Virginia Begins Open-Source Physics Textbook

eldavojohn writes "The Commonwealth of Virginia has issued a request for contributions to an open source physics textbook (or 'flexbook' they termed it). They are partnering with CK-12 to make this educational textbook under the Creative Commons by Attribution Share-Alike license."

Intelligent Falling

[Anonymous Coward]

Due to gravity being "just a theory," the state of Virginia will be requiring the textbooks to include alternative theories as to why objects with mass have gravity -- chief among them, the concept of Intelligent Falling.

Re:Hell Yes

[explosivejared]

Yeah... as a Virginian, this makes me proud. The open sourcing of education is just awesome. I can't wait for my kids to learn how Albert Einstein delivered the ten commandments that brought the enlightenment of the time cube to the world, and other things of this nature. I also wish upon the experience of needing critical information for a research paper only to find the project killed because of rampant forking and infighting amongst educators. They'll be better people for it. /kidding... mostly that is

Re:OSS Textbooks kick serious...

[Broken scope]

Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how many trees I'm saving. or something, whatever.

Re:Wha?

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe it will be available as a compiled HTML file.

Re:Great Idea!

[Brad1138]

Professor, I think you need to look at the "textbook" again. I am pretty sure my answer is right.

Re:OSS Textbooks kick serious...

[maxume]

Why do you hate lumberjacks?

woo

[nomadic]

Considering the religious and cultural makeup of Virginia, I look forward to an accurate physical description of our 6,000 year old universe.

Re:Hell Yes

[DoubleBarrelDarryl]

Albert Einstein didnt deliver the ten commandments, Charlton Heston did silly

THE INVISIBLE HAND!!!

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

NO! This is an Outrage!! This is blasphemy!! Any honest fool knows that the best way to provide education,a or anything else for that matter, is to allow the unregulated invisible hand of the free market to solve everything. The magic of the markets can do it all, as long as they are unfettered by big government socialists! This project is Economic Terrorism!!

This is unfair government competition in an otherwise productive and creative industry. Just look at the high quality and low costs of textbooks and courses currently on offer! Just look at the amount of engineers graduating from our universities! The free market has brought us prosperity, happiness and profit and can bring us so much more if only the government would cut more taxes and ... ....what?... they what?...when?...how much?..... ........

Pay No Attention The Trillion Dollar Nationalization Project Behind The Curtain. The Market Will Continue To Solve All. This Is Simply A Temporary Accounting Measure. I Repeat. The Magic Of The Market Is Absolute!

uh oh, not Virginia!

[acon1modm]

And the Lord sayeth on the 2nd day, "Let there be suffient mass for nuclear fusion," and Lo! did the bountiful Earth swoop in from Heaven to orbit the newly formed sun.

Re:Light and Matter

[$RANDOMLUSER]

We're forking it - those guys are assholes ;-)

Re:Great Idea!

[thewaker]

[citation needed]

Under the topic: "How the Universe Began"

[Anonymous Coward]

I got preview of some content for the text-book:

1 Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem.

2 Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz.

3 At start, no has lyte. An Ceiling Cat sayz, i can haz lite? An lite wuz.4 An Ceiling Cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, An splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark An not tripz over nethin.5 An Ceiling Cat sayed light Day An dark no Day. It were FURST!!!1

6 An Ceiling Cat sayed, im in ur waterz makin a ceiling. But he no yet make a ur. An he maded a hole in teh Ceiling.7 An Ceiling Cat doed teh skiez with waterz down An waterz up. It happen.8 An Ceiling Cat sayed, i can has teh firmmint wich iz funny bibel naim 4 ceiling, so wuz teh twoth day.

9 An Ceiling Cat gotted all teh waterz in ur base, An Ceiling Cat hadz dry placez cuz kittehs DO NOT WANT get wet.10 An Ceiling Cat called no waterz urth and waters oshun. Iz good.

11 An Ceiling Cat sayed, DO WANT grass! so tehr wuz seedz An stufs, An fruitzors An vegbatels. An a Corm. It happen.12 An Ceiling Cat sawed that weedz ish good, so, letz there be weedz.13 An so teh threeth day jazzhands.

14 An Ceiling Cat sayed, i can has lightz in the skiez for splittin day An no day.15 It happen, lights everwear, like christmass, srsly.16 An Ceiling Cat doeth two grate lightz, teh most big for day, teh other for no day.17 An Ceiling Cat screw tehm on skiez, with big nails An stuff, to lite teh Urfs.18 An tehy rulez day An night. Ceiling Cat sawed. Iz good.19 An so teh furth day w00t.

20 An Ceiling Cat sayed, waterz bring me phishes, An burds, so kittehs can eat dem. But Ceiling Cat no eated dem.21 An Ceiling Cat maed big fishies An see monstrs, which wuz like big cows, except they no mood, An other stuffs dat mooves, An Ceiling Cat sawed iz good.22 An Ceiling Cat sed O hai, make bebehs kthx. An dont worry i wont watch u secksy, i not that kynd uf kitteh.23 An so teh...fith day. Ceiling Cat taek a wile 2 cawnt.

24 An Ceiling Cat sayed, i can has MOAR living stuff, mooes, An creepie tings, An otehr aminals. It happen so tehre. 25 An Ceiling Cat doed moar living stuff, mooes, An creepies, An otehr animuls, An did not eated tehm.

26 An Ceiling Cat sayed, letz us do peeps like uz, becuz we ish teh qte, An let min p0wnz0r becuz tehy has can openers.

27 So Ceiling Cat createded teh peeps taht waz like him, can has can openers he maed tehm, min An womin wuz maeded, but he did not eated tehm.

28 An Ceiling Cat sed them O hai maek bebehs kthx, An p0wn teh waterz, no waterz An teh firmmint, An evry stufs.

29 An Ceiling Cat sayed, Beholdt, the Urfs, I has it, An I has not eated it.30 For evry createded stufs tehre are the fuudz, to the burdies, teh creepiez, An teh mooes, so tehre. It happen. Iz good.

31 An Ceiling Cat sayed, Beholdt, teh good enouf for releaze as version 0.8a. kthxbai.

Re:Intelligent Falling

[dkleinsc]

No, the real reason that objects with mass have gravity is that the Flying Spaghetti Monster pushes down on them with his Noodly Appendages. Get it right!

Re:OSS Textbooks kick serious...

[indifferent children]

Why do you hate lumberjacks?

Yeah! I'm a lumberjack, and I'm OK.

Re:Sounds Interesting

[multipartmixed]

At least they didn't opt for Feb 29, 2009.

And this is why...

[symes]

an open-source physics text book cannot work. Physicists just can't agree on even the most basic aspects of their science.

Re:a few things

[nomadic]

1. TFA states that this is for K-12, NOT college...so all the 'screw the Univ. for making me pay $200 for a textbook comments' are misguided

Maybe he goes to a really bad college, where they use high school textbooks.

Re:Hell Yes

[Anonymous Coward]

Ahem - check your facts - it was actually Mel Brooks

Re:OSS Textbooks kick serious...

[pig_man1899]

I'malumberjacktoobutmyspacebarhasnotworkedsincelosingmythumbsinachainsawaccident

Re:THE INVISIBLE HAND!!!

[DriedClexler]

Uh, dude, if this is about the pharmas gouging you on your "Chill Pill" prescription, I would be totally fine with paying the bill for you. Really.

Re:Under the topic: "How the Universe Began"

[oneTheory]

Good fucking grief reading that made my head hurt.