Lee, First, let me take this opportunity to thank you for all your informative posts to this list. They have provided me with a tremendous learning experience showing me practical applications for much of the theory I learned in school.
Having said that, I have a different perspective on the points you make below. > On May 4, 2024, at 9:06 PM, Lee Hart via EV <ev@lists.evdl.org> wrote: > > FSD is technically impressive; but I wonder about the unintended consequences. > > - When people started using calculators, they could no longer do math in > their heads. Being able to do math (arithmetic?) in one's head is nowhere near as important as understanding what the math is modeling and how to use math to model a problem you are trying to solve. Certainly, it is important to learn basic arithmetic and what it is used for, but I don’t think it is necessary to be able to multiply three digit numbers together one's head. I do believe it is important to understand and be able to do enough in one’s head to make reasonable estimations. I also think it is important to understand logarithms and trigonometric functions, but its not necessary to memorize the tables. Oh, and of course significant figures must also be understood (calculators have really destroyed this). > - When they started depending on spell checkers, they stopped learning how to > spell. Similarly, being able to spell is nowhere near as important as being able to express complete thoughts coherently in full sentences and paragraphs. It does not matter if it takes a spell checker to make sure words are spelled correctly. It only matters that the words are spelled correctly so readers will pay attention to the thoughts being expressed. However it is important to understand the differences between words like to, too, and two, or through and threw, or their, there, and they’re, and to use those words correctly. > - When they depend on their cellphone for everything, they can't remember > phone numbers or addresses. Memory is important, but from what I’ve read, remembering trivia such as somebody’s phone number or address does not positively impact the ability to think. I used to get comments back on my tests telling me I didn’t have to derive the equation because it was covered it in class. I could have just plugged the numbers from the problem statement into the equation. However, for me, I remembered the theory behind the equation, not the equation itself, so I did have to derive the equation. > - Features like antilock brakes and traction control already mean that most > people can't drive in poor traction conditions without it. I have never seen any studies on this topic, but I’m inclined to believe that these features were invented because most (at least very many) people had difficulty driving in poor traction conditions. Seat belts, child car seats, and airbags were invented for similar reasons. > > So, will all the features of FSD wind up "un-teaching" people how to drive? > I.e. as the cars gets better, will the drivers get *worse*? If full self driving systems ever live up to their promise, will this matter? What happens between now and then is a different issue. Ed _______________________________________________ Address messages to ev@lists.evdl.org No other addresses in TO and CC fields HELP: http://www.evdl.org/help/
