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Subject: Re: (2) P-adics in physics; new Periodic Chart of Elements; -- From: Archimedes.Plutonium@dartmouth.edu (Archimedes Plutonium)
Subject: Re: faster than light travel -- From: Hermital
Subject: Sonar Program Supervisor Vacancy Announcement -- From: tomk@fishgame.state.ak.us
Subject: Re: How do we know it's "c" ? -- From: "Danh Dang"
Subject: Re: Big Bang Alternative -- From: "Danh Dang"
Subject: Re: The Physics of Absolute Motion -- From: "Danh Dang"
Subject: Re: How Much Math? (Was: Re: How much to invest in such a writer?) -- From: jac@ibms46.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Subject: Re: What is a constant? (was: Sophistry 103) -- From: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: Accelerometers -- From: tdp@ix.netcom.com(Tom Potter)
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?) -- From: cri@tiac.net (Richard Harter)
Subject: Re: Creation VS Evolution -- From: gibgric@mailbag.com (Michael Grice)
Subject: Re: The Physics of Absolute Motion -- From: devens@uoguelph.ca (David L Evens)
Subject: Re: 3D Collisions -- From: jimr@simons-rock.edu (James A. Robinson)
Subject: Re: How Much Math? (Was: Re: How much to invest in such a writer?) -- From: jac@ibms46.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Subject: Re: Creation VS Evolution -- From: vanesch@jamaica.desy.de (Patrick van Esch)
Subject: Re: Cryonics Contracts -- From: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Subject: Big Bang Alternative -- From: grundlos@aol.com
Subject: Re: Universal Coordinate System -- From: odessey2@ix.netcom.com(Allen Meisner)
Subject: Re: what Newton thought -- From: lew@ihgp167e.ih.att.com (-Mammel,L.H.)
Subject: Re: faster than light travel -- From: lim
Subject: Re: Sophistry 103 (was: I know that!) -- From: taboada@mathe.usc.edu (Mario Taboada)
Subject: Re: What Are Water Molecules Doing? -- From: davis@miphys.physics.lsa.umich.edu (Brian Davis)
Subject: Re: How Much Math? (Was: Re: How much to invest in such a writer?) -- From: moggin@mindspring.com (moggin)
Subject: Re: What is a constant? (was: Sophistry 103) -- From: moggin@mindspring.com (moggin)
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?) -- From: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?) -- From: trx140@xmission.xmission.com (theurgy)
Subject: Re: What is a constant? (was: Sophistry 103) -- From: weinecks@mail2.sas.upenn.edu (Silke-Maria Weineck)
Subject: Re: what Newton thought -- From: lew@ihgp167e.ih.att.com (-Mammel,L.H.)
Subject: Re: Universal Coordinate System -- From: odessey2@ix.netcom.com(Allen Meisner)
Subject: Re: How Much Math? (not enough) -- From: C369801@mizzou1.missouri.edu (Walker on Earth)
Subject: Re: Erector set plus? -- From: Judson McClendon
Subject: Re: what Newton thought -- From: lew@ihgp167e.ih.att.com (-Mammel,L.H.)
Subject: Re: Sonar Program Supervisor Vacancy Announcement -- From: thomason@primenet.com (Brian K. Thomason )
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?) -- From: nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver)
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?) -- From: nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver)
Subject: Re: Erector set plus? -- From: Architectural Toys
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?) -- From: nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver)
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?) -- From: nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver)
Subject: Re: Why Does Flow Increase Dramatically? -- From: cfbarr@aol.com
Subject: Re: Anthony Potts, monolingual buffoon... -- From: Matheson@ceri.memphis.edu (Duncan Stewart Matheson)

Articles

Subject: Re: (2) P-adics in physics; new Periodic Chart of Elements;
From: Archimedes.Plutonium@dartmouth.edu (Archimedes Plutonium)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 01:46:28 GMT
Subject:      Re: (2) P-adics in physics; new Periodic Chart of
Elements;
From:         msuob@csv.warwick.ac.uk (RobC)
Date:         1996/11/22
Message-Id:   <5746vg$o29@lupin.csv.warwick.ac.uk>
Distribution: world
References:   <572es9$ipp@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
Followup-To:  sci.physics.electromag,sci.chem,sci.math,sci.physics
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Organization: University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
Mime-Version: 1.0
Newsgroups:   sci.physics.electromag,sci.chem,sci.math,sci.physics
Archimedes Plutonium (Archimedes.Plutonium@dartmouth.edu) wrote:
: In article <572ebg$ipp@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
: Archimedes.Plutonium@dartmouth.edu (Archimedes Plutonium) writes:
: >  For this morning in bed I realized
: > that if I combine the HYASYS theory and look at the periodic chart
of
: > elements then the p-adics are in them.
[snippage]
: Now you may ask so what? Is this change going to lead to anything
: important. See next post.
I don't see why we should use  no. of nuclear electrons as a basis for
a Periodic table at all.
I haven't come across an occasion when I need to know any such thing.
However I frequently need to know the atomic no. and mass and the table
we 
have at the moment is very useful for predicting an element's 
physical/chemical properties.
Robin, 2nd year UG chemist. University of Warwick
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
*********
 Until Dartmouth patches their weakness, I am forced to communicate by
a searth engine repost.
 In answer to your question as to why the number of nuclear electrons
is at all important is this. If not for the Strong Nuclear Force then
there would not be any other atoms besides hydrogen. Thus the number
which portrays the Strong Nuclear force the best is the number of
nuclear electrons.
  Numbers of the Complex/Real Number system are incapable of describing
more than one factor. And the reason for this is because those numbers
are points in the Euclidean 3-Space. With an i and a j for getting the
y and z axes. It should be interesting to find somewhere in physics and
even mathematics since math is but a subset of physics. To find where
physics need but i and j. It cannot go alone on just i, but it needs a
j. For the physics fact of the Schroedinger wave equation, the Dirac
Equation and the fact that an electron needs as essential 3-Space.
