testppt

Academics at RCI: 

Academics at RCI

A short story…: 

A short story… About this time last year a girl was headed home from a high school hockey game in Brandon. Whether it the was the excitement of the game, something a friend had said, or the thousands of other things that go through the mind of a teenager…her attention to the snowy highway wavered… In the ditch, upside down, windshield broken, car full of snow she collected her thoughts as best she could… But lets start with the beginning…

Early communication: 

Early communication The need to communicate has existed since the dawn of time.

Reasons for education: 

Reasons for education So it came to pass that learning to communicate was important for survival… …important for the advancement of ideas… (like the wheel) …important for the advancement of society…(ending of slavery)

British Parliament abolishes slavery: 

British Parliament abolishes slavery In 1833 British Parliament passes the Emancipation Act ending slavery (an important advancement in society)

Close to that time a man named Maxwell is born…: 

Close to that time a man named Maxwell is born… James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) Attended the University of Edinburgh, Cambridge, and Trinity College Studied philosophy and eventually mathematics Graduated from Trinity in 1854 and published several papers between 1855-1872.

Maxwell had other interests…: 

Maxwell had other interests… Maxwell contributed to photography by using red, blue, and green filters to produce color images. He loved poetry (rumored to be a Robert Burns fan), and he memorized many poems and even wrote his own. As to why such a mathematical mind would be drawn to poetry is unclear…it is possible that his wife Katherine may have known… Perhaps the poetry brought him comfort during times of strife and worry…as we all endure from time to time.

The “Wonderful Equations”: 

The “Wonderful Equations” It will remain forever unknown whether or not poetry consoled Maxwell during the time in which he studied his mathematics. The very same mind that wrote poetry however, formulated the equations that would change the way we communicate forever. Maxwell’s “Wonderful Equations” inspired many, including Einstein (the father of modern physics).

In 1864 Maxwell published his findings:: 

In 1864 Maxwell published his findings: The equations are complicated at best and it is rumored that when his colleagues discussed his work one of them commented, “Well yes, this all very good and interesting, but tell me, what good are they?” Maxwell is rumored to have answered after a moment of thought, “Well, I’m not sure, but tell me this, what good is a child when it is born?”

Mendeleev (1834-1907) and the periodic table…: 

Mendeleev (1834-1907) and the periodic table… Born in Siberia, he began his studies at the University of St. Petersburg in 1850 Developed the periodic table (formal presentation of his findings 1869) which predicted the existence of several elements including Germanium (a semi-conductor when alloyed with Silcon is used in modern high-speed integrated circuits).

The Nature of Knowledge: 

The Nature of Knowledge Maxwell could not have possibly imagined how his work would effect communication, or for that matter society, much in the same matter that we can not know how a child will develop and grow. What a child becomes is the product of more experiences than we can count. Maxwell built on the work of scientists before him like Ampere and Faraday as they had built on the work of scientists before them. A process that links one to another in an endless chain of advances.

Knowledge Spans the Globe: 

Knowledge Spans the Globe Mendeleev predicted the existence of other elements. He may have speculated about how their discovery would have impacted on future generations. Mendeleev may have also been aware of the work done by Maxwell, but it certainly would not have been related…not in 1870.

Knowledge Spans Time: 

Knowledge Spans Time In 1870 how electromagnetic waves travel and the prediction of a semi-conductor would have never been related. Not by most imaginations; not of that time.

Development and New Ideas Combine: 

Development and New Ideas Combine As time marches on these discoveries become combined in various studies, curiousities and experiments… Marconi (1894-first “wireless” communication) Fessenden (1906-amplitude modulation “AM”) Edwin Howard Armstrong (1935-frequency modulation “FM”) Radio communications… Microwave towers…

…end of the short story: 

…end of the short story The girl hanging by her seatbelt composed herself as best she could and forced her trembling fingers to open the inside pocket of her jacket. Shaken, she pulled the cellular telephone from her pocket, dialed home, and between the sobs and the tremors of her voice she explained to her father where she was…

Epilogue: 

While the names and faces of the people who are recognized for contributions ease their way into obscurity as time passes and wears away at our collective memories, the impact of the waves they created propagate on and influence others. The punctuation of the sonnets and the details of the mathematical proofs may disappear, but the ideas live on in the students of today. How our students of today utilize these ideas remains to be seen… Epilogue

Slide17: 

All subjects, academic or otherwise combine in intricate and interesting ways that none of us can predict or imagine. The goal, however, of all academics is to learn from the people before. We use their experiences and their thoughts to develop our own thoughts into something unique. We develop our skills of communication and problem solving so that we may pass on what we have learned to others.

Slide18: 

Eventually, these ideas combine and in some small way our society improves, even if we’re not sure how.