"Places of Learning" - a poem in the only ligitimate style: rhyming

[cropperb]

Places of Learning
Brandon Cropper

Colleges and universities are places of learning.
In it four years now, a degree I am earning.

Or that at least is the plan that is offered,
When through many courses I?ve duly suffered.

In classes taught by wise professors,
I?ll grow a beautiful plume of feathers.

Yet I perceive my feathers are pluck?d;
And from the nest I?ll soon be shook.

For things beamed at me by erudite teachers,
Require one?s faith, and are more fit for preachers.

They say my reality is made by perception,
Built by my mind - the perfect deception.

They tell me the world is all an illusion,
And I wonder how they escape the confusion.

In Quantum Mechanics this thought is treasured:
A thing isn?t real until its been measured.

But if this is so, which measurements show it?
If something?s unreal, how could anyone know it?

(Einstein said subatomic cause and effect,
Not understood now, may be someday yet.)

Picasso they say revolutionized art,
But I think his paintings don?t look very smart.

As painterly genius they offer us Pollock,
Who, drunk, smears his canvas in meaningless frollick.

ee cummings they offer as new poetry,
But it has no rhyme or rhythm or beat.

They give us James Joyce who penned Ulysses,
And tell us this nonsense is full of deep mysteries.

A mystery is right, but they haven?t a hint;
The question is how did this crap get to print?

They speak of the poor, downtrodden have-nots,
And say government healthcare is spotty in spots.

Western doctors don?t know the real human needs,
Alternative medicine they proffer - indeed!

Evolution, they say, hasn?t answered all questions;
Intelligent Design is the offered succession.

And these are the learned men of the time?
The feast of unreason! - on nonsense they dine.

God help us all to escape a Dark Ages -
In every field we need newborn sages.

As an atheist I know to not kneel and pray;
A rebirth of reason must bring back the day.

And so, my professors, I bid you adieu;
I?ll drop out of college and start my own school.

The End

And the new school will be called Aristotle's Academy.

[Kat Kanning]

Nice.  Can I print that in the Keene Free Press?

[cropperb]

Heck yes! print away, just make sure to give credit to me, please.

[Kat Kanning]

Of course!

[d_goddard]

Please, tell me Aristotle's Academy will be in the same state as Pathfinder Acadamy, and not in CT, VT, ME, or MA!



<<modified by Spelling Nazis!>>

[Dreepa]

Will spelling be taught at the academy?

Hopefully note by cropperb or tracy.

[Kat Kanning]

Will spelling be taught at the academy?

Hopefully note by cropperb or tracy.

One must always be careful of avoiding typos when criticizing another's spelling.  --Ancient NH Wisdom

[cropperb]

Please, tell me Aristotle's Acadamy will be in the same state as Pathfinder Acadamy, and not in CT, VT, ME, or MA!

It will be in Concord, NH, unless I find a good building in a different city. But in the Live Free or Die State for sure!

Will spelling be taught at the academy?

Hopefully note by cropperb or tracy.

One must always be careful of avoiding typos when criticizing another's spelling.  --Ancient NH Wisdom

Yes, spelling will be tot  even though I wasn't lucky enough to learn it from my government-run school. A philosopher once said "if the student surpasses the teacher, the teacher has done his job." My job in teaching spelling will be pretty easy 

I recommend "Why Johnny Can't Read" which is a timeless classic and profoundly correct in its diagnosis of the problem.

[Dreepa]

Will spelling be taught at the academy?

Hopefully note by cropperb or tracy.

One must always be careful of avoiding typos when criticizing another's spelling.  --Ancient NH Wisdom

[cropperb]

I've just posted a newer version of the poem with extra stanzi on quantum nonsense and modern art, poetry and literature. I accidently posted an older version before.

[Caleb]

cropperb ...

How can you say that "rhyming" is the only legitimate poetry?

Haiku?

Shakespeare and iambic pentameter?

approximate rhyme (a la Emily Dickinson, wherein the "rhyme" isn't real, only sounds such to the ear)?

Alliteration?

???

The ancient Hebrews did great poetry based on the rhythm and meter of the line, sort of the same thing Shakespeare accomplished.

Many feel that exact rhyme feels forced, and artificially constrains the verse. 

Caleb

[tracysaboe]

Quantum Mechanics says no such thing.

The Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum mechanics does.

But their are numerous other competing interpretations. currently we don't know what the correct meanings behind quantum phenomina are.

It's just that the Copenhagen interpretation is sexy and so it's the only one mentioned in pop-culture, and so our dumbed down populous thinks they're the same thing.

They aren't.

Neil's Bohr and William Bohm are pretty much the only Fathers of modern physics to embrace that interpretation as reality.

Anyway, Don't mind me.

Tracy

[Caleb]

Aaaaaaaaarrrrgh!

First, it's NOT "William Bohm".  It's DAVID Bohm.

Secondly, he is a protoge of Einstein ... and one of Copenhagan's BIGGEST CRITICS!

Finally, aside from Bohm ... there are very few serious physicists who doubt Copenhagan.

Caleb

[tracysaboe]

Where did I get William from.

You're right, of course. David Bohm and Neil's Bohr.

You should read "Quantum Reality" by Nick Herbert. He offers numerous interpretations different from the Copenhagan interpretations. (That the universe is created by our consciousness, and that each posibility does happen -- just each one in a different universe.)

Herbert doesn't even mention all the competing ideas, but it's a good start.

Einstien didn't agree with the copenhagan interpretation but neither did Max Plank -- the guy who practically discovered quantum mechanics.

Tracy

[Caleb]

You're right of course in the earlier days Copenhagan wasn't as "official" as its become.

In my introductory physics course, however, Copenhagan was the ONLY interpretation presented.  I'll grant you it was just an overview course ... but nonetheless, its become entrenched orthodoxy.

Einstein, of course, railed against certain conclusions of Copenhagan.  His paper discussing the EPR paradox (named for Einstein, Pulaski, Rosen, hence E P R) challenged Copenhagan's interpretation on the grounds that it violated relativity theory. 

But if the results are non-local ... would it really violate the "speed limit"? 

Intriguing questions.   Bohm has written many books on his interpretation of the quantum phenomenon.  Unfortunately, Bohm has a way of making the exciting terminally boring.  Also, he doesn't explain things very well, so even most scientists I've discussed it with don't even UNDERSTAND what Bohm is talking about.  He's convinced he got it solved though.