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That's true for some explanations — for example the various proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem — but you still have to watch out for explanations that are flat-o
by neolefty 5y ago
That's true for some explanations — for example the various proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem — but you still have to watch out for explanations that are flat-out wrong, and can even be harmful because they obscure the real explanation. I think equal-transit theory seems to be one of those, haha.
Maybe the damage is limited because very few of us will be designing airfoils. That may also be why it has been so hard to correct! The consequences for getting it wrong are minimal.
Something much more dangerous would be an untruth that directly harms people. The debate around those tends to be much more rigorous, although I'm surprised how long some of those can endure when people get attached to them!
- wbeaty 5y agoMany generations of professional pilots have been taught the "equal transit theory." It's often as an answer their licensing exams. So, most pilots have little idea how wings actually work. (But since the rise of the internet, things have been sloooowly changing. At least the pilots have started questioning and arguing!)