Something in physics says that you need two new numbers not just the i
alone to complete 3-Space. And this is terribly important to
mathematics because before me, in the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
that i is essential. Well, that theorem was only 1/2 correct, for to be
100% precise, you also need a j, at 90 degrees to the Real and i-plane.
  So, any mathematician out there or physicist want to comment on this.
The Reals of mathematics need not just an i to make a Fundamental
Theorem of Algebra but they also need a j so that Euclidean 3-Space is
completed. But I am straying off course here.
  Notice that the p-adics have 2 factors, that they have a base
dependency factor that a ...0005 in 6-adics is not ...00005 in 7-adics.
And they have a factor of value just the same as the Complex/Reals have
a value factor. These factors are very easily seen in the Doubly
Infinite Numbers which I claim are the points of Loba geometry and
those of us in physics cannot dismiss the importance of Lobachevskian
geometry in physics. Look at a doubly infinite number such as this one
     . . . 121110987654321 . 314159.....
  There are probably more than 2 factors in the above Doubly Infinite
Number. And I have tried to ascribe each Double Infinite Number as a
half mixture of a p-adic on the left and a Real on the right string. I
have tried to visualize these Doubly Infinites as vectors. And we all
know that at least 2 factors are needed to compose a vector-- magnitude
and direction. One can visualize a Doubly Infinite as a vector where
the left string the p-adic string is direction and the Real string the
rightwards string is a magnitude and that these vectors , all of them,
compose to make Lobachevskian geometry.
  But can a p-adic have 2 factors? Can a p-adic be seen as a vector
with direction and magnitude. It is in this visualization that I
believe the new periodic chart of chemical elements/isotopes will be
constructed.
  That the old chart used just one number, numbers with 1 factor only--
Reals of 1.000....  , 2.000....  , 3.000.... etc
  However, if we take each isotope and pin to it a number that has 2
factors, say a p-adic.
   One factor and its most important factor is the Strong Nuclear force
which is nuclear electrons.
   And the second factor is the number of nonnuclear electrons which is
the old Atomic number but instead of proton number it is nonnuclear
electron number.
   Thus, neutron and hydrogen and helium in the old system were 0, 1
and 2 respectively. 
  But in a p-adic system neutron would be (1,0) because of its 1
nuclear electron and 0 nonnuclear electron. Hydrogen would be (0,1) and
helium would be (2,2). The isotope 231PU would be (137,94).
  The importance of this is that I believe the isotopes are written in
the language of p-adics and that the chart should be a log spiral and
that when a scheme of
          (0,1)
          (1,0)
          .
          .
          (2,2)
          .
          .
          .
          .
          (137,94)
is translated into p-adics it will look like this
  0
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  .
  .
  .
 where all of these are p-adics
 In other words, the chemical table was never meant to be laid out flat
and straight, just as a map of the Earth was never 100% true when laid
out flat and straight.
  But it goes deeper than just a projection, it goes to the fact that
p-adics are the math numbers of Harmonic Oscillators. We use the trig
functions to describe harmonic motion, but we can use the p-adics. For
it is my claim that the p-adics are the numbers of Harmonic Motion.
Return to Top
Subject: Re: faster than light travel
From: Hermital
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 18:56:45 -0800
On Wed 11/20/96 19:21 -0600 PM Dragonbane wrote:
> 
> > If time travel was possible and you could go into the past and alter it,
> > i.e. I went back and shot my grandad, Then I would no longer exist to
> > kill my grandad, but if I did exist then I did kill my grandad. So both
> > things have happend ( there would be an infinate interchange between my
> > existance and nonexistance ) so a paradox wopuld be set up and the time
> > relative to the universe would stop.  So it would be possible to alter
> > history but at a great expense to where the alteration occurd.
> 
>         Nah... you're still thinking that the universe exists as a wave
> function of an event, that there is also only a single state for the
> universe to exist in. If you ahve alternate timelines that branch off
> from the timespace junction at the point of the murder, then there is no
> paradox: the you that kill grandad could then move forward in time along
> the new timeline that was created to a future where you were never born.
> but since you  were born and traveled outside of you normal timeline,
> you still exist. You came from an alternate timeline where you were
> born, but, for all effect and purposes, just skipped over to a timeline
> where you were not born. From the timeline you self, you would have
> merely disappear, and your mother would be worried sick over where you
> were, who had kidnapped you, etc., but otherwise nothing would be
> different. In the new timeline you find youself in, since you were never
> born, you've got some explaining to do, like you non-existant father or
> mother, why there are no records of your birth, and how you expect to
> make a living if your time machine suddenly explodes for no reason.
> 
> Causality is preserved in this case, as long as you have a multiverse.
> If not, then time travel would wreck havock on the wave function that
> describes your existance/nonexistance.
> Dragonbane@mail.utexas.edu
> http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~drgnbane
Hello, Dragonbane:
The arrow of time can be manipulated by mathematics or logic; however,
the manipulation often has no basis in reality and the arrow of time
cannot actually be reversed.  Here's why:
	     Causality
	The scientific
	principle
	that causes
	invariably precede
	their effects
	absolutely
	in all frames
	of reference,
	sometimes called
	Einstein Causality,
	is valid
	on all levels
	of experience;
	valid in time
	as well as space,
	thus the arrow
	of time
	steadfastly
	points
	toward diverse
	possible
	future events
	and is reversible
	only in imagination.
	Each cause
	in the past
	produced
	one or more
	transcendental
	or material
	effects
	in the omnipresent
	now.
	And past effects,
	the foundation
	of the present,
	now abide only
	in distributed
	nonlocal
	holonomic memory.
	     - Alan Williams
-- 
Egoless pure consciousness, unconditioned pure energy, uncreated
absolute pure being pre-exists:  All else is supervenient.
Return to Top
Subject: Sonar Program Supervisor Vacancy Announcement
From: tomk@fishgame.state.ak.us
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 18:51:11 -0600
REGIONAL SALMON SONAR PROGRAM SUPERVISOR
ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
ARCTIC-YUKON-KUSKOKWIM REGION
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide technical and operational supervision for 
sonar-based, salmon passage assessment projects on the mainstem of the 
ukon, Kuskokwim, Noatak and Aniak Rivers. These projects provide daily 
estimates of salmon passage. This position assures that these sonar 
programs are providing good quality information for fishery 
management decisions.
