Nature absolutely abhors a straight line. Nature works to bend, break, block, refract, reflect and skew all manner of lines segments that aspire for straightness. Every one live is familiar with line segment. But no one alive as ever seen a straight line. The purist will argue that y=mx+b is a straight line. This isn't a line. This is the representation of a line. Its a description of something that no one has ever seen. Why do we waist time teaching it to elementary kids?
the universe is curved
2006-09-14 08:20:37 · 7 answers · asked by Thoughts Like Mine 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
so they can bring home stuff from the store in the shortest way
2006-09-14 08:22:39 · answer #1 · answered by tomhale138 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Nature also "abhors" any artifact produce by humans, but we try to acheive something other than what nature provides.
Nature may abhor a straight line, but a farmer, on a level field can get more yeild if he plows his furrows in a straight line. (as straigh as he can make them.)
The concept of a straight line is essential in the design and workings of machinery. Even the drawn line, as imperfect as even the finest rulers or cad/cam program can output to a printed plan is still a theoretical astract. I does not become "real" until the machine is produced. But without that abstract, and those of adjoining parts, the device will not function.
The straight line concept should be taught as soon as the mind can grasp it. That means, as soon as a child can figure out how to propel a marble, or run around four bases, or put together a barbie doll house.
The abstract can be made very "real" to them, even if they are not expected to create one until much later in life. But like anything else, you don't wait for the need to gather in the knowledge. One learns, in anticipation of the need.
By the way, the truism that "nature abhors a straight line," is not exactly true. Nature has created an infinite number of straight lines. It is still the shortest distance between two points and there are an infinite number of points. Just becaue nature doesn't create many straight lines you can "see" does not mean they dont exist.
Nature abhors a vacuum, but most of the universe is in the near perfect vacuum of space.
2006-09-14 16:12:49 · answer #2 · answered by Vince M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the simple answer to a complex world. There is not a way to provide everyone an individual education, they must generalize it all and make it a cookie cutter type of learning process in order to teach the masses. So teaching the masses that everything should neatly fit into perfectly square boxes is the answer to anarchy. But it creates a society of mindelss followers that feel like they are defective if they color outside the lines. The only way to break the cycle is to be the teacher to your own children, and teach to any other children that you can get the attention of. Teach them to go above and beyond, to think outside of the box. These are the children that end up being great leaders when they grow up.
2006-09-14 15:32:31 · answer #3 · answered by Olive Green Eyes 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The straight line is an abstraction, and learning about it is an exercise in abstract thought. Abstract thought is important for the advancement of all scient, mathematics, and philosphy.
Abstraction gives us the ability to understand the general, and thereby apply the general to the particular. In this way, we can know something prior to actually experiencing it. This is the basis of the rational intellect (as compared to the reactive mind). This is also what distinguishes human thought from that of animals. Refining our ability to think abstractly is how we expand our understanding of the universe.
2006-09-14 15:42:57 · answer #4 · answered by Professor Beatz 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure, the line is idealized; but without this idealization it would be much harder to make sense of natural phenomena; and nearly impossible to do anything of a theoretical nature. It is extremely important that we learn to idealize certain important concepts and study them well; when it is necessary to study something complex it will be easier to make approximations.
2006-09-14 15:26:12 · answer #5 · answered by bruinfan 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, thanks to Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky (I just love that name, Ton Lehrer wrote a song about him) and Bernhard Riemann we know that the universe is curved.
However, the universe LOOKS straight in the microcosm of our lives. So, teaching about straight lines makes sense to our senses. Euclidean Geometry was good enough for over 2000 years for most people.
2006-09-14 15:33:36 · answer #6 · answered by SPLATT 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Semantics... your question is rhetorical at best. We do not teach children about the theories of time and space either in order to teach them the concept of time. We teach them concepts they easily grasp and apply in "REAL LIFE". Tell me, when has this intrinsic knowledge of the imperfection of the straight line concept ever payed off for you? Has it ever been applied in your life in a practical way? Exactly. Teach children what works and applies... don't deluge them trivia that they do not need.
2006-09-14 15:36:08 · answer #7 · answered by sunsetsrbest1 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