Jonathan, education is so central to our lives that we take it for granted. You are right to raise the subject of play and its importance in learning. People need to think for themselves more and be ready to question what they are taught. Playing with ideas gives the tools to do that.
It is good to see that you are making a strong showing in the rankings. I hope you get some reward from the final result this year
Dear Jonathan J. Dickau,
Nice essay! Personally I have memory to be forced to study and not to play much when I was child. And now I play with physics or maybe i sold my soul to it. and i can not escape from its addiction anymore...
Regards,
Ryoji
Jonathan,
Time grows short, so I am revisiting essay I've reviewed to make sure I've rated them. I find that I rated yours way back on 4/11.
Your comments to me back then about education are sadly correct. I have been active in education, teaching at high school and college levels years ago. Education is focusing on testing, almost to the exclusion of teaching real communication and rational thinking, evidenced by "No Child Left Behind," and now Common Core and privatization.
Glad to see your essay is doing well.
Jim
Hello everyone,
I've been working at reading as many essays as I can, before the ratings deadline. I recently contracted Lyme disease, so I have been fighting extreme fatigue, but I am now getting steadily better. I apologize if my weakness and illness have kept me from getting to all of the wonderful essays I have still on my list to read. I hope to get to at least 20 more, before midnight tomorrow, but I know this is ambitious. So wish me luck!
I will also be responding to the thoughtful comments left above, as soon as I can, and to the greatest extent I can - while still reserving time to read.
All the Best,
Jonathan
Now with a little more time..
I hope I can read at least a few more essays. I thank all of my readers for their support.
Regards,
Jonathan
Thanks John,
Your insights into world affairs are valuable.
Regards,
Jonathan
Thanks Petio,
I am interested to learn more. I will visit your essay page before next Friday.
All the Best,
Jonathan
So good to see you back again too Don..
I remember enjoying your essay as well, and getting paid to learn sounds mighty appealing to me.
Warm Regards,
Jonathan
Thanks very much!
I really believe that play is essential, and that it helps us unlock the solutions for all other issues. And allowing enough room for things to happen is important to life's functioning.
All the Best,
Jonathan
It's true Philip..
Learning is the thing that sets humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom, and we are far too quick to under-value the role of learning and education in our lives. Education has the power to raise all humans to a higher level, but when we make it too much about memorizing facts and less about figuring things out, some of the understanding goes away. Scientific knowledge especially is much more than a collection of facts, and more about how concepts make those facts meaningful.
It's good to have my work respected by the authors, as it might do more good if it gets some exposure, because the essay's message is sorely needed by our society's decision makers. And it's good to see your essay making an impact, because what you suggest is greatly needed as well.
Warm Regards,
Jonathan
Glad you enjoyed it Ryoji,
I'm glad you grew up to be able to play as an adult, and that you appreciate that all the forced study was a chore. There has to be a better way to reach more children, and instil a love for Science in them, if we approach things in a playful fashion.
All the Best,
Jonathan
Thanks greatly Jim,
My personal opinion is that the Education testing companies are exploiting an opportunity to do learning research and get paid for it (at the taxpayer's expense), which is why early testing has been emphasized so greatly. But I find it disturbing that our leaders did not realize they were giving an important resource (knowledge about our kids and how they think) away. We need to focus more on what's best for our kids and their education, and less on what makes it easier for administrators and testing companies to keep track of them.
All the Best,
Jonathan
Hello Jonathan, May I post a short, but sincere critique of your essay? I'd ask you to return the favour. Here's my policy on that. (I can understand if you're already overcommitted.) - Mike
Dear Jonathan Dickau
Something similar as you was said also by Anton Zeilinger, who suggested to make computer games for children, where the world is quantum. Thus the children should learn quantum mechanics. Because one problem at quantum mechanics is to imagine it and such learning in young age can help at this.
Maybe visualization of my derivation of special relativity could also help children to learn physics.
Otherwise, it is known that limbic system in brain work so, that learning in state of relaxation is better. Some old memories are also better recalled. Gary Kasparov said that half of its time was used for work and half for relaxation. Because, both is necessary.
