From: Winfield Hill
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: how to master electronics, use of transistor, op amp...?
Date: 2 Nov 2002 03:44:40 -0800
Organization: Rowland Institute
Message-ID:
References: <3DC282F0.7080903@hotpop.com> <3DC2E327.2080600@hotpop.com>
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"Kevin wrote...
>
> Winfield Hill wrote...
>> Wafer wrote...
>>> Please don't confuse skill with talent. ...
>>> I would have to say that since Stephen William Hawking concerns
>>> himself with theoretical physics and such, he may not be an
>>> appropriate example of someone who would (or could) design an
>>> electronic circuit in his head. Besides, it's not a matter of
>>> mathematics, or some enormous number of calculations. Rather
>>> it is something which I actually find difficult to put into
>>> words. I just do it. ... [snip]
>>
>> Perhaps you'd like to try your hand at a design ... [snip]
>>
>> To my mind this type of relatively-simple design cannot be
>> achieved entirely in one's head, so it should be a good test
>> for your skill, talent, etc.
>
> For us mere mortals certainly true. But as I noted, there are a
> scant truly exceptional people such as Hawking, that are simple
> amazing with regard to this. It used to take me a whole weekend
> using maybe 10 pages to do the most basic of General Relativity
> calculations, which Hawking could do in a few minutes in his head.
Hah! I'd be impressed if I could do General Relativity calculations
on 10 pages of paper. :-) But I'll be sufficiently impressed if
Wafer can meet my design challenge without cheating. Most likely
he'll not answer at all. [Hmm, we're on an honor system here, how
would we know if Wafer cheats and uses paper calculators computers,
etc? For that matter, how are we to know when he's finished, since
he never reduces any of his designs to a readable form? We need a
usenet matter transmitter. Kevin, could you whip one up for us?]
Thanks,
- Win