But why should the sound wave act like some stiff rod connecting me to the car? Why do you get to apply that kind of reasoning to sound waves?
Do you remember what insight helped you to overcome these questions? My experience with Level 1 → Level 2 transitions is that I somehow mysteriously got used to the phenomenon, without knowing exactly how that happened. Also, I am not sure how could I explain the Doppler effect to somebody at Level 1, or answer questions such as the ones above. It seems that explanations reliably work up to Level 1 only.
Btw, another important thing about Level 3 is that you could change the question to ”… low-pitched when they are coming toward you …” and vice versa, and the Level 3 rationalist would still derive the same result, except to add that, “wait, I’m confused—are you sure you’re reporting that right?”
I suspect the rationalist would be already confused at Level 1, if he got the signs right.
Do you remember what insight helped you to overcome these questions? My experience with Level 1 → Level 2 transitions is that I somehow mysteriously got used to the phenomenon, without knowing exactly how that happened. Also, I am not sure how could I explain the Doppler effect to somebody at Level 1, or answer questions such as the ones above. It seems that explanations reliably work up to Level 1 only.
I don’t remember when I finally got a “Level 2” answer, but to move someone else in that direction, I would explain it this way: First, make sure they understand what’s actually happening in a compression wave in air. Help visualize it with a slinky if necessary. Then say,
“The sensation of sound comes from when your ears recognize a quick sequence of compressed-air, less-compressed-air, compressed-air, less-compressed-air, etc. And the rate at which this sequence cycles determines the pitch you hear, with quicker cycling meaning a higher pitch.
“If the source of the sound isn’t just standing still, but moving toward you, then each compression it makes of the air happens at a point where it is closer to you that it was before, so that bit of compressed air hits you sooner than otherwise. So as the compressed/less-compressed groups reach you, they cycle through faster, which you experience as a higher pitch, for the same reason you’d experience anything as a higher pitch.”
(Someone let me know if I’m seriously off; it’s been a while.)
My first instinct would have been something like that, but on second thought, I’d start with a example of a boat moving in water and the waves it makes, maybe drawing a picture and ask them to visualize it. This is admittedly very crude and inaccurate, but gives a good overview of the phenomenon. After that I’d elaborate on the differences of surface waves vs. pressure waves, wavelength & frequency and anatomy of hearing etc.
Generally speaking (and not directed against anything anyone has said): give the explainee an intuitive framework to hang details on, don’t pour a litany of seemingly unconnected facts. Just make sure he doesn’t confuse the crude framework for the actual phenomenon.
(...And more generally: of course, the best would be to explain in a mode that is natural for the individual… for me (and, I assume, quite a few others) it’s visuality & real-world analogies.)
Welcome to Less Wrong! Feel free to introduce yourself on that thread. Here’s the rest of RobinZ’s newcomer welcome package.
And thanks for the reply to my article and comment. I hope to have an article about how to explain up soon, which will expand on the ideas here (this thread and the article).
Do you remember what insight helped you to overcome these questions? My experience with Level 1 → Level 2 transitions is that I somehow mysteriously got used to the phenomenon, without knowing exactly how that happened. Also, I am not sure how could I explain the Doppler effect to somebody at Level 1, or answer questions such as the ones above. It seems that explanations reliably work up to Level 1 only.
I suspect the rationalist would be already confused at Level 1, if he got the signs right.
I don’t remember when I finally got a “Level 2” answer, but to move someone else in that direction, I would explain it this way: First, make sure they understand what’s actually happening in a compression wave in air. Help visualize it with a slinky if necessary. Then say,
“The sensation of sound comes from when your ears recognize a quick sequence of compressed-air, less-compressed-air, compressed-air, less-compressed-air, etc. And the rate at which this sequence cycles determines the pitch you hear, with quicker cycling meaning a higher pitch.
“If the source of the sound isn’t just standing still, but moving toward you, then each compression it makes of the air happens at a point where it is closer to you that it was before, so that bit of compressed air hits you sooner than otherwise. So as the compressed/less-compressed groups reach you, they cycle through faster, which you experience as a higher pitch, for the same reason you’d experience anything as a higher pitch.”
(Someone let me know if I’m seriously off; it’s been a while.)
My first instinct would have been something like that, but on second thought, I’d start with a example of a boat moving in water and the waves it makes, maybe drawing a picture and ask them to visualize it. This is admittedly very crude and inaccurate, but gives a good overview of the phenomenon. After that I’d elaborate on the differences of surface waves vs. pressure waves, wavelength & frequency and anatomy of hearing etc.
Generally speaking (and not directed against anything anyone has said): give the explainee an intuitive framework to hang details on, don’t pour a litany of seemingly unconnected facts. Just make sure he doesn’t confuse the crude framework for the actual phenomenon.
(...And more generally: of course, the best would be to explain in a mode that is natural for the individual… for me (and, I assume, quite a few others) it’s visuality & real-world analogies.)
(And hello, everyone. First post.)
Welcome to Less Wrong! Feel free to introduce yourself on that thread. Here’s the rest of RobinZ’s newcomer welcome package.
And thanks for the reply to my article and comment. I hope to have an article about how to explain up soon, which will expand on the ideas here (this thread and the article).