Comments on: Classical acoustics http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/ Bardi on the Web Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:56:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: David Marjanović http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3558 David Marjanović Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:25:01 +0000 http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3558 <blockquote>Blind chance produces species</blockquote> Even that requires natural selection -- in other words, trial & error.

Blind chance produces species

Even that requires natural selection — in other words, trial & error.

]]> By: language hat http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3555 language hat Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:16:02 +0000 http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3555 Right, but whether or not we ever find the relevant texts (assuming they've survived), it seems to me the default assumption should be that the people who designed the theater knew what they were doing. Blind chance produces species, but not theaters. Right, but whether or not we ever find the relevant texts (assuming they’ve survived), it seems to me the default assumption should be that the people who designed the theater knew what they were doing. Blind chance produces species, but not theaters.

]]> By: Claire http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3552 Claire Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:22:21 +0000 http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3552 maybe part of the problem is we don't know all that much about the extent of classical mathematics beyond Euclid and Pythagoras. Apparently there's a huge amount of material that's never been translated and needs someone with a maths degree who can read Greek and Latin to work on it. maybe part of the problem is we don’t know all that much about the extent of classical mathematics beyond Euclid and Pythagoras. Apparently there’s a huge amount of material that’s never been translated and needs someone with a maths degree who can read Greek and Latin to work on it.

]]> By: language hat http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3548 language hat Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:50:38 +0000 http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3548 Incidentally, I've been at that theater, and it's quite true: you can stand in the back rows and hear someone whispering on stage. Amazing. Incidentally, I’ve been at that theater, and it’s quite true: you can stand in the back rows and hear someone whispering on stage. Amazing.

]]> By: language hat http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3547 language hat Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:50:03 +0000 http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/classical-acoustics/#comment-3547 Fascinating! But I find this a rather odd statement: "It's not clear whether this property comes from chance or design." That seems to show a deep contempt for people living before our present oh-so-brilliant age; why, it's hard to believe our ancestors could find their asses with both hands! Maybe they just <i>happened</i> to create a perfect acoustic structure! It couldn't be that ancient architects experimented extensively with materials, layouts, and so on, and by some combination of trial-and-error and math wound up knowing how to design a theater -- naw, gotta be dumb luck. Fascinating! But I find this a rather odd statement: “It’s not clear whether this property comes from chance or design.” That seems to show a deep contempt for people living before our present oh-so-brilliant age; why, it’s hard to believe our ancestors could find their asses with both hands! Maybe they just happened to create a perfect acoustic structure! It couldn’t be that ancient architects experimented extensively with materials, layouts, and so on, and by some combination of trial-and-error and math wound up knowing how to design a theater — naw, gotta be dumb luck.

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