Surfing Theory
By Christopher MooreI spent the weekend surfing. After a few days of work, I hope to spend the rest of this week surfing.
Ok, so I attempted to surf. My normally consistent ability to stand up was foiled by the combination of gravity and rushing water. And typical grace took a back seat to awkward collapse followed by pummeling by wave and board.
When I decided to learn to play golf, I read. I read about swing mechanics, club speed, shaft flex, etc. I did the same with surfing, and reading acomplished about as much in this instance as it did with golf — little to nothing. The concept is simple. A wave pushes a board. You stand up on the board while this is happening. That’s it. There is some physics in there, too. Balance is important. But the concept is simple.
The same is true with concepts in physics. They are simple. We see them in action everyday. But just like my surfing experience, and golf before that, understanding the idea doesn’t necessarily mean I can solve the problem right away.
I spent a few years playing golf before I got to the point where I considered myself adequate. By the end of this week I hope to stand up on the board at least once, even if it’s for only a few seconds. I get better with practice.
I’ve been working with physics for almost 10 years in school and in my profession. I have not yet and will never master the subject. But I get better each time I try. Once you understand the concepts, you just have to continually practice standing up.
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Yo! What’s your name?
Comment by A — Sunday -- May 7th, 2006 @ 12:20 pm
Yo! My name is Chris.
My name happens to be plastered on about 2,000 separate pages on this site, and links to my personal site appear on at least 20 different pages. Every page links to an “About” page.
So, who I am is not really the question most people coming here have trouble answering. Who you are, on the other hand …
Comment by Chris Moore — Monday -- May 8th, 2006 @ 7:37 am