The Relativity of Wrong (1989)

On a related note, sometimes someone may be wrong because he knows more about the subject (but not enough). A canonical example could be about the "leap year" rules. For context, the Earth makes a full rotation around the Sun in about 365.2425 days, so we use leap years to compensate: - add 1 day every 4 years (365 + 1/4 = 365.25) - but not every 100 years (365.25 - 1/100 = 365.24) - but add a day anyway…

"The young man then quoted with approval what Socrates had said on learning that the Delphic oracle had proclaimed him the wisest man in Greece. "If I am the wisest man," said Socrates, "it is because I alone know that I know nothing." This is a common misquote with similar frequency to perhaps "Play it again, Sam." In his Apology (not meaning apology, from apo-logia, speaking for oneself, i.e. defense) Socrates says: "... ἔοικα γοῦν τούτου γε σμικρῷ τινι αὐτῷ…

I don't want to argue with Asimov, becuase I love his stories, and I loved this article both times I read it. But there's something to be said for the math example, and I know I'm pedandic, but 2+2=17 is probably more wrong than 2+2=purple.. There's going to be no way to explain how you arrive at 17.. You can't argue it.. You could argue however that, "Oh, purple, sorry, well, four always tasted like purple to me, so that's…

Fantastic article. Every teacher should read this.