On 6/25/2012 6:56 PM, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> I just put on my "Test it Moose" t-shirt. But the math does give you some
> starting points and boundaries.
Of course.
I've noticed a few things over a lifetime now long enough to see some of the
effects in person. One of those things is
the way that information of a limited or provisional nature goes from useful
idea to gospel.
It particularly bothers me when it seems that the origin of such things in less
than perfect testing, with known
limitations at the time, manage to acquire a quality of being based in physical
laws.
Diffraction itself, how and why light is bent at edges, is a part of physical
law. I used to know and use the equations
back in the dark ages, when I was a student in Physics at Berkeley.
All the rest, DOF and rules about when diffraction starts to affect sharpness
of photographic images, is soft, based on
qualities of human vision and certain assumptions.
One of my minor heroes is Alton Brown of The Food Channel. In addition to
thinking through established 'rules' in many
of his cooking shows, he did a wonderful one where he tested several long
standing rules, almost laws, of cooking.
It turned out that most were not true - any more. In many cases, changes it raw
materials and/or tools rendered the
issues moot. I don't remember it all, and am too lazy* to go look for it.
I do remember him cleaning two batches of mushrooms, one dry brushed, as
required by all French trained cooks and many
others, one under running water. He carefully weighed them, before and after
cooking. The wet cleaned ones did indeed
gain a small amount of weight, presumably water. Before/after weight
proportions were identical, and he could find no
difference in taste, texture, etc.
All it takes is one Authority with a quirk, and a new Great Truth is born.
Just because it's always been "True", doesn't mean it is.
A. Pedantic Moose
* I am learning to practice Creative Indolence.
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|