Discussion
miniman said:
It was likened on R4 this morning to the discovery of the electron, without which I wouldn't be typing this. So in a hundred years or so, who knows.
Although with so many more people on the planet the speed of discovery has accelerated due to the sheer number of scientists. So expect quantum LOLcats within our lifetime... 
mattnunn said:
Existence only appears to exists, it's essentially a projection from the human conscience.
All this guff is an attempt to reverse engineer human thought rather than anything about the physical nature of the universe, scientists just can't or won't accept that we essentially have no greater "knowledge" than Aristotle and Plato had, we've meandered down an intellectual cul de sac with all this and need to get back to basics if we are to attempt to escape the matrix(sic).
God's not dead.
I agree.All this guff is an attempt to reverse engineer human thought rather than anything about the physical nature of the universe, scientists just can't or won't accept that we essentially have no greater "knowledge" than Aristotle and Plato had, we've meandered down an intellectual cul de sac with all this and need to get back to basics if we are to attempt to escape the matrix(sic).
God's not dead.
No wait, I don't agree. Because the above b
ks is the rantings of a complete fking idiot who's read "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" one too many times.[Personal attack deleted]
crofty1984 said:
I agree.
No wait, I don't agree. Because the above bks is the rantings of a complete fking idiot who's read "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" one too many times.
[Personal attack deleted]
I quite enjoyed Z and the art of MM - though to be honest he did over think the concept of Quality. If he just accepted that quality is the difference between something and the sum of its parts the book would have been a lot shorter. Of course the higgs is the difference between a particle and the sum of its parts in the classic model so there are some parallels No wait, I don't agree. Because the above b
ks is the rantings of a complete fking idiot who's read "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" one too many times.[Personal attack deleted]
Jinx said:
I quite enjoyed Z and the art of MM - though to be honest he did over think the concept of Quality. If he just accepted that quality is the difference between something and the sum of its parts the book would have been a lot shorter. Of course the higgs is the difference between a particle and the sum of its parts in the classic model so there are some parallels
I found it very useful in terms of learning how to maintain a motorcycle. But I digress. The press conference is still going on, and the chair of the panel thinks he's a bit of a comedian. 
Jinx said:
I quite enjoyed Z and the art of MM - though to be honest he did over think the concept of Quality. If he just accepted that quality is the difference between something and the sum of its parts the book would have been a lot shorter. Of course the higgs is the difference between a particle and the sum of its parts in the classic model so there are some parallels
Oh, I liked it too. 
To people asking what practical applications are we likely to see: Tomorrow, probably none. In 100 years, things we can't even imagine.
It's the job of Scientists to furnish us with wonderful knowledge, methods, techniques and ideas. It is then the job of Engineers to take all that marvellous stuff and turn it into something useful. One is useless without the other and Society is better for having them.
Electricity was thought of as nothing more than an amusing curiosity 200 years ago. Look at us now.
Computers in the 50's were enormous machines designed as something to do very complicated maths. Now look at what we have at home.
Imagine trying to explain GPS to an early victorian.
"It's a load of maps covering all of the world, stored in a very tiny box that move intelligently so you can see them as you move along, that knows where your friends live and will work out a route to get there and guide you along step-by-step using satellites flying round space 150 miles above our heads to tell you exactly where you are to within 6 feet. If you change direction it will automatically recalculate your route. It will also tell you where the nearest restaurants are. Not only that, but the average working man can easily afford to buy one. Look, I've got one here on my mobile telephone."
"What's a telephone?"
crofty1984 said:
Oh, I liked it too.
To people asking what practical applications are we likely to see: Tomorrow, probably none. In 100 years, things we can't even imagine.
It's the job of Scientists to furnish us with wonderful knowledge, methods, techniques and ideas. It is then the job of Engineers to take all that marvellous stuff and turn it into something useful. One is useless without the other and Society is better for having them.
Electricity was thought of as nothing more than an amusing curiosity 200 years ago. Look at us now.
Computers in the 50's were enormous machines designed as something to do very complicated maths. Now look at what we have at home.
Imagine trying to explain GPS to an early victorian.
"It's a load of maps covering all of the world, stored in a very tiny box that move intelligently so you can see them as you move along, that knows where your friends live and will work out a route to get there and guide you along step-by-step using satellites flying round space 150 miles above our heads to tell you exactly where you are to within 6 feet. If you change direction it will automatically recalculate your route. It will also tell you where the nearest restaurants are. Not only that, but the average working man can easily afford to buy one. Look, I've got one here on my mobile telephone."
"What's a telephone?"
Related example: I bet when ol' Bertie E thunked up the idea of relativity, that one of the applications he had in mind for his marvellous theories probably wasn't directing me to a Marks and Spencer so I could buy more pants.To people asking what practical applications are we likely to see: Tomorrow, probably none. In 100 years, things we can't even imagine.
It's the job of Scientists to furnish us with wonderful knowledge, methods, techniques and ideas. It is then the job of Engineers to take all that marvellous stuff and turn it into something useful. One is useless without the other and Society is better for having them.
Electricity was thought of as nothing more than an amusing curiosity 200 years ago. Look at us now.
Computers in the 50's were enormous machines designed as something to do very complicated maths. Now look at what we have at home.
Imagine trying to explain GPS to an early victorian.
"It's a load of maps covering all of the world, stored in a very tiny box that move intelligently so you can see them as you move along, that knows where your friends live and will work out a route to get there and guide you along step-by-step using satellites flying round space 150 miles above our heads to tell you exactly where you are to within 6 feet. If you change direction it will automatically recalculate your route. It will also tell you where the nearest restaurants are. Not only that, but the average working man can easily afford to buy one. Look, I've got one here on my mobile telephone."
"What's a telephone?"
ETA: clicky if you're confused
Edited by CommanderJameson on Wednesday 4th July 11:32
Gene Vincent said:
The Black Flash said:
Use Psychology said:
the cosmos does exist
and careers would not be worthless. science doesn't work like that, being wrong is what you do on the way to being right.
I love that. Brilliant and careers would not be worthless. science doesn't work like that, being wrong is what you do on the way to being right.
Lose ten minutes of work and you'll see fists punching screens furiously, 20 years and all for a wild goose chase? f
king furious, trust me.But it's not going to happen thankfully, the mechanism is there, it's just not what we thought a few years ago, so this is exciting times.
crofty1984 said:
I didn't say that. Though I do have a sense of humour - I watched Groundhog Day last night - If that's not the mark of a humourous guy then I don't know what is! 
It would've been funnier had you said that twice...Quality, appears to me, to be a perfectly acceptable topic for a phillosophical narrative - as does narrative itself.
I suspect those following the Higgs narrative are enjoying the narrative more than the maths, Gene Vincent aside.
We do like a story don't we?
mattnunn said:
crofty1984 said:
I quite enjoyed Z and the art of MM - though to be honest he did over think the concept of Quality.
Ha ha that's funny, who said scienctist don't have a sense of humour.http://twitpic.com/a3pl0s
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