[edtechdev]

Related to this, there's a fair amount of research on the connection between embodied cognition and the learning of physics (and mathematics), as well as examples of 'embodying' physical forces and laws.

An example from Hans Freudenthal is from a standard physics question. If there are books on top of a table, what are the forces acting on the books? Most all students draw the downward force of gravity, but some forget about the force the table exerts upward back on the books. You can have students get on their hands and knees and put books on their back, or have them lie on their back and hold up books with their hands and arms. They 'embody' the table, in a sense. When you add a second book, you feel that you have to exert more effort (which correlates with force) to hold the books up.

[21p]

The problem I have always had with the analogy of a person holding up the books with their back is that a table doesn't have to do "work" to hold up the books, but a person does. They table isn't burning any calories.

[reagency]

The table has tension, though. Ad opposed to a table made of paper which would not exert force on the book--the book would overcome the table's tension and set the table in motion until the floor exerted an upward force.

[intjk]

yeah, so think of your muscles as temporarily pretending to act like wood (rigid), and it just so happens that humans have to expend energy in order to carry out this feat.

[timnic]

This is discussed by Feynman as “physiological” work. See: http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/I_14.html#Ch14-S1