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French takeover?

Posted: 23.09.2006, 22:37
by chris
Is a takeover of Celestia by native French speakers imminent? :) Christophe, ElChristou, Vincent, Cham, Boux, Jeam, and others I'm sure that I've forgotten . . . It seems like there is disproportionate French representation in the Celestia community.

--Chris

Posted: 23.09.2006, 22:52
by Vincent
Chris,

You always appreciate great things after a few glasses of a good Bordeaux... :wink:

Posted: 23.09.2006, 23:29
by chris
Vincent wrote:Chris,

You always appreciate great things after a few glasses of a good Bordeaux... :wink:


Actually, some tricky problems I'm having with SPICE demand a glass or two of another French product: Armagnac :)

--Chris

Posted: 24.09.2006, 00:27
by ElChristou
chris wrote:...Actually, some tricky problems I'm having with SPICE demand a glass or two of another French product: Armagnac :)


:lol: indeed, this must be the ultimate solution...

Posted: 24.09.2006, 02:30
by Clorox
Meh, we need more Germans. :)

Posted: 24.09.2006, 14:02
by Fightspit
Et moi :!: :roll:

Posted: 25.09.2006, 03:56
by LordFerret
If this is true, then I'm in deep trouble... because the only two words in french I know are Oui and No. LOL!

Posted: 25.09.2006, 12:12
by julesstoop
In that case, you obviously only know one single word of French :P

Posted: 25.09.2006, 12:24
by ElChristou
julesstoop wrote:In that case, you obviously only know one single word of French :P


:D

@ LordFerret: No -> Non

Re: French takeover?

Posted: 25.09.2006, 12:28
by Boux
chris wrote:Is a takeover of Celestia by native French speakers imminent? :) Christophe, ElChristou, Vincent, Cham, Boux, Jeam, and others I'm sure that I've forgotten . . . It seems like there is disproportionate French representation in the Celestia community.

--Chris

Actually, Astronomy and Cosmology have always been very popular here.
I remember Cosmology was a mandatory matter in college last year's program, before the exam which opens the doors to the University or upper schools.
I remember very well learning Keplerian laws and stuff.
I also remember one of the problems I had to solve to pass the exam was about a launcher having to deliver a satellite at a given altitude and speed.
All necessary data about masses, fuel load, engine thrust and consumption, latitude of launchpad, etc were provided.
I completely messed-up with the fuel. I just forgot that the launcher was getting lighter on burning fuel and the satellite never made it to orbit.
Shame on me :D

PS: by the way, we also like beer here, eheh...

Posted: 25.09.2006, 12:39
by buggs_moran
A mandatory final year college course? Wow... I think it should be mandatory in secondary school, even if just a half year introductory course. We have tests here that students are required to pass if they hope to graduate, so we have to teach them very specific things that the test makers consider important. It's all a bunch of bunk...

It always astounds me how many adults go around with messed up concepts of their place in the universe. Some are even still of the belief that we are at the center of the universe. So sad... It is amazing what even a half hour with Celestia can do to misconceptions. I have used it innumerable times to help students and adults understand these matters better.

I don't care what country plays the biggest role in Celestia as long as it keeps developing. :wink:

Posted: 25.09.2006, 13:00
by Christophe
Beware: French 'coll??ge' is junior high, I guess what Boux meant was lyc?©e, which is high school. So cosmology is a required subject in graduation year.

Posted: 25.09.2006, 13:45
by Boux
Christophe wrote:Beware: French 'coll??ge' is junior high, I guess what Boux meant was lyc?©e, which is high school. So cosmology is a required subject in graduation year.

Yep, that's correct.
To be more accurate, kids pass that "Baccalaureat" exam at an average age of 17-18 years.
Then they are allowed to go further (University cursus or 2-years additional preparation to business and engineering schools with very heavy content of maths/science).
Cosmology has long been considered as one of the necessary ingredients of a well-balanced basic education.

