All school libraries should contain the classics

[Baron von Lotsov]

It certainly did not bother Richard Feynman physicist, Nobel prize winner and noted lecturer on the physiology of cats. Of course, like all physicists, he was  aware of the limits of the differential calculus

I think you are morphing into an LSD (LSE) professor. They have a habit of talking about any old crap and stray right off the scent into voodoo land.



The main point we are trying to address is to educate the next generation, and since the current generation of teachers is rock bottom, the kids have at least got a fighting chance if they can read this past wisdom from the horses mouth. Therefore we do a  strict 'Greg Dyke' on the situation and ban all LSD professors from contaminating their tiny minds and give them the real thing. Some texts will of course be way out of their league, and then there will be others they get some idea about. It teaches them how to conduct self-study from the word go. Let them have the same set of books throughout school and they will get a feel for what is out there, and the really smart ones will shine at an early age rather than being held back. Once you have the digital library then software can be developed to help access it easier, like various filing systems. Software could find ways to group together related texts and authors. It should not include populist books though. They are not classics, and often highly misleading, such as American management consultant gurus. Leave them well out of it.

[Borchester]

You are talking about two opposite ends of the spectrum. The last theorem proof was genius, and watching cats at night is clearly not. One needs to differentiate (and integrate!).

It certainly did not bother Richard Feynman physicist, Nobel prize winner and noted lecturer on the physiology of cats. Of course, like all physicists, he was  aware of the limits of the differential calculus

[Baron von Lotsov]

Oh. So if nothing serious is being published, how did Wiles proof of Fermat's Last Theorem get plastered all over the internet?



https://www.math.wisc.edu/~boston/869.pdf">//https://www.math.wisc.edu/~boston/869.pdf%20

You are talking about two opposite ends of the spectrum. The last theorem proof was genius, and watching cats at night is clearly not. One needs to differentiate (and integrate!).

[Borchester]

Yes but most of those scientists are not worth the paper they are written on. If you want to learn about the nocturnal habits of your pussy then that's the kind of "scientific" paper you'll get for free. Indeed the night time cat habits study was a published British study - .



No I'm talking about real mainstream science. The whole purpose of the exercise was to make knowledge available to all, so the papers were not just random. I use the service myself.

Oh. So if nothing serious is being published, how did Wiles proof of Fermat's Last Theorem get plastered all over the internet?



https://www.math.wisc.edu/~boston/869.pdf">//https://www.math.wisc.edu/~boston/869.pdf%20

[Baron von Lotsov]

Well, ok.



Coming back to the bit about project Gothenberg, if you know of a work that is out of copyright, that you cannot find and you feel deserves including, tell them !



There are campaign groups trying to extend (mainly online) access to copyrighted works too. The kegacybof Andrew Carnegie does live and move  if slughishly ...

Sorry but my voice is like a flee on their carpet. it will not make any difference.



I'm suggesting this should be done in the UK with UK tax cash and someone who knows how to program. The person who knows how to put it together need not be a UK person. We'd get better results if it were not!!!



One does not want an NHS database Mk 11.

[Baron von Lotsov]

Albeit a little surprising. Most scientists are desperate to be published and would happily slip the philanthropist a few bob if he or she would help them do so.

Yes but most of those scientists are not worth the paper they are written on. If you want to learn about the nocturnal habits of your pussy then that's the kind of "scientific" paper you'll get for free. Indeed the night time cat habits study was a published British study - .



No I'm talking about real mainstream science. The whole purpose of the exercise was to make knowledge available to all, so the papers were not just random. I use the service myself.

[Baron von Lotsov]

When did he die? If his works are not out of copyright they won't be there.

His writing was the first half of the 20th century. He escaped from Nazi Germany when he was 48. I think his works are looked after by a foundation now. You see if the government did a bit of negotiation  they would probably manage to even get a lot of copyrighted books for free being that it is f or a good cause.



My belief though is the present government is anti-education.

[johnofgwent]

Like the Nobel Prize, it should be judged on influence. I mean say just to pick one out of the hat, take John Stuart Mills. There's no denying he had a massive influence on western thought. So put him in there. What we don't want is endless copies of stuff like Shakespeare, as of course that's already in the school library, and not a lot else.

Well, ok.



Coming back to the bit about project Gothenberg, if you know of a work that is out of copyright, that you cannot find and you feel deserves including, tell them !



There are campaign groups trying to extend (mainly online) access to copyrighted works too. The kegacybof Andrew Carnegie does live and move  if slughishly ...

[papasmurf]

Albeit a little surprising. Most scientists are desperate to be published and would happily slip the philanthropist a few bob if he or she would help them do so.

I usually have to pay £10 for a research paper from the source, but they usually come with restrictions not to be used for a commercial purpose and also have quotation limits.

[Borchester]

By the way, a similar thing was achieved for scientific papers. A philanthropist coughed up a ton of cash and bought free access to millions of them for the rest of time. Nice move.

Albeit a little surprising. Most scientists are desperate to be published and would happily slip the philanthropist a few bob if he or she would help them do so.

[papasmurf]

I just have done. One of the most famous 20th century economists is completely absent. He has written may books. That was simply my fist test of it, and the conclusion is, we need better than that.

When did he die? If his works are not out of copyright they won't be there.

[Baron von Lotsov]

Yes, I am. The rest of the guys have already told you about Project Gutenberg which has been running for Yonks. If it is out of copyright it is there. All legal and above board, so there is no reason for a school to spend money or fill a couple of rooms with Loeb Classics when the whole lot can be stored on the pupils' tablets.

OK I understand if it is copyrighted then it is more cash. However think a bit more creatively about copyright deals one could strike. A government dude can go to a large publisher and say our clients (the school kids) would like to read your books and we are willing to pay you for it. We don't know which ones they will want to read though and yet we want every one of your books available to them to choose from. (Man's ear pricks up) So hows about we pay you a fixed rate per child, where we can come to some understanding how much that child is going to read of your books and pay you accordingly. We only want to pay for the loan of the text to the child for the purpose of reading it, so they will not be permanent acquisitions, just like renting it for the period the child is at school. So do bear in mind that such a deal could also mean the child may wish to purchase the book later on.



I guess if you were a large publisher you would listen to the government man who said that. You see the budget for the whole country is massive, and it is well within their interests that our kids take up reading. Classic win-win eh!



By the way, a similar thing was achieved for scientific papers. A philanthropist coughed up a ton of cash and bought free access to millions of them for the rest of time. Nice move.

[Borchester]

Are you certain about that?

Yes, I am. The rest of the guys have already told you about Project Gutenberg which has been running for Yonks. If it is out of copyright it is there. All legal and above board, so there is no reason for a school to spend money or fill a couple of rooms with Loeb Classics when the whole lot can be stored on the pupils' tablets.

[Baron von Lotsov]

These days a school is lucky to have a library let alone one with books.

Exactly, and so this is why we need to sack all those school busy bodies like quality control manageresses and use educational funds to buy knowledge, and make it accessible to every school kid in the country. It's exactly the sort of project that has a great economy of scale. We could buy a lot of knowledge for the kids with little cash.



Mind you, what if kids read the books and then quiz the teacher's knowledge on the matter!!!



It could be a "work to rule" situation.

[Baron von Lotsov]

 I suppose the argument is how classic is classic ...

Like the Nobel Prize, it should be judged on influence. I mean say just to pick one out of the hat, take John Stuart Mills. There's no denying he had a massive influence on western thought. So put him in there. What we don't want is endless copies of stuff like Shakespeare, as of course that's already in the school library, and not a lot else.