What caused the exceptional sound quality of Stradivarius violins?

[Tenshou]

What is the purpose of education in this day and age? Do we learn because we are expected to learn, become educated to be the leaders of tomorrow or is their more? I think as humans we have an innate curiosity a willingness to learn. I was recently watching a video by a fellow named Noam Chomsky, and this video was talking about a recent topic I posted, but it also elaborated a little more. How are we suppose to learn? I apologize if this seems to philosophical, I think it is just a general curiosity talking about the purpose of education in today's society, again forgive me if this seems to philosophical. I am not sure how to phrase a discussion on this topic in any other way.

 

[strangerep]

What is the purpose of education in this day and age?

The same as it always was: instinct can be passed down genetically, but knowledge cannot.

 

[Tenshou]

This is true this is why we record historical events, I think it is more than just knowledge I mean apes and some monkeys pass down this so called knowledge, but why do we need education in this age, the age of information.

 

[ZapperZ]

Just because you have an "information", doesn't mean you know what to do with it.

Here is F=ma. Now, go build me a house.

Zz.

 

[Tenshou]

haha wisdom, true wisdom zapper. This is true, Noam was saying something about this in that video. I do think creativity doesn't need schooling though, just like a good house doesn't need to be lavishly decorated. you can do a whole lot of "learning" without proper schooling :)

 

[DiracPool]

This is true this is why we record historical events, I think it is more than just knowledge I mean apes and some monkeys pass down this so called knowledge, but why do we need education in this age, the age of information.

It has to do less with the means to acquire knowledge in this day and internet age, and more to do with the quantization and formalization of knowledge. Meaning that almost anyone can acquire any knowledge today, but how do you objectively quantify and classify and control the content and quality of that education or skill?

The answer is through a formal accredited educational system that scales education according to classes, grades, and standardized tests. So, in effect, the utility of the educational institution is really to qualify and accredit skill sets as opposed to providing knowledge, which may have have been more of its principle role in previous times.

 

[ZapperZ]

haha wisdom, true wisdom zapper. This is true, Noam was saying something about this in that video. I do think creativity doesn't need schooling though, just like a good house doesn't need to be lavishly decorated. you can do a whole lot of "learning" without proper schooling :)

Says who? Are you using the exception to be the rule?

So find a creative person and ask him/her to solve for the mechanism responsible for superconductivity in High-Tc superconductors.

Zz.

 

[Astronuc]

haha wisdom, true wisdom zapper. This is true, Noam was saying something about this in that video. I do think creativity doesn't need schooling though, just like a good house doesn't need to be lavishly decorated. you can do a whole lot of "learning" without proper schooling :)

Some schooling IS necessary, or at a minimum, most folks need to learn from someone who has done it. These days, the more eduction one has, the better.

 

[Tenshou]

It has to do less with the means to acquire knowledge in this day and internet age, and more to do with the quantization and formalization of knowledge. Meaning that almost anyone can acquire any knowledge today, but how do you objectively quantify and classify and control the content and quality of that education or skill?

The answer is through a formal accredited educational system that scales education according to classes, grades, and standardized tests. So, in effect, the utility of the educational institution is really to qualify and accredit skill sets as opposed to providing knowledge, which may have have been more of its principle role in previous times.

I do think skills are necessary to be learned. The quality of the educational system, if that is what you are talking about is depended on up bringing in a stable house holds and social-economical-political backgrounds, in other words, a privileged up bringing. before I get to far ahead of my self do you think you could clear up what you said in the first paragraph? Although, I think that skill sets taught are not necessary for gaining knowledge, but they are necessary for being set on the right path to learning, also is an innate talent for learning need, the tenshou, if I may use such a word for wanting to learn and gain knowledge. Formal school system don't seem, to me any way, that if you want to learn something useful pursue something you love. The schooling systems do not promote pursuing something you love, better yet to challenge the status quote.

Says who? Are you using the exception to be the rule?

So find a creative person and ask him/her to solve for the mechanism responsible for superconductivity in High-Tc superconductors.

Zz.

None of us are exception to the rules, we are all unique and special in our own way. I am pretty sure that some creative person will come along, if they haven't already given up to solve the big problems in the world. The schooling system can be brutal, just because a person didn't get an A+ in their geometry class.

