Reports on Motorcycle Progress from Last Class
Frame:
Put on brake shoes
Truing of the wheels was completed
Repaired suspension fork before putting front end on
Put forks back together
Cleaned, collected balls and placed into races (the races used were new and taken from extra frame because original races were pitted)
Put together ball bearings
Worked on presentation
Electrical:
Worked on presentation
Made measurements for system
Tested battery and brake light – both are in good condition
Note: we have a 6V battery – nice brake light, but it’s 12 V (so it’s dim), so use old bulb
Clutch:
Worked on a computation
Helped with frame setup
Prepared the engine so clutch can be put on next
Searched for engine sprocket and rotor
Recommended test for today: see if there’s enough magnetic field to generate good spark by testing the magnetism between a big screwdriver and our rotor
Tried to get side plate on – didn’t have right screws for it.
Top End:
Worked on valve covers, designing valve covers
Ran through tutorial on manufacturing parts
Bottom End:
Put on shifter
Tested all the gears
Verified that transmission was put together properly
All systems confirmed to be good on engine
Class Discussion on Reading: Chapter 19-22 of Zen
Chapter 19:
- Phaedrus’ dilemma: metaphor of bull
- Conclusion: Quality is the overarching source of objectivity and subjectivity (is this argument a cop-out? Or is it the only way to reconcile Phaedrus’ views on Quality? Is Quality indeed larger than objectivity and subjectivity both?)
- subjectivity v. objectivity
- Scientific materialism v. classical formalism
- Real = detectable by instruments/technical means
- Quality cannot be detected or touched – does this make Quality not real?
- mind (emotional, romantic) v. matter (tangible, classical)
- Quality as the 3rd component of mind and matter discussion
- quality as an event, not an object
- reaching the summit of the mountain as event – coincidentally occurs when he arrives at this epiphany!
Chapter 20:
- analogues(=past experiences) make up our decision-making/interpretation of Quality
- Kant’s idea of au priori
- Quality as equivocation of reality
- Philosophical proofs can be both true and logically consistent; doesn’t mean they’re right
- “Quality is the continuing stimulus which our environment puts upon us to create the world in which we live. All of it. Every last bit of it.”
- quality as a continuum – changes with the mainstream
- short term v. long term Quality
- Debate: Did we improve the Quality of the motorcycle?
- short term: painting, improved aesthetics, powder-coating
- long term: longevity, conducive of maintenance, proper functioning
- Debate: Did we improve the Quality of the motorcycle?
- classic v. romantic quality
- classic = concerned with more than just present, takes into account previous awareness and previous history and looks to plans for future
- romantic = just concerned with here and now, instantaneous impressions, immediate perceptions and appeal
Chapter 21:
- “Quality is the Buddha” – rational unification of human experiences that are allegedly disunified (Art, Science, and Religion)
- Quality at center of it all
- Focus on how Quality relates to Science
- Science = typically black or white
- unlike art, which is usually more of a gray field – more room for subjectivity
- debate about whether or not art serves an objective/mechanical purpose
- art for art’s sake or art with unified/decipherable message
- debate about whether or not art serves an objective/mechanical purpose
- unlike art, which is usually more of a gray field – more room for subjectivity
- Can develop metric/standards by which to measure quality
- Quality most easily assigned to scientific objects/processes that work, things that have been proven/experimented with and verified
- Science = typically black or white
Chapter 22:
- Phaedrus works top-down; Poincare works in opposite direction
- Poincare starts with simple ideas and works his way up to Phaedrus’ point
- How do we know which one of the geometries is right?
- Hierarchy of facts is based on convenience
- mathematicians may not care about utilitarian aspect
- Math is not just about applying the rules (less so than in science)
- “true work of the inventor consists in choosing among these combinations so as to eliminate the useless ones, or rather to avoid the trouble of making them, and the rules that must guide the choice are extremely fine and delicate”
- Take only the facts that you need, and are thus useful
Reading Assignment:
For THIS Thursday, 4/25: CH. 7+8 in Shop Class
For next Tuesday, 4/30: Chapters 23-26 (23, 24, 25, 26)
For NEXT Thursday, 5/2: read to the end of Shop Class