Date: Mon, 1 Apr 1996 22:01:33 -0600
Subject: Re: secular?


>Lisa Rogers wrote:
>
>> Jerry, could you clarify for me the meaning of "secular" in this
>> context.  I have a general sense, but...
>> >>> <glevy-AT-acnet.pratt.edu>  3/31/96, 05:53am >>>
>> On the one hand, public schools have deteriorated and youth are more
>> affected by a graphic or vocal message than a printed one (witness
>> the  amount of hrs/day that students sit in front of the TV). On the
>> other hand,  larger and larger percentages of people are being
>> admitted to and  graduating from college (a secular trend since the
>> 1960's).
>
>ongoing/continuous.
>
>"going on from age to age; continuing through long ages" (_The Random
>House Dictionary_).
>
>Jerry


Funny. Physicists have a more precise usage, which I thought was what was
meant when I saw phrases like the above. A function shows a secular change
in time if its amplitude monotonically increases or decreases, but not if
it oscillates. I was happy that this concept had gotten out into the
public. Oh well.

Rahul




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