83 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
83 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
|
From georgem@microso.UUCP Sun Jul 2 18:30:05 1989
|
|||
|
|
Flags: 000000000001
|
|||
|
|
Path: molokai!milano!cs.utexas.edu!ssbn!looking!funny-request
|
|||
|
|
From: georgem@microso.UUCP (George Moore)
|
|||
|
|
Newsgroups: rec.humor.funny
|
|||
|
|
Subject: Food for thought
|
|||
|
|
Keywords: heard it, funny
|
|||
|
|
Message-ID: <3582@looking.on.ca>
|
|||
|
|
Date: 2 Jul 89 23:30:05 GMT
|
|||
|
|
Sender: funny@looking.on.ca
|
|||
|
|
Lines: 66
|
|||
|
|
Approved: funny@looking.on.ca
|
|||
|
|
Reply-Path: uunet.UU.NET!microsoft!georgem
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
{ed There are many versions of this story...}
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are SEVERAL ways to solve a problem. For example, consider
|
|||
|
|
the following from "The Teaching of Elementary Science and
|
|||
|
|
Mathematics" by Alexander Calandra:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"The process of creativity is a mysterious and interesting one.
|
|||
|
|
It is brilliantly described in the following story. A student
|
|||
|
|
refused to parrot back what he had been taught in class. When the
|
|||
|
|
student protested, I was asked to act as arbiter between the
|
|||
|
|
student and his professor.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I went to my colleague's office and read the examination
|
|||
|
|
question: 'Show how it is possible to determine the height of a
|
|||
|
|
tall building with the aid of a barometer.'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The student had answered: 'Take the barometer to the top of
|
|||
|
|
the building, attach a long rope to it, lower the barometer to
|
|||
|
|
the street and then bring it up, measuring the length of the
|
|||
|
|
rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building.'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A high grade is supposed to certify competence in physics, but
|
|||
|
|
the answer did not confirm this. I suggested that the student
|
|||
|
|
have another try at answering the question. I gave the student
|
|||
|
|
six minutes, with the warning that his answer should show some
|
|||
|
|
knowledge of physics. In the next minute he dashed off his
|
|||
|
|
answer, which read: 'Take the barometer to the top of the
|
|||
|
|
building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer,
|
|||
|
|
timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula
|
|||
|
|
S = 1/2at2, calculate the height of the building.'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He
|
|||
|
|
conceded, and I gave the student almost full credit.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In leaving my colleague's office, I recalled that the student
|
|||
|
|
had said he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what
|
|||
|
|
they were.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
'Oh, yes. There are many ways of getting the height of a tall
|
|||
|
|
building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take
|
|||
|
|
the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the
|
|||
|
|
barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow
|
|||
|
|
of the building, and by the use of a simple proportion, determine
|
|||
|
|
the height of the building.'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fine, I said. And the others?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
'Yes. Take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As
|
|||
|
|
you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer
|
|||
|
|
along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will
|
|||
|
|
give you the height of the building in barometer units. A very
|
|||
|
|
direct method.'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
'Finally, there are many other ways of solving the problem.
|
|||
|
|
Proably not the best is to take the barometer to the basement and
|
|||
|
|
knock on the superintendent's door. When the superintendent
|
|||
|
|
answers, you speak to him as follows: "Mr. Superintendent, here
|
|||
|
|
I have a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of this
|
|||
|
|
building, I will give you this barometer".'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
--
|
|||
|
|
Edited by Brad Templeton. MAIL, yes MAIL your jokes to funny@looking.ON.CA
|
|||
|
|
Attribute the joke's source if at all possible. I will reply, mailers willing.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Remember: Only ONE joke per submission. Extra jokes may be rejected.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|