Concepts or ideas you just can't get your head around?
Discussion
Grip. Specifically motorcycle tyres and grip. I simply cannot get my head around how that small contact patch stops you from sliding off as soon as you go round a corner.
I know the science behind it. My brain simply won’t allow me to believe in the theory. Even on a warm, dry road with sticky tyres - my brain can never fully switch off from the notion that the whole thing is bonkers.
I know the science behind it. My brain simply won’t allow me to believe in the theory. Even on a warm, dry road with sticky tyres - my brain can never fully switch off from the notion that the whole thing is bonkers.
BoRED S2upid said:
The Pyramids of Egypt. Absolutely blow my mind. We couldn’t recreate those with 100 massive cranes and thousands of workers. Yet they did it way back then with ropes and animal power!
For me it isn’t so much a marvel of engineering, more proof of what can be achieved with an unlimited human workforce, no health and safety, and no concern over the welfare. Scotter said:
SpudLink said:
The light that's been travelling 13.6 billion years is the limit of the 'observable universe'. Anything further away hasn't reached us yet. But there is possibly infinitely more beyond that distance.
And because the universe is expanding it means the things we are seeing from 13.6 billion years away are now much much further away than they were.
Expanding into what though? I’ve always wondered.And because the universe is expanding it means the things we are seeing from 13.6 billion years away are now much much further away than they were.
Also with regards to the big bang theory,I’ve always wondered how something was there to start with in order to kick start it all,so surely there has always been something about and therefore there can’t be a beginning of time as my small brain can understand,which means there’s always been an existence of sorts.Always.
I’m off to church…..
There is no ‘edge’ that expands into unfilled space.
As I said, our primate brains have not evolved to deal with it.
Electricity.
Despite having a Physics A level, I never really felt I understood electricity in the way I understood, for example, the laws of thermodynamics or conservation of energy. I just ‘got’ those concepts on a fundamental level, but never felt I really ‘got’ electricity. All these years later, I’m not sure anyone really does understand it. They understand how to generate it, measure it, move it around and make use of it, but don’t really understand it conceptually.
Despite having a Physics A level, I never really felt I understood electricity in the way I understood, for example, the laws of thermodynamics or conservation of energy. I just ‘got’ those concepts on a fundamental level, but never felt I really ‘got’ electricity. All these years later, I’m not sure anyone really does understand it. They understand how to generate it, measure it, move it around and make use of it, but don’t really understand it conceptually.
Bradgate said:
Electricity.
Despite having a Physics A level, I never really felt I understood electricity in the way I understood, for example, the laws of thermodynamics or conservation of energy. I just ‘got’ those concepts on a fundamental level, but never felt I really ‘got’ electricity. All these years later, I’m not sure anyone really does understand it. They understand how to generate it, measure it, move it around and make use of it, but don’t really understand it conceptually.
I have both physics and electronics A-levels and recently I watched this video that blew my mind. The energy is apparently not transmitted within conductors at all!Despite having a Physics A level, I never really felt I understood electricity in the way I understood, for example, the laws of thermodynamics or conservation of energy. I just ‘got’ those concepts on a fundamental level, but never felt I really ‘got’ electricity. All these years later, I’m not sure anyone really does understand it. They understand how to generate it, measure it, move it around and make use of it, but don’t really understand it conceptually.
Tim330 said:
Roofless Toothless said:
I haven't looked it up but think it's comparable in size to the Milky Way so more than 150 light years across.Sheetmaself said:
BoRED S2upid said:
The Pyramids of Egypt. Absolutely blow my mind. We couldn’t recreate those with 100 massive cranes and thousands of workers. Yet they did it way back then with ropes and animal power!
For me it isn’t so much a marvel of engineering, more proof of what can be achieved with an unlimited human workforce, no health and safety, and no concern over the welfare. For me I've never understood really good cricket batsman and how they can hit a fast paced ball that swings in the air and moves off the pitch.
LunarOne said:
Bradgate said:
Electricity.
Despite having a Physics A level, I never really felt I understood electricity in the way I understood, for example, the laws of thermodynamics or conservation of energy. I just ‘got’ those concepts on a fundamental level, but never felt I really ‘got’ electricity. All these years later, I’m not sure anyone really does understand it. They understand how to generate it, measure it, move it around and make use of it, but don’t really understand it conceptually.
I have both physics and electronics A-levels and recently I watched this video that blew my mind. The energy is apparently not transmitted within conductors at all!Despite having a Physics A level, I never really felt I understood electricity in the way I understood, for example, the laws of thermodynamics or conservation of energy. I just ‘got’ those concepts on a fundamental level, but never felt I really ‘got’ electricity. All these years later, I’m not sure anyone really does understand it. They understand how to generate it, measure it, move it around and make use of it, but don’t really understand it conceptually.
Randy Winkman said:
For me I've never understood really good cricket batsman and how they can hit a fast paced ball that swings in the air and moves off the pitch.