Posted: 25.09.2006, 15:15
by buggs_moran
Boux wrote:Cosmology has long been considered as one of the necessary ingredients of a well-balanced basic education.


Merci. What an idea! You wouldn't be able to convince many of the people over here of that.

Forgive me for this if it insults my fellow Americans, but in this country that still fights over whether evolution is real, it is no big suprise to me that the mandatory study of the cosmos would be prevented or discouraged. Our insignificance in the cosmos would deflate too many egos.

Posted: 25.09.2006, 15:51
by Starshipwright
Boux wrote:

Cosmology has long been considered as one of the necessary ingredients of a well-balanced basic education.


Merci. What an idea! You wouldn't be able to convince many of the people over here of that.

Forgive me for this if it insults my fellow Americans, but in this country that still fights over whether evolution is real, it is no big suprise to me that the mandatory study of the cosmos would be prevented or discouraged. Our insignificance in the cosmos would deflate too many egos.



I know that from personal experience.

Post edited - Sorry for my "bad manners" and the resulting mini arguement that resulted from it. I should have been more careful about what I posted. I never intended for it to start that sort of conflict. I deeply regret that I have done anything, even inadvertantly, to cause division in the community.

Posted: 25.09.2006, 16:56
by selden
Sorry, but discussion of religion is one of the forbidden topics on the Celestia Forum. Please edit your posts to remove that topic.

I would not like to have to delete the posts entirely.

Posted: 25.09.2006, 17:50
by t00fri
Boux wrote:...
2-years additional preparation to business ...

Cosmology has long been considered as one of the necessary ingredients ...


:lol:

My saying: NO business without cosmology!

[sorry for being so mean cutting out other parts of that sentence ;-) ]

Bye Fridger

Posted: 25.09.2006, 18:02
by t00fri
selden wrote:Sorry, but discussion of religion is one of the forbidden topics on the Celestia Forum. Please edit your posts to remove that topic.

I would not like to have to delete the posts entirely.


Selden,

well I didn't contribute so let me ask with a "clean conscience": were was there anything concrete about religion that might be incompatible with the rules of the forum?

Are you implying that it is already forbidden to write the word

RELIGION?

My God (<==religious exclamation!), where are we going to??

I found the previous contributions were simply informative. OK, never mind, I am getting used to the new manners in this forum that all carry your "handwriting"...

But perhaps it's really time for me to vanish from here altogether...This new style is increasingly not my cultural environment.

Posted: 25.09.2006, 18:43
by Boux
t00fri wrote:
selden wrote:Sorry, but discussion of religion is one of the forbidden topics on the Celestia Forum. Please edit your posts to remove that topic.

I would not like to have to delete the posts entirely.

Selden,

well I didn't contribute so let me ask with a "clean conscience": were was there anything concrete about religion that might be incompatible with the rules of the forum?

Are you implying that it is already forbidden to write the word

RELIGION?

Really, where are we going to?? I found the previous contributions were simply informative. OK, never mind, I am getting used to the new manners in this forum that all carry your "handwriting"...

But perhaps it's really time for me to vanish from here altogether...This new style is increasingly not my cultural environment.


This thread has turned into a discussion about the contribution of cosmology to education.
This is good. Let's forget about the initial French thing.
First, talking about the various educational systems around the world is interesting.
Secondly, personally, I have never heard of any religion rejecting anything about cosmology and more precisely about astronomy - for the past thousands years - excluding the pre-Renaissance period in Europe.
The universe is huge. It is there. It is amazing beyond reach.
Every individual is free to look for a key to this mystery.
I do agree with t00fri. Just close the purgatory forum.
Don't expect me to be politically correct.
This is not an European concept. And hopefully, it will never be.
I have a question about this forum: why is it called "Purgatory", to begin with?

Posted: 25.09.2006, 18:43
by buggs_moran
I think that it is just the discussion (which often becomes an arguement) of religion that we would want to stray from. Much like politics, we all have our individual feelings and attitudes. Rather than starting heated arguements about these topics, it is better to stay focused on our collective goal of Celestia and it's future.