QUALIFICATIONS: B.S.+ experience required; M.S. or Ph.D.+ experience 
preferred. This is a supervisory position which requires solid 
educational background and technical skills in hydroacoustics and 
electronics. Experience in riverine hydroacoustics and fisheries are 
desirable. Good writing, communication and administrative skills are 
necessary. On the job training will be available.
SALARY: Starting at $49,116 plus benefits.
CLOSING DATE: Open until filled.
CONTACT: Send resume and three references to Tom Kron, Alaska 
Department of Fish and Game, Commercial Fisheries Management and 
Development Division, Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Region, 333 Raspberry 
Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99518; Phone (907) 267-2166; FAX (907) 267-2442; 
e-mail tomk@fishgame.state.ak.us. A State of Alaska employment 
application for register placement and further consideration will be
provided on request.
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
      http://www.dejanews.com/     Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Return to Top
Subject: Re: How do we know it's "c" ?
From: "Danh Dang"
Date: 23 Nov 1996 02:28:35 GMT
> "Mistakes", plural. In the first two statements you have mis-spelled 
> "vacuum" as "THE MEDIUM", and mis-spelled "observer" as "THE MEDIUM" 
> in the third. You're welcome. 
> 
> 
Sorry Richard,
I think you're wrong on this one.  He's right.  To find c in a vacuumn you
would plug in the permeability of vacuumn but in general, you plug in the
permeability of the medium you're int.  And also, the speed of light is
relative to the medium not observer in this case.
Return to Top
Subject: Re: Big Bang Alternative
From: "Danh Dang"
Date: 23 Nov 1996 02:32:10 GMT
grundlos@aol.com wrote in article
<19961122234300.SAA10768@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> 	For many years the Big Bang theory has been fraught with
> difficulties.  Some of these difficulties have been overcome with ever
> increasing complexity, giving rise to new problems.  It is therefore
> suprising that the Big Bang theory has survived Ocham s ax.  Proponents
of
> the theory are quick to point out Hubble s discovery of the expanding
> universe, and it is a convincing argument-- so convincing that theorists
> are willing to invent outlandish schemes to make the Big Bang feasible. 
> Obviously, the only way to be rid of the Big Bang is to interpret the
> redshift of light in another manner.  
> 	Unfortunately, there is very little that might explain this
> redshift.  The best answer is the absurd:  light is redshifted as a
> natural effect of space.  It would be very difficult to prove this
> assertion due to the vast distances required to affect light.  Unless
> extremely accurate equipment is invented, I do not see this point as
> provable.  However, it is not a far stretch of the imagination to assume
> that this effect might affect matter as well.
> 	When considering the possibility that matter might be affected by
> the same effect as light is affected, it would be helpful to consider the
> high velocities of ions entering the earth s atmosphere.  As yet these
> high velocities have eluded explanation.  Once again the best explanation
> is the absurd:  the change in velocity of matter is directly proportional
> to the distance it traverses through space.  Consequently the frequency
of
> matter must increase as it travels through space.  It would then follow
> that:
> d=k(f-f0)
> d=km(v-v0)^2 / h
> a=d / t^2=h / km
> F=h / k
> 	This could be put to the test by electrons moving through a field.
>  I would presume that the field would have to be somewhat strong, but
> should be within our technology.
> 
> 
> Questions?  Comments?  Write me at grundlos@aol.com
> 
I don't think you know what you're talking about.
Simply put.
Return to Top
Subject: Re: The Physics of Absolute Motion
From: "Danh Dang"
Date: 23 Nov 1996 02:33:57 GMT
Angel Torregrosa  wrote in article
<329630c0.4694157@news.idec.es>...
> bjon@ix.netcom.com (Brian Jones) wrote:
> 
> 
> >Sorry, but there are many observable consequences, one of which is the
> >fact that you will (absolutely) age slower if you travel (absolutely)
> >faster.  This is a very significant consequence that could allow
> >interstellar travel.
> >
> 	Many relativistycs think that we can't put our system of
> reference in the rocket because this isn't un inertial system of
> reference (because it nedd acceleratons), but then, where is valid
> inertial system in this Universe? I think that all things in our
> universe receive accelerations (for gravity  or centripetal forces).
> 	To find un inertial system we need to erase all the matter in
> the space and then we have got the "absolute space": the unique real
> inertial system. And then we have got the "absolute motion".
> 
> >Another consequence is the fact that all observer's clocks are set
> >differently in SRT in direct proportion to each observer's (absolute)
> >speed.  
> 
> 	Then we have got the "absolute time" in the "absolute space".
> 
> 	Tell me what do you think about it, please friends.
> 
> 	SALUDOS DESDE ESPAÑA.
> Angel Torregrosa.
> angelto@cot.es
In General Relativity it is hyphothesized that the inertial frame is the
one where you're free falling in gravity. So therefore being in a gravity
field can still be an inertial frame.
> angelto@idecnet.com (temporal)
> http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/5514/
> 
Return to Top
Subject: Re: How Much Math? (Was: Re: How much to invest in such a writer?)
From: jac@ibms46.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 03:10:22 GMT
Jim Carr:
| 
|  Both of these statements are correct. 
|  That is why moggin does not address them, just as moggin ignores 
|  articles that point out examples that show moggin is wrong. 
moggin@mindspring.com (moggin) writes:
>
>   No, I didn't address them because they don't address anything I've
>had to say 
 That statement appears to be accurate.  They repeated the fact that 
 a moggin statement was false.  What moggin wrote did not need to be 
 "addressed" since what was written was wrong, indefensible, and, I 
 might add, never defended. 
> -- I didn't contend that Newton was never right about a
>thing in his life, or argue that he didn't contribute to physics.  