 

[ZapperZ]

None of us are exception to the rules, we are all unique and special in our own way. I am pretty sure that some creative person will come along, if they haven't already given up to solve the big problems in the world. The schooling system can be brutal, just because a person didn't get an A+ in their geometry class.

You do realize that you are making a lot of handwaving argument here, don't you? It means that you make many of these statements without anything to validate them.

I asked you to build a house using F=ma, you can't. I asked you to find a creative person who didn't have any schooling background to solve for the High-Tc problem. There isn't any. So really, what is left on the validity of your original post in this thread? I see none.

Zz.

 

[DiracPool]

What is the purpose of education in this day and age?

Cutting to the nub, my response to this question is that it accredits and quantifies a body of knowledge or skill set to some individual. That's it. It says nothing about what someone actually knows or what someones potential is. It simply says, we "this institution" vouch that this individual has jumped through the necessary hoops and passed the qualifying tests that says he/she knows such and such about this or that topic.

 

[Tenshou]

You do realize that you are making a lot of handwaving argument here, don't you? It means that you make many of these statements without anything to validate them.

I asked you to build a house using F=ma, you can't. I asked you to find a creative person who didn't have any schooling background to solve for the High-Tc problem. There isn't any. So really, what is left on the validity of your original post in this thread? I see none.

Zz.

Okay, okay you got me, but like I said "learning" as in acquisition of knowledge doesn't need formal schooling, but just a curious person who is yet creative. how many apes did it take to learn how to crack a nut? as many that could figure it out. I can't just go out and find a person who knows about high temp superconductivity, you need just more than a formula to build a house, you need the supplies, the funding! the validity of the thread lies with in the search to why formal public schooling systems are needed, and how does formal education in such a facility get you to solve problems like building a house out of then air

 

[zoobyshoe]

I asked you to build a house using F=ma, you can't.

This is a very bad example. It implies no one was able to build any houses or buildings before Newton. In fact, no carpenter today ever uses F=ma in building a house.

In another vein, people were developing and making extremely fine musical instruments before anyone had sorted out the physics of sound, just by trial and error. Stradivarius had no idea that velocity=wavelength times frequency, nor did he know Hooke's Law and it wouldn't have helped him to know them.

The other example you used was more to the point.

 

[mindheavy]

..., nor did he know Hooke's Law and it wouldn't have helped him to know them.

It could have helped him to understand them though.

 

[zoobyshoe]

It could have helped him to understand them though.

Indeed, but he got somewhere with trial and error that modern physicists with their advanced analytical abilities have still not gotten. He created a varnish that made some of his violins the best in existence. Science still cannot recreate it.

The television, on the other hand, could never have been created by trial and error without physics.

 

[Tenshou]

so are you saying something about experience zooby? if so I think I might have to agree with you. trial and error of a teacher who can teacher the right way such that people do not fall into the same errors that they have made(the teacher), progress my friend is not made during school, but in the progress of learning.

 

[Evo]

Sorry, you have been given the answer to why we need education. In a nutshell, we aren't born educated and need to be taught. Further speculation falls into philosophy and as you have been told repeatedly, there are many philosophy forums on the internet where you can speculate all you want.

 

[Evo]

Indeed, but he got somewhere with trial and error that modern physicists with their advanced analytical abilities have still not gotten. He created a varnish that made some of his violins the best in existence. Science still cannot recreate it.

The television, on the other hand, could never have been created by trial and error without physics.

I saw a ducumentary on this zoob, and it is believed it was the wood he used. It was wood grown during the maunder minimum.

Instruments crafted from the late 17th century onwards by revered violin maker Antonio Stradivari sell for millions of dollars today, and musicians and scientists have long sought to explain their superb sound quality.

Now, American scientists have come up with a possible explanation: A dramatic European cold spell may have enhanced the quality of wood from which the instruments were crafted.

A sharp dip in temperatures between 1645 and 1715 coincided with a reduction in sunspots and the sun's overall activity known as the Maunder Minimum. Researchers say those factors may have slowed tree growth, thereby creating the ideal building material for violins later manufactured.

The research is described in the current issue of the tree ring science journal Dendrochronologia.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/01/0107_040107_violin.html