"You will soon break the bow if you keep it always stretched." — Phaedrus — — — #Phaedrus #quote #quotes #stress #tension #relax #break #crack #metaphor

Perfect answer to why I do standup comedy where I do...

#anonymous #nowhereUSA #phaedrus #prisig #zen #stpaul #minneapolis #twincities #dakotas

but is there more to it than that? Rather than argue about the generality of the #Phaedrus complaint about writing, I want to instead ask, in recasting it as an argument about practicing mathematics, just what is it that a calculator does that replaces manual computation of data! Don't say "speed"! Or, specifically, how does your pocket calculator compute a square root or a trigonometric function? Surely calculators do not do a #TaylorExpansion

Before I dive into my approximation theory studies, I want to visit a thought I shared some time ago regarding Plato's dialogue #Phaedrus , as retold by the FS Blog.

The argument in Phadrus says writers "will cease to exercise memory, because they rely on that which is written." If we think about this argument with regard to #mathematics , it's like saying that calculators will diminish the ability to perform arithmetic. Seems a grain of truth!

alright, so my draft is approaching 2000 words. a thread won’t do. I’m writing this as a full essay, reviewing the development of five #numericalmethods for #approximation

But my point about #Phaedrus is succinct enough. By writing down an explanation we’re both practicing explanations and giving a template to rehearse the thoughts behind them. In this non-didactic sense, writing and other information technologies enhance learning “by heart”. But these tools must be used in this manner.

A nice, succinct recapitulation of the ancient argument against writing https://fs.blog/an-old-argument-against-writing/

from #Plato #Phaedrus

I know I’ve posted much #philosophy content lately, but I do promise some mathematics soon! This reference from FS Blog is part of an essay I’m writing regarding math/compsci crossover concepts….