 That might be correct, but irrelevant.  What moggin wrote was 
}     The problem is that you have two different models.  In what I've
}been calling the ordinary sense of "generalize," generalizing Newton
}would mean applying his theories to new regions, e.g., high velocities,
}and discovering that they still worked great.  Instead, we've got a
}different situation -- when  applied over broader conditions, his laws
}turn out to be false (given later findings).
 but we all know that the problem was not with Newton's *laws*. 
> Got any more strawmen?
 I get a continous supply from moggin if I choose to burn them. 
-- 
 James A. Carr        |  "The half of knowledge is knowing
    http://www.scri.fsu.edu/~jac/       |  where to find knowledge" - Anon. 
 Supercomputer Computations Res. Inst.  |  Motto over the entrance to Dodd 
 Florida State, Tallahassee FL 32306    |  Hall, former library at FSCW. 
Return to Top
Subject: Re: What is a constant? (was: Sophistry 103)
From: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 03:14:16 GMT
In article <575gtj$p41@netnews.upenn.edu>, weinecks@mail1.sas.upenn.edu (Silke-Maria  Weineck) writes:
>meron@cars3.uchicago.edu wrote:
>: Well, looking through the the rest of Feynman's quotes (or reading 
>: some of his popular books) you'll find that he cared very little for 
>: those "philosophical" notions of "wrongness".  
>
>So what? Why should he? He's not a philosopher. However, he seems to 
>agree with philosophers on a point that was debated amongst us jolly 
>people here.
>
No.  He seems to agree on "philosophically wrong" which is quite 
different from "wrong" and not something he cared about much.
>What he did care 
>for : was "does it work", which is the notion some people here find so 
>: odious.  Still, you shouldn't take it as gospel, as I've said many 
>: times, opinions of scientists are just opinions, Feynman included.
>
>Doxa are doxa, but some are still better founded than others... again, we 
>are not talking in the realm of science; to you, I assume, all of 
>philosophy consists of "just opinions" -- wrong?
That's for you to judge, not me.
>
>: As a side notion, regarding the "someone who's in physics comes along 
>: and says the same thing" bit, I trust you can see the slight 
>: difference between "wrong" and "philosophically we are wrong".
>
>Certainly; I've never argued for anything but the latter, and neither has 
>moggin even though it seems to give him pleasure to get your goat around 
>this matter.
We are simple folks here.  When somebody says "wrong" we take it for 
"wrong", period.  And we argue with what's being said.  If somebody 
says something, then qualifies his statement, there is no problem with 
it.  If he refuses to qualify it, the rather clear implication is that 
he means it as it stands.
Mati Meron			| "When you argue with a fool,
meron@cars.uchicago.edu		|  chances are he is doing just the same"
Return to Top
Subject: Re: Accelerometers
From: tdp@ix.netcom.com(Tom Potter)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 01:38:00 GMT
In <3295C73C.EBB@vtt.fi> Mikko Levanto  writes: 
>
>Thomas Womack wrote:
>
>>   Does anyone know if it's sensitive enough and has a good enough
>> zero that you could mount 3 at right-angles to build a 3D mouse?
>> If the zeroing is not good, the pointer travels off to infinity at
>> ever increasing speed :(
>
>This can be avoided if the pointer slowly drifts to home position.
If you are trying to build a mouse, 
here is an idea that might work.
Buy a couple of the earphones in a dollar store.
You will have four earphones.
( I've never taken one apart but I assume that
  they are electro-dynamic earphones. )
Mount some mass on the moving part of the
earphones, mount three of them orthogonally,
connect the outputs to amplifiers.
When you move the "mouse" the "speaker cones"
of the earphones ( Transducers ) will move,
generating a voltage, which the amplifiers
will amplify.
In applications where extreme accuracy is
needed, a current could be fed back to the
"speaker cone" to keep it at the center,
in order to avoid non-linearities. This
wouldn't be necessary for a simple mouse
application. In other words, you could
use an open loop, rather than a servo
feedback acelerometer.
Tom Potter    pobox.com/~tdp
Return to Top
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?)
From: cri@tiac.net (Richard Harter)
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 01:42:54 GMT
moggin@mindspring.com (moggin) wrote:
>"Michael S. Morris" 
> I believe
>>this happens even as we speak---not so much with respect to 
>>aeroplanes, but certainly with respect to "repressed memories
>>of satanic ritual abuse", or "faith healing", or homeopathy
>>and lots of similar quackery. I am saying not that alternative
>>truth doesn't exist, but that we shouldn't put such clothes
>>on lightly.
>   Of course not --but the outfit that you're wearing is a fashion
>catastrophe.
There speaks a man who wears fluorescent plaid underwear embroidered
with tasteful little dragons.
Richard Harter, cri@tiac.net, The Concord Research Institute
URL = http://www.tiac.net/users/cri, phone = 1-508-369-3911
Life is tough. The other day I was pulled over for doing trochee's
in an iambic pentameter zone and they revoked my poetic license.
Return to Top
Subject: Re: Creation VS Evolution
From: gibgric@mailbag.com (Michael Grice)
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 06:44:35 GMT
Followups cut to talk.origins.
ksjj@fast.net (ksjj) wrote on Thu, 21 Nov 1996 21:54:28 -0400 in
talk.origins:
>In article <3294E4E5.388@asu.edu>, Rich.Henne@asu.edu wrote:
>
>
>> Karl, 
>> 
>> Woodmarope's and your Noah's Ark speculation requires evolution to occur
>> at a rate orders of magnitude faster and during man's existence, than
>> any that scientists have ever proposed!  Why is this if you are trying
>> to claim evolution doesn't happen?  
>> 
>> -- 
>Rich, perhaps you could provide me some references to back up your statement. 
>
>BTW: from what I've read all the cat species known today came from one
>type of cat back in the days of the Egyptions.  Look at them all....meow.
Do you mean all breeds of domestic cats?  Or all feline species?
Mountain lions, lions, tigers, saber-toothed tigers, and so on?  I'd
be very interested to see some documentation if you're making the
second claim.
