level? For example, can you explain the Dynamics of Large Quantum Systems to your grandmother in a way that she can understand? How deep can you develop her understanding while sitting around the kitchen table? Forget formulas, she doesn't have time or patience for that. I'm afraid you'll have to use analogies instead. She only has a desire to understand. What do you think? Thanks for sharing.