Thursday, November 10, 2011
Seriously random thought
Polistra constantly hammers on the lost understanding of feedback and cycles. Modern "scientists" and "economists" always assume everything is either linear or exponential, rising infinitely or falling to zero. They never consider the possibility of waves or self-limiting or self-organizing systems. In their infantile egomaniacal "minds" everything in the universe is passive and inert, responding only to external commands by "scientists" or "economists".
The cause of this idiocy is puzzling. Most likely it comes from totally abstract education and loss of mechanical skills.
Here's a random and probably faulty thought: Did learning to write in cursive improve our understanding of cycles and limitations? Are modern kids, writing mainly with keyboards instead of pencils, less likely to comprehend waves and curves?
Muscle memory is far more powerful than abstract memory, and kids who learned cursive had to practice making loops and cusps. The practice was even more strenuous before 1950 when the Palmer method was dominant. My parents remembered spending hours and hours of "Up and down and round and round and up and down and round and round and up and down and round and round...."
Incidentally, the Wiki page linked above mentions an interesting revival of Palmer:
The cause of this idiocy is puzzling. Most likely it comes from totally abstract education and loss of mechanical skills.
Here's a random and probably faulty thought: Did learning to write in cursive improve our understanding of cycles and limitations? Are modern kids, writing mainly with keyboards instead of pencils, less likely to comprehend waves and curves?
Muscle memory is far more powerful than abstract memory, and kids who learned cursive had to practice making loops and cusps. The practice was even more strenuous before 1950 when the Palmer method was dominant. My parents remembered spending hours and hours of "Up and down and round and round and up and down and round and round and up and down and round and round...."
Incidentally, the Wiki page linked above mentions an interesting revival of Palmer:
Students were taught to adopt a uniform system of cursive writing with rhythmic motions. ... Palmer's method involved 'muscle motion' in which the more proximal muscles of the arm were used for movement, rather than allowing the fingers to move in writing. ... Proponents of the Palmer Method emphasized its plainness and speed, that it was much faster than the laborious Spencerian Method, and allowed the writer to effectively compete with the typewriter. To educators, the Method's advocates emphasized regimentation, and that the Method would thus be useful in schools to increase discipline and character, and could even reform delinquents. ... The style is now experiencing renewed attention, from those working in facilitated communication for the disabled. Because the Palmer method has a focus on shoulder and arm movements, it is helpful for many with limited movement of the fingers.¶ 5:44 AM