In my essay I wrote that it necessary to wake up desire for theory of everything (TOE), although it cannot be said directly how it can help. Namely, we intuitively think that we need TOE, but it is not easy to explain this. Your essay can help at this explanation.
Play is also one difference between a philosophical zombie and a real person, because it shows emotions. About consciousness and a philosophical zombie I wrote in my old essay.
Best regards
Janko Kokosar
Thank you greatly Janko,
I agree whole-heartedly that reaching children at the earliest possible age, with lessons about QM and other wonders of Science, is the way to instil a lifelong passion for scientific pursuits. We must encourage what nature's developmental timetable gives us when it appears, because it is then that we have the greatest opportunity to expand upon the learning potential. However; it is at such an early age that scientific reasoning first appears, that we almost need to have the parents and immediate caregivers all being Science-literate - to recognize and encourage that developmental growth spurt.
As to the value of relaxation; I think that is important too. On the web-site of Alain Connes, there are advices to future mathematicians; one bit of advice is that after a period of intense study, Connes recommends that the Math student take time to recline and let the mind wander - because this encourages our ability to let the message sink in. So his advice is similar to what Kasparov said. I shall try to get to your essay.
All the Best,
Jonathan
I can only guarantee that I will try,
If I do get to it, Michael, I assure you that my analysis will be honest.
All the Best,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
Your essay may look a simple proposal but it is actually a vital one.
"Unless parents appreciate the need for education, and can assist in their children's learning process when not at school, the prospects for a bright future diminish - because essential skills are never imparted."
This reminds me vividly about how much I have come to appreciate my father (not literate; now dead) as I grew up. Though a civil servant he was a tinkerer part time. Growing up, it turns out I was a bit of a tinkerer too but it often showed as dereliction of duty, absent mindedness and preoccupation with play and fabrications. BUT I also noticed that dad always told my mum and siblings to let me. And he was always interested to see what I accomplished or something as mundane as my explanation of an issue. As I grew to adulthood I realized he did that just because he himself knew the value of "play". In a nutshell dad gave me the crucial liberty of ACTUALLY USING MY MIND. That one memory I hold dear about him.
Another important issue you raise is that people tend to have wrong expectations of science. They want science to be always right but it seems that all that science really wants to be is reliable.
"... the kind of knowledge scientists seek is not a collection of facts, but a living, breathing thing. Science brings us a kind of knowing that is dynamic and endlessly expands the boundaries of knowledge. It is not a commodity that can be contained and retained...."
And H. Dieter Zeh, he is one of my favorites. I discovered him all by myself. I find his views to be vintage.
This essay brings me great memories and I hope it can be so to my children.
May you still find time to read, rate and comment on my perhaps unconventional thesis. Gives you a feel what I mean.
High regards,
Chidi
Thank you Chidi,
I am happy that you enjoyed my essay, and that it brought fond memories. I'm also glad you came to the work of H.D. Zeh on your own, because his insights are priceless. His work is often cited, but remains poorly understood.
It is interesting to note that I already had your essay page open in the next tab, when I read your message above. So I was and am at least hoping to read your essay before midnight tomorrow, and maybe sooner than that.
All the Best,
Jonathan
Jonathan,
funny how the 'pick a boo' game quantum mechanics is playing with us is providing us so much headache, where the babies can't stop laughing playing it. This is somehow theme of my essay. I'm not so sure though what can be learned from quantum mechanics, but surely we have to continue to play.
Great essay, enjoyable to read. Thanks
Luca
Hi Jonathan,
I think you are so right about play. It's an attitude, a state of mind towards life and work where everything actually becomes more enjoyable and productive.
Here are some quotes that particularly resonated with me:
"the swiftest progress is often made when there is only an interest to see what nature is telling us, with no specific expectation of what we will find. "
"When people are intimidated into compliance, or compelled to adhere to an artificial timetable, their ability to make progress suffers. While necessity can foster innovation, often the best scientists can do is create the ideal conditions for a discovery to be made, and then wait for nature to reveal herself in the experimental results. "
"When we send our most able scholars the message that it is not OK to play and they must do 'serious work' instead, we are doing them and our world a disservice. "
Best wishes,
Lorraine