Michael
gibgric@mailbag.com
Return to Top
Subject: Re: The Physics of Absolute Motion
From: devens@uoguelph.ca (David L Evens)
Date: 22 Nov 1996 23:40:48 GMT
Ken H. Seto (kenseto@erinet.com) wrote:
: On Thu, 21 Nov 1996 20:41:15 GMT, browe@netcom.com (Bill Rowe) wrote:
: >So when you say I cannot tell if something is in absolute motion or
: >not, it seems to me totally equivalent to saying absolute motion
: >doesn't exist.
: Ah, but absolute motion dose exist. Past famous experiments such as
: the Compton Effect, Photoelectric and Double-Slit Experiments all have
: detected absolute motion.  Also I have designed two new experiements
: that can detect the existence of absolute motion. Look up my web site
: for a  description of these experiments.
: 
How odd that noone with any physics training can detect absolute motion 
using any method.
--
---------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
Ring around the neutron,   |  "OK, so he's not terribly fearsome.
A pocket full of positrons,|   But he certainly took us by surprise!"
A fission, a fusion,       +--------------------------------------------------
We all fall down!          |  "Was anybody in the Maquis working for me?"
---------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
"I'd cut down ever Law in England to get at the Devil!"
"And what man could stand up in the wind that would blow once you'd cut 
down all the laws?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This message may not be carried on any server which places restrictions 
on content.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e-mail will be posted as I see fit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Subject: Re: 3D Collisions
From: jimr@simons-rock.edu (James A. Robinson)
Date: 22 Nov 1996 18:02:33 GMT
In article <3294a59d.24733394@nntpserver.swip.net>,
	kimmo@swipnet.se (Kimmo Björnsson) writes:
> I am as a special project in school programing a simulation of
> collisions between speheres in 3D. I have worked out some formulae,
> [...]
> X, Y and Z position
> X, Y and Z velocity (or momentum if prefered)
> Mass.
A friend and I are trying to do pretty much the same thing.  I am
working with my friend to make a gravity simulator, where we plug in a
body's position, velocity, and mass, and see how they interact
(attraction). But the formula doesn't seem to be working quite right,
the body's seem to pretty much ignore or perhaps even push one another
away (oops!)!  Since I never took physics (I'm the programmer, he is
the physics person), I'm at a loss as to what is wrong.
Could you tell me what formulas you are using?  
What ours does is take each body and interact with every other body:
	  massSum = (Mass + oBody.getMass());
	  xRemainder = (oCoordinates.getX() - Coordinates.getX());
	  // determine x-space acceleration.
	  if (xRemainder > 0) {
	    Acceleration.setX( massSum / (xRemainder * xRemainder) );
	  } else if (xRemainder < 0) {
	    Acceleration.setX( massSum / -(xRemainder * xRemainder) );
	  } else {
	    Acceleration.setX(0); // collision, what should we do?
	  }
we do that for X, Y, and Z.  Then we calculate velocity:
	  Velocity.setX( Velocity.getX() + (Acceleration.getX()/Mass));
we do that for X, Y, and Z.  Then we figure out the new position:
	  Coordinates.setX(Velocity.getX() + Coordinates.getX());
again, we calculate X, Y, and Z. Do we have similar formulas, or is my
friend completely screwy? :-)
-- 
Jim Robinson  - http://www.simons-rock.edu/~jimr/
Simon's Rock College.
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Subject: Re: How Much Math? (Was: Re: How much to invest in such a writer?)
From: jac@ibms46.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 03:22:38 GMT
virdy@pogo.den.mmc.com (Mahipal Singh Virdy):
[ 
[ Newton was ABSOLUTELY right about his work regarding planetary 
[orbits.
[   ... 
[ Einstein didn't come along and say let me discard all of Newton's
[ contribution and start from scratch.   ...
moggin@mindspring.com (moggin): 
}
}     Lord, you go on.  But your reasoning  doesn't work, since "He 
}  made an important contribution" isn't synonymous with "he was 
}  absolutelyright."
Jim:
|
|  Irrelevant, since the moggin quotes are not complete quotes of the 
|  respective sentences that Virdy wrote.  For someone who has posted 
|  complaints about trimming quoted articles, moggin is remarkably 
|  free with the text when misquoting others.  
moggin@mindspring.com (moggin) writes:
>
>   Actually, Mr.  Carr, I quoted every word in Virdy's article.  
 I believe this confirms that moggin is a pathological liar. 
 The moggin included the text of Virdy's article, but the quotes 
 that *moggin* wrote, specifically "he was absolutely right", 
 leaving out the qualifying phrase "about his work regarding 
 planetary orbits", are clearly and unambiguously a misrepresentation 
 of what Virdy wrote.  That moggin leaves in the original so we 
 can see the error in moggin's ways is postively Nixonian. 
 Not surprising, since we already know that "moggin was wrong". 
-- 
 James A. Carr        |  "The half of knowledge is knowing
    http://www.scri.fsu.edu/~jac/       |  where to find knowledge" - Anon. 
 Supercomputer Computations Res. Inst.  |  Motto over the entrance to Dodd 
 Florida State, Tallahassee FL 32306    |  Hall, former library at FSCW. 
Return to Top
Subject: Re: Creation VS Evolution
From: vanesch@jamaica.desy.de (Patrick van Esch)
Date: 22 Nov 1996 16:53:28 GMT
Todd Smethers (todde@hotmail.com) wrote:
: isn't that?  Instead of assuming that they've read or have at least 
                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
: familiarized themselves with the competing ideas and found them wanting you 
: assume that they've never looked at them.  How can you judge from such a 
: distance?  Even those who know the texts (By the way who is Dawkins?  I know 
: Darwin and I know Hawking, but am unfamiliar with Dawkins?) 
                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
QED :-)
cheers,
Patrick.
