I wonder how long it took for Newton's equations to filter down to real-world discoveries & inventions in a big way?
Based on things I see people do almost everyday, there's still a lot of filtering down into the real world left to be done.
Based on things I see people do almost everyday, there's still a lot of filtering down into the real world left to be done.
Good point: Naive Theories of Motion. It's a really fascinating article about how through everyday experience with moving objects, people often form remarkably incorrect mental "models" of how physics actually works.
A passage from the article:
Further, we argue that the assumptions of the naive theories are quite consistent across individuals. In fact, the theories developed by different individuals are best described as different forms of the same basic theory. Although this basic theory appears to be a reasonable outcome of experience with real-world motion, it is strikingly inconsistent with the fundamental principles of classical physics. In fact, the naive theory is remarkably similar to a pre-Newtonian physical theory popular in the 14th through 16th centuries.A short summary might be, "'common sense' is seldom common nor sensible."