Two things strike me as I watch this video. First I'm amazed that so many people think they can ride the bike. Maybe it's because I'm A music teacher and I've had to learn so many instruments over the years. But I know that learning new things is very difficult it takes a lot of practice. I think it's a bit of hubris To think you can just get on something backwards and just ride it the first time. It takes a lot of practice to learn anything new,

And secondly the fact that things click with him as he's going between the two ways of riding the bike reminds me of transposing while reading music.I often have to read music in the key of E flat or B-flat while playing in c. And then I'll pick up a piece of music it's in G which I often have to transpose the To B-flat and find that I have to wait a moment and think about it before i am able to do it,it just clicks but it takes time. In fact I have one stick which is dark wood with light inlays while all my other sticks (including the one I learned on) is the opposite. I find I need to Think and play before settling in and even then I'm not as comfortable. And I play with my eyes closed a lot. My point is that small differences in learned behavior can make a huge difference.

I'm even thinking about selling or trading in my padouk to get another light stick.

But interesting video on how we learn and on how clueless we can be about our limitations.
Brett

Another thing this video made me think of is how the evolution of designs can be rational or can simply be arbitrary.

With regards to how the bicycle is designed, there's a rationale behind the how the handle bar work, but for example, the decision about which side of the road we drive on seems entirely arbitrary.

Ever since I started playing the Stick I've thought that the cello might work better if it was strung the other way, for example, as the hand fits the tuning better. The typewriter keyboard is another great example. We seem to be able to adapt to different modes pretty effectively. But rewiring definitely seems to get harder as we grow older.

De we make it harder, or is it just that way?

Thanks Brett
That's actually one of the reasons I decided to go for it: the anticipation of learning something completely new
No preconceptions it's a turn on
The other reason is just that the damn instruments keeps calling me.... Like the bass did, all those years ago.
Greg: The descending learn curve as the age increases makes it even better: one of the best things in life is the joy of challenging one's brain and realize you still can do it


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In the UK, driving on the left started in the days of fighting on horseback (e.g. jousting). I have no idea if that applies to other countries which drive on the left.

I do not follow; what does the typewriter keyboard exemplify, and in what way is it an example?

Left side riding in medieval Britain was a way of staying alive while on horseback making your way through the woods. Everyone was right handed (left handed ness was the Devils work) so everyone had the right arm as their sword arm. So..... As you rode through woods you travel on the left side and look keenly into the left hand woods for outlaws if someone attacks from the right you draw and are ready. If you were to ride on the right you would be killed by and left side attack as you would need to pull yourself completely around to fight. Simple self preservation.

And effective

I would take a Stick over any other instrument in a bar fight, but I digress

Cheers to learning new things with new friends! And new strings are nice too...

Rob,

The typewriter keyboard layout is an example of harmful technological inertia.

The QWERTY layout was designed to prevent collisions of the typing hammers on mechanical typewriters. Other layouts have been tried that allow people to type much faster, but there is too much resistance to adopting them. I mean, the US will probably never give up the English system of measurements, even though there are real costs to not having the same system as most of the rest of the world.

I guess the keyboard isn't "arbitrary", but our continued use of it is.

I wonder if texting will lead to a substantive change in the keyboard layout someday.

I never knew about the left side riding, Brett. What a forum!

...he said to a man who had used the Dvorak keyboard layout for many years, going so far as to create his own version thereof.

We would have been ahead of the metric system had George Washington had followed Thomas Jefferson's suggestion.

keep learning new things. u might not learn as quick as u were younger, but the brain is malleable and challenging it keeps it working longer. everything ive been reading (books, oh yeah, numerous studies are showing higher retention from the printed page than computer screens, tablets, etc., this goes for young and old alike) point to this the neuroscientists are discovering much about the brain. i am by no means an accomplished musician but i enjoy (challenged) playing left-hand bass in fourths, inverted fifths, and both hands (with both tunings). us old fogies gotta keep up with them young whipper-snappers. keep learning. "ill keep playing till they pry it from my cold, dead hands..."