Information lost, 4

Losing information is the same as generating entropy. And generating entropy means generating heat. The virtual black holes that Stephen had so blithely postulated would create heat in empty space.

— The Black Hole War, p.23

— Leonard Susskind

2012.09.23 Sunday ACHK

Teaching is useless

無足夠資料 9 | 數學教育 4 | What is statistics? 2 | 軟硬智力 10

Intellect is invisible to those have none.

– Arthur Schopenhauer

Teaching is useless. Information is useful. Although intelligence can seldom be increased, giving relevant information to a GOOD person so that he can fully realize his existing intelligence potential is always useful.

The intelligence-absorption principle should actually be called the information-absorption principle, because intelligence cannot be increased directly.

「智攝原則」應該改稱為「資攝原則」,因為你沒有可能,直接增加別人的智力。你可以做到的,就只有透過給予相關資料,去加快別人智力潛能的發展。換句話說,你只可以破除無知,而不可刪減愚蠢。

Information is just like technology: Intellectually challenging to create doesn’t mean intellectually challenging to use.

— Me@2011.11.10

You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him to find it for himself.

– Galileo

2012.09.23 Sunday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

考試美術 1.1

這段改編自 2010 年 6 月 9 日的對話。

當年我報考中學會考的美術科。該科有兩份卷。第一份是素描;第二份我選修了設計。每份卷的考試時間長度,都是三個小時。

美術老師教了我,一個至關重要的考試技巧。在一份卷的三個小時內,千萬不要力臻完美,十分詳細地畫任何一部分;因為,那樣會令你沒有足夠時間,去畫作品中的其他部分,而導致該卷不合格。

例如,試題的要求是,畫一個人、一棵樹 和 一間屋。如果你打算集中火力,先「完成」那間屋,才開始描繪其他的話,計劃就一定行不通。任何一部分,你都可以不斷迫近完美,無限詳細地畫下去,並沒有所謂「客觀的完成」。所以,「打算先『完成』那間屋」的真正意思是,你不企圖畫其他。

典型的劇情是,你花了頭兩個小時,都仍然在畫那間屋,不肯放手。結果,拖到二小時三十分,才開始用餘下的半小時,將「人」和「樹」草草了事。到頭來,三樣東西中,你只畫了一樣,是似模似樣的。你根本沒有完成試題的基本要求,成績自然是不合格,

— Me@2012.09.23

2012.09.23 Sunday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK