To study a Hubble Telescope image of [a spiral galaxy], typically (for the closer ones) seen from 10 or 20 million light-years, is to enter a world of sight so rich in possibility, so deep in separation from life on Earth, so complex in structure, that the unprepared mind may reel, or may provide a defense by reminding its owner that none of this can thin the thighs or heal the fractured bone.
I'm omitting a citation as a favor to the author.
Is it bad if I like that quote?
ReplyDeleteFor me, it wouldn't be the bullet or laundry list. I would be interest in the big picture, and how it fits into other disciplines. Maybe take your laundry list and categorize it, then use snapshots to illustrate it. :) It would be worth it to take (at least) one example and describe why it is we know it to be true, so that the students could see the process.
Or it could be almost 2am and it could be just as fun to take pictures of clusters of stars and see if you can find a bunny or a dog shape in it...
-Ris
Wow. I love the disclaimer about the favor to the author, and agree that it is a favor. I'll have to think about the questions in the previous post for a little while though.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime though, I like most of the advice that John Baez (yes, father of Joan Baez) gives on his website:
ReplyDeletehttp://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/teaching.html