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From metaphors to equations: How can we find the good ones?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2000

Gottfried Mayer-Kress
Affiliation:
Department of Kinesiology, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16801 gxm21@psu.edu www.santafe.edu/~gmk

Abstract

Among the metaphors used in the target article are “musical instruments,” “water waves,” and other types of mechanical oscillators. The corresponding equations have inertial properties and lead to standing waves that depend on boundary conditions. Other, physiologically relevant quantities like refractory times are not contained in the mechanical oscillator model but occur naturally, for instance, in biological forest fire metaphors.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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