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Re: STUPID SIMULATIONS




From: 	Mark S. Rzeszotarski, Ph.D.[SMTP:msr7-at-po.cwru.edu]
Sent: 	Friday, September 19, 1997 2:16 AM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: STUPID SIMULATIONS

Hello All,
        I couldn't resist chiming in on this one.  One must accept a model
for what it can do.  Generally, it can predict what it was told to do quite
faithfully.  The fundamental flaw is that we want to extrapolate and
interpret these results as all meaningfull.  I see the same thing frequently
in the medical literature.  Some clown does a scientific study of some new
drug or diagnostic test and fails to control most of the variables of the
experiment.  They then proceed to draw conclusions from their experiment
that could not be measured or predicted by the experiment they conducted.
If you are interested in looking at a few examples and methods for achieving
this end, take a look at:
http://www.junkscience-dot-com/sws.html
        Models can be very useful and have saved me hundreds of hours in the
lab.  By building a few coils to verify a simulation, I can gain experience
and understanding as to whether the model is sufficient or not.
        Finally, if you want to know the optimal H/D for a 6 inch coil, I
need to know what top capacitance you expect to operate the coil with.  Then
I can tell you what wire gauge and the H/D necessary to satisfy the
constraints of my program.  This is NOT to say that the coil will be an
optimal performer.
Regards,
Mark S. Rzeszotarski, Ph.D.