I heard a radio programme (you might be able to find it if you can think of the right thing to Google!) about sports people having time to think - their minds go into warp speed so everything slows down. You might have experienced it if you've been in an accident - I've only had it once, when I ran someone over on my pushbike (doing cycling-leptons) I can still remember 50 years later flying through the air with plenty of time to think about what to do to minimise the pain when I hit the road.
if it's your job you train yourself to do it as required.
Cricketers said they have time to think what to do in the fraction of a second as the ball flies towards them, Usain Bolt said the 100m was the longest 9.8 secs of his life, plenty of time to look around to check where the others were, Lewis Hamilton said the 8 secs of the main straight gave him lots of time to read the pit board, check the dash, look at the crowd etc before the next bend.
BoRED S2upid said:
Megaflow said:
Lots.
Who decided on the alphabet?
Who decided 2+2=4 (same for all other number combinations)
The universe in general, but party expansion, what is it expanding into? what is at the end? There has to be an end, and what is beyond that end?
Why we spend 5 days a week working to live for 2?
Why my brain has an incredible ability to f
k me over?
Women?
Etc
Why must there be an end? Add that to the list Who decided on the alphabet?
Who decided 2+2=4 (same for all other number combinations)
The universe in general, but party expansion, what is it expanding into? what is at the end? There has to be an end, and what is beyond that end?
Why we spend 5 days a week working to live for 2?
Why my brain has an incredible ability to f
k me over?Women?
Etc
The 5:2 thing has annoyed me since I started work it’s absolutely ridiculous.
Roofless Toothless said:
This is the Andromeda Galaxy. On a clear night you can see it with the naked eye.
It contains a trillion stars, and it takes light 150 years to get from one side of it to the other.
I find this hard to comprehend, but still easier to understand than why the wife wants to move house.
Actual LOLIt contains a trillion stars, and it takes light 150 years to get from one side of it to the other.
I find this hard to comprehend, but still easier to understand than why the wife wants to move house.
Tony Starks said:
Rice cookers.
Put rice in, put water in, perfect rice comes out regardless of what rice I put in.
If I cook it in a saucepan it is always gloopy
If you're genuinely interested here's how they work: Old-fashioned rice cookers are extremely clever (YouTube)Put rice in, put water in, perfect rice comes out regardless of what rice I put in.
If I cook it in a saucepan it is always gloopy
It's actually both simple and clever at the same time.
Scotter said:
Expanding into what though? I’ve always wondered.
Also with regards to the big bang theory,I’ve always wondered how something was there to start with in order to kick start it all,so surely there has always been something about and therefore there can’t be a beginning of time as my small brain can understand,which means there’s always been an existence of sorts.Always.
I’m off to church…..
That's just when Universe.exe started running on a computer somewhere. But whose computer is it, and in what universe does that exist?Also with regards to the big bang theory,I’ve always wondered how something was there to start with in order to kick start it all,so surely there has always been something about and therefore there can’t be a beginning of time as my small brain can understand,which means there’s always been an existence of sorts.Always.
I’m off to church…..
Loads of things befuddle me.
Inflation .... someone puts their price up for their goods. The person buying it puts their prices up to afford it...and so on. Crackers really.
Car values. E.g a Lambo/Ferrari is metal, composites and glass. Because it has a big engine and a different shape to other cars...it costs the same as a house
Range Rovers/Land Rovers...how they sell any. They cost more and are less reliable, yet people pay money every month to pretend they own one.
TV programmes that come down the bell wire of a phone line.
Inflation .... someone puts their price up for their goods. The person buying it puts their prices up to afford it...and so on. Crackers really.
Car values. E.g a Lambo/Ferrari is metal, composites and glass. Because it has a big engine and a different shape to other cars...it costs the same as a house
Range Rovers/Land Rovers...how they sell any. They cost more and are less reliable, yet people pay money every month to pretend they own one.
TV programmes that come down the bell wire of a phone line.
Bradgate said:
Electricity.
Despite having a Physics A level, I never really felt I understood electricity in the way I understood, for example, the laws of thermodynamics or conservation of energy. I just ‘got’ those concepts on a fundamental level, but never felt I really ‘got’ electricity. All these years later, I’m not sure anyone really does understand it. They understand how to generate it, measure it, move it around and make use of it, but don’t really understand it conceptually.
I have spent 12yrs in the power industry and still don’t really understand it either. I am a clanky though not a sparky, so I just build the things and let magic take over. Despite having a Physics A level, I never really felt I understood electricity in the way I understood, for example, the laws of thermodynamics or conservation of energy. I just ‘got’ those concepts on a fundamental level, but never felt I really ‘got’ electricity. All these years later, I’m not sure anyone really does understand it. They understand how to generate it, measure it, move it around and make use of it, but don’t really understand it conceptually.
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