--
Patrick Van Esch
mail:   vanesch@dice2.desy.de
for PGP public key: finger vanesch@dice2.desy.de
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Subject: Re: Cryonics Contracts
From: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 04:16:25 GMT
In article <6500ur-ya023080002111961940550001@news.silcom.com>, 6500ur@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Jeffrey Borrowdale) writes:
>In article , meron@cars3.uchicago.edu wrote:
>
>}Somehow, given the trends of population growth, I don't think that 
>}people in the future will be be that enthusiastic about reviving more 
>}claimants on the worlds resources (that's assuming already that 
>}they'll be able to do it).  I would rather think that this will be at 
>}the bottom of their priority list.  Since, on the other hand, they may 
>}have on their hands a shortage of fertilizer ....
>
>Why not just raid the nursing home--it will be a lot fresher and those old
>people suck up a lot more resources than cryonics patients.
>
>Seriously, population growth is a local geopolitical problem in certain
>areas, not a global crisis. Neo-malthusian alarmists like Paul Ehrlich and
>his "Population Bomb" of the 70s have been their predictions turn out to be
>false time and time again. As the third world develops economically, their
>population will level off to be more like industrialized nations. The
>biggest oppostion to these forces the worldwide Catholic prohibition on
>birth control. 
The "biggest" is an exaggeration here (though it is significant, no 
doubt).  Most of third world population isn't Catholic (not even 
Christian, for that matter).
As for the third world countries developing economically, it is not 
that simple.  The problem is that unless an economic growth rate 
faster then the population growth can be sustained, a country keeps 
running in place or even sliding backwards.  So, you've a race between 
two growth curves and stating that the result is predetermined is a 
bit optimistic.  Mind you, I'm not trying to advocate alarmist views 
here, I've a sincere dislike for any alarmism.  But, there is a broad 
spectrum of scenarios between the "it is a guaranteed disaster" and 
the "it is not a problem" extremes.
Mati Meron			| "When you argue with a fool,
meron@cars.uchicago.edu		|  chances are he is doing just the same"
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Subject: Big Bang Alternative
From: grundlos@aol.com
Date: 23 Nov 1996 04:00:46 GMT
	For many years the Big Bang theory has been fraught with
difficulties.  Some of these difficulties have been overcome with ever
increasing complexity, giving rise to new problems.  It is therefore
suprising that the Big Bang theory has survived Ocham s ax.  Proponents of
the theory are quick to point out Hubble s discovery of the expanding
universe, and it is a convincing argument-- so convincing that theorists
are willing to invent outlandish schemes to make the Big Bang feasible. 
Obviously, the only way to be rid of the Big Bang is to interpret the
redshift of light in another manner.  
	Unfortunately, there is very little that might explain this
redshift.  The best answer is the absurd:  light is redshifted as a
natural effect of space.  It would be very difficult to prove this
assertion due to the vast distances required to affect light.  Unless
extremely accurate equipment is invented, I do not see this point as
provable.  However, it is not a far stretch of the imagination to assume
that this effect might affect matter as well.
	When considering the possibility that matter might be affected by
the same effect as light is affected, it would be helpful to consider the
high velocities of ions entering the earth s atmosphere.  As yet these
high velocities have eluded explanation.  Once again the best explanation
is the absurd:  the change in velocity of matter is directly proportional
to the distance it traverses through space.  Consequently the frequency of
matter must increase as it travels through space.  It would then follow
that:
d=k(f-f0)
d=km(v-v0)^2 / h
a=d / t^2=h / km
F=h / k
	This could be put to the test by electrons moving through a field.
 I would presume that the field would have to be somewhat strong, but
should be within our technology.
Questions?  Comments?  Write me at grundlos@aol.com
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Subject: Re: Universal Coordinate System
From: odessey2@ix.netcom.com(Allen Meisner)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 04:08:52 GMT
In <0$LMkiAc2flyEwtP@newbrain.demon.co.uk> Ian Robert Walker
 writes: 
>
>In article <573f29$1l1@dfw-ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>, Allen Meisner
> writes
>>    Here is a thought experiment that will decide the matter. You are
>>traveling in a spaceship at 1000 meters per second. In the nose of
the
>>spaceship is a laser that operates in a pulse mode. The laser is
>>pointed in the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of
>>the spaceship. At time t=0 the laser begins to emit pulses of light.
>>One hour later the ship has traveled 72,000,000 meters. Will the
first
>>pulse of light still be aligned with the nose of the spaceship at
this
>>time. To claim so would be, and is, preposterous.
>
>Consider that instead of a pulse of light I throw a ball perpendicular
to the
>direction of the space ship, what will be observed?
>-- 
>Ian G8ILZ
>I have an IQ of 6 million,  |  How will it end?  | Mostly
>or was it 6?                |  In fire.          | harmless
    Are you saying that the light has inertia like the ball?
Edward Meisner
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Subject: Re: what Newton thought
From: lew@ihgp167e.ih.att.com (-Mammel,L.H.)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 03:51:27 GMT
In article <575fq8$jmi@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>,
Jeff Candy  wrote:
>
>(-Mammel,L.H.):
>
>|> The relative motion of two objects with periodic motions of
>|> the same period, is obviously periodic with that period as well.
>|> Things like this make you look like a big blowhard, IMHO.
>
>I looked at a few of the previous posts and couldn't figure out 
>why Mati's point makes him sound like a "blowhard".
Did you read the first sentence of mine you just quoted? He looks
like a blowhard ( IMHO ) because he's trotting out a lot of
unnecessary erudition to obfuscate a simple point.
Lew Mammel, Jr.
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Subject: Re: faster than light travel
From: lim
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 12:34:55 +0800
Why is everybody talking about time travel instead of faster than light
travel?
Return to Top
Subject: Re: Sophistry 103 (was: I know that!)
