-----Original Message----- From: Nick Schade <schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com> To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net <PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Date: June 6, 1999 3:33 PM Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Pro's and Con's of the "Swede Form" (SNIP) > > >Now we're getting into philosophy of science. If something is not >measurable, does it still exist? Yes, it can exist but what do you "know" about it? If I say a thing is large, how large is large? If I say this thing has a length of x' and breadth of y' and an height of z' you know a lot more about it than if I say it is "large". Not so much a matter of philosophy as a matter of knowledge. > I can not measure the mass of an electron, >yet I am willing to accept that it has a mass. I don't see why the noise >produced by a tree falling in the forest is dependant on the sensitivity of >my ear. You may not be able to measure the mass of an electron but would you not agree that if you could measure its mass you would know more about it? As for the tree, you may not consider the noise it made when it fell important but if you could measure it you would know more about the noise. To person considering the amount of noise important, having measured the noise would increase his knowledge. he could relate the noise to the size of the tree, the type of undergrowth, the type of soil, etc. Were he writing a paper on the noise created by falling trees he would appear rather silly saying "Trees make a lot of noise when they fall." If measurements have no importance why do we put the dimensions of our boats in our advertising? Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
John Winters wrote: >If measurements have no importance why do we put the dimensions of our >boats in our advertising? Manufacturers and boat designers, lazy souls they are, only put the easy ones. I don't see hull thickness, a very important item. Or strength moduli, also quite important. You mean they're often different from boat to boat? Thought this was measurable, repeatable, quantifiable stuff...... Hank Hays Who makes custom Lightning Paddles.... <grin> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Hank Hays wrote: > John Winters wrote: > >If measurements have no importance why do we put the dimensions of our > >boats in our advertising? > > Manufacturers and boat designers, lazy souls they are, only put the easy > ones. I don't see hull thickness, a very important item. Or strength > moduli, also quite important. You mean they're often different from boat > to boat? Thought this was measurable, repeatable, quantifiable stuff...... What I want to know is the volume in the hatches. More important that the total volume, in my view. Except for Boreal Designs ads, I never see this info published. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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