From: taboada@mathe.usc.edu (Mario Taboada)
Date: 22 Nov 1996 12:51:21 -0800
weinecks@mail1.sas.upenn.edu (Silke-Maria  Weineck) writes:
>Mario Taboada (taboada@mathe.usc.edu) wrote:
>: Silke-Maria Weineck says:
>: <: thread... the one about beating out clumsy rhythms for bears to dance 
>: to while trying to make music to move the stars (my copy is in the 
>: office, so this will have to do). Perhaps it would be a good idea to 
>: distinguish between representative intention and perlocutionary 
>: intention.>>
>: The theories of "intention" proposed by Austin, Grice, and Searle are not
>: to be taken very seriously. As a foundation of semantic analysis they are
>: inadequate (as Chomsky showed back then, when these things were newer; also
>: cf. Derrida's sec and Limited Inc. for an informal and somewhat rambling
>: but nevertheless sharp critique of Searle).
>: I am very skeptical about classification schemes such as those proposed
>: by Searle - Derrida (following Chomsky) put his finger on it when he
>: complained that "marginality" is not covered by the Searle classification.
>: He then asks (not literal quote): "What good is the theory, then, if it
>: doesn't apply to actual language as used by people?"
>Agreed. However, I think the misunderstandings between Raghu and Brian go 
>back to different usages of intention -- Brian is referring to 
>representation, and he's right to point out that the text says what it 
>says and that it's curious to assume an intention that differs from the 
>result; Raghu is talking about a different kind of intention -- in short, 
>he insists, uncontroversially as far as I can see, that the sender has an 
>intention in acting on other people.
>Silke
	Saying that the sender (I prefer to say "speaker" since talking
is the biologically important activity, not writing or "sending") must
have some intention is indeed uncontroversial - perhaps even "trivial",
although if one really asked for evidence, the question becomes meaningless
(who can show someone else an "intention", and why should someone else
believe it?). People can be notoriously self-deceiving, and self-knowledge
of the kind that would be needed to know one's own "intentions" would be
very hard to acquire - impossible to all but Buddhas and near-Buddhas.
More importantly, to admit of an "intention of the speaker" does not
mean that "intention" is a good foundation for a scientific theory
of lexical meaning. In fact it is a terrible foundation and the
theories of "speech acts" have not delivered anything worthwhile in
the field of lexical semantics. Further, as far as I can see, lexical
semantics does not seem accessible to scientific inquiry - although
other types of inquiry do sometimes throw light on meaning (literary
criticism, history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy are such disciplines).
These "theories" however, do not have much explanatory value beyond
narrowly defined domains, and they certainly have no predictive value.
The other day Patrick was referring to this problem in terms of "communication"
and "transfer of information", terms that I am sure he uses in a
technical sense but that, as far as I can see, do not apply to
human language (which is not used primarily for communication, as
Chomsky and others have persuasively argued).
As far as I can see, the text is entirely secondary to the question of
intention. I say this not to put down Brian, who is evidently persuaded
of the value of textualism, but to point out that writing, as merely
an accessory to the language faculty, is *even less* amenable than
speech to scientific inquiry into lexical semantics.
In the late 60s and early 70s there was a group of linguists who
broke with Chomsky (a bitter battle, fought in the most bilious
fashion, typical of academic circles), and who wanted to develop a
"generative semantics". The idea was to do something similar to
generative grammar but dealing with meaning. This project, although
it generated some good ideas, collapsed completely. Incidentally,
this was due to the enormous difficulty of the subject, not to the
lack of ability of the researchers (many of whom were and are brilliant
linguists).
My position is that, if someone says he/she has a scientific theory
of lexical meaning, they are probably wrong. I have almost no faith
in the existence of such a theory; as for bald assertion and speculation,
the innumerable philosophers (in fact, all of them) who have pondered
these questions have come up with very little that can withstand
scientific scrutiny.
Regards,
-- 
Mario Taboada
* Department of Mathematics * Old Dominion University * Norfolk, Virginia
e-mail: taboada@math.odu.edu
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Subject: Re: What Are Water Molecules Doing?
From: davis@miphys.physics.lsa.umich.edu (Brian Davis)
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 15:42:48 -0400
In an article, David Kaufman wrote:
Point #1:
> At 100 C a water molecule has to escape a force of about 1.91E-10 N.
   You did this by taking the heat of vaporization (40.1 kJ/mole) divided
by 6.02e+23, and then using a "distance" between water molecules based on
them being in a FCC structure and having a density of 1 g/cc, correct?
   * Liquid water is not in a FCC structure - it's a liquid, and it's
intermolecular spacing will may be larger or smaller (I know, in general
it's smaller than the solid, witness the density of water vs. ice).
   * I presume you used the equation Work (or Energy) = Force * Distance.
But this only works for constant forces - you must do the integral from
you're starting point to your end point, and the force will vary.
Additionally, you seem to be doing
   Force = [ ( 40.1 kJ/mole ) / ( 6.02e+23 mol/mole ) ] / ( 3.53e-10 m )
   But the distance between the start and end point is infinte - you have
to remove your sample water molecule to the point where there is no
interaction with the surface. I think you're using the wrong distance in
an incorrect formula.
   And how does your computer program work? No details. There are
certainly interactions with more than 1 other molecule.
Point #2:
>         At 100 C the force on a water molecule in the water 
> surface is at most 2.08E-11 N calculated from the surface 
> tension as follows (This assumes tension in only the top 1 
> layer of molecules.):
> 
>              .05885 N    3.534E-10 m    2.08E-11 N
>     Force =  ---------   ----------- =  ----------
>                   m       molecule       molecule 
   * Surface tension is not due to the single top layer of molecules - it
is due to the interaction of a surface molecule with all it's nearest
neighbors (to a 1st approx.), and that certainly includes the molecules
*under it*. This is a major contribution, and cannot be ignored.
   * The uncertainty in these numbers is much larger than you are showing
here, and *that* is at least as important as calculating the numbers -
teach what the limits of the calculation are, where it is valid and at
what point it fails, not just how to get a number.
Point #3
>         How can it be explained that the force holding water 
> molecules together (1.91E-10 N) is 9.2 times greater than 
> the pull along the surface on a water molecule which is 
> 2.08E-11 N?
   * Ignoring the point that both numbers are probably not correct, the
most important thing to remember is that we are *not* talking about simple
forces and mechanics - you must use statistical mechanics. In fact, the
average force holding an average water molecule to the surface of the
liquid *is* greater than the average force needed it break away and
evaporate... but it is not *average* molecules that evaporate. It is the
high-energy tail of a *distribution* of molecules, moving with various
speed and energies, and this makes the question (in terms of classical
mechanics) very complex.
   My advice - don't use mechanics. Use thermodynamics, that's what it's
there for. Their are better platforms to teach mechanics - like mechanics
of falling objects, bouncing balls, and my favorite, mechanics on the
playground (ever seen a ball roll in a perfect circle and come back to
you? You can on a platground, and the kids might just teach you
something).
Point #4:
>         How can this difference in forces be explained with 
> precise figures and calculations?
   People are still doing cutting-edge research on how water evaporates.
It appears, for instance, that it may do it in small clumps, not as single
molecules at all. And water is one of the single oddest substances to
understand - just because it's common doesn't mean it's simple.
>         Students could try their hand on force diagrams. I 
> haven't started making figures at the water surface that 
> could explain this large difference. It seems like a real 
> creative challenge in understanding atom forces.
   It is - very challenging to get right. It might be a good example of
critical thinking, and also an example of a complex task that maybe cannot
be solved by some simple method.
Point #5:
> Note:  As a Good approximation for force between atoms:  
>                    Force = C/r^6
> Where C is a constant and r^6 = rrrrrr where r is some 
> useful starting distance between the atoms.
   If you are refering to Van der Waals forces, there are at least 3 types
I know of:
   1) dipole-dipole attraction, which is important for polar liquids like
water. This is proportional to 1/r^7
   2) dipole-induced attraction, in which the dipole field of a polar
molecule induces a dipole in a non-polar molecule (not nearly as important
for water). This also goes as 1/r^7
   3) dispersion forces, in which charge-fluxuations around neutral
molecules cause an attractive force. I don't remember how this varys with
distance at this moment, but this might be the 1/r^6 approximation you
were using. This is not the major component for water.
                                                   -Brian Davis
ref:
[1] - Serway, "Physics for Scientists & Engineers", 3rd ed.
[2] - Kittel, "Thermal Physics", 2nd ed. (although I don't like this book, it's 
      the one on hand currently).
Return to Top
Subject: Re: How Much Math? (Was: Re: How much to invest in such a writer?)
From: moggin@mindspring.com (moggin)
Date: 22 Nov 1996 20:51:44 GMT
virdy@pogo.den.mmc.com (Mahipal Singh Virdy):
[much deleted]
>Thank you --- and you needn't keep wasting typing energy 
>on this point again.
   Agreed.
-- moggin
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Subject: Re: What is a constant? (was: Sophistry 103)
From: moggin@mindspring.com (moggin)
Date: 22 Nov 1996 21:05:27 GMT
lbsys@aol.com:
>Does a new set of rules in philosophy always have to be a 'turning [the
>old set of rules] from the head onto its feet' as Marx once said? That for
>sure is not the way in physics, as you certainly have learned from Mati,
>where there is rather evolution of ideas than a complete overthrow - even
>if it needs some historical distance to not mistake any other paradigm
>shift for a full grown "revolution". 
   Mati:  "If it  would've been just a straightforward development from 
the existing theory it wouldn't have been a revolution."  Mati, again:
"Did somebody ever say that it wasn't a revolution?"  Well, somebody
has now.
-- moggin
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Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?)
From: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 01:47:06 GMT
In article <572urg$77t@news-central.tiac.net>, nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver) writes:
>jac@ibms46.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr) wrote:
>
>> Medicine itself, whose practitioners are not *real* doctors since they 
>> have received extended professional training rather than doing and 
>> publishing research, was based on luck and anecdote for centuries, 
>
>Ah, but doctors (M.D. that is) claimed the title when the world was
>created, the most brilliant marketers of all time: the rest are just
>academics.   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
Yep, can't deny the the truth of this.  Moreover, while foolish 
scientists publicised their discoeveries enabling everybody to use 
them, M.D.s made sure that they'll remain the only ones having the 
right to use their results, thus assuring their job security.
Mati Meron			| "When you argue with a fool,
meron@cars.uchicago.edu		|  chances are he is doing just the same"
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Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?)
From: trx140@xmission.xmission.com (theurgy)
Date: 22 Nov 1996 20:47:30 -0700
nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver) writes:
>trx140@xmission.xmission.com (theurgy) wrote:
>>weinecks@mail2.sas.upenn.edu (Silke-Maria  Weineck) writes:
>>>Michael, it's not science itself that makes these things good; science 
>>>evolved the way it did because the evaluations were in place.
>>>This is really very simple, and I had no idea I was saying something 
>>>remotely controversial.
>>Not controversial, merely trite. "Values" in your sense are thin stuff,
>>arrived at via metaphysical invocations. Whether you get 'em from intense
>>introspection, or from blister-packs at the checkout stand, they seem
>>ubiquitous, unavoidable, and largely built-in. What they mean, and whether
>>they are anything other than abstracted/idealized urges and intestinal
>>discomforts is another question. Insofar as anything can be said to be 
>>source of *examined* values, science is.
>Assuming, as I do, that values are not solely metaphysical, it remains
>hard to see how science cand discover them in any meaningful sense.
>Values may be common to all (we humans want to live longer and
>healthier), imposed (we'll jail you if you violate a particular
>value), political/ephemeral (man on the moon), and so forth.  Once
>decided through a process of common sense, philosophy, politics,
>power, or whatever, science may then be employed to help us achieve
>these values.  I suppose one could say that science can point the way
>to values, as when it uncovers facts that threaten (the rain forest
>will die, the blue goat will cease to exist, nuke the commies).
Science can cast light on the sources of values, at least from its own
view of the world. If one assumes that values are something more than
metaphysical chimera, and are somehow grounded in the human experience
(something that I'm sure both Michael and Silke-Maria will dispute, for
different reasons) then the knowledge that science provides of the
physical world can help us make better choices. Of course, that
presupposes the ability to freely choose a value, something I'm inclined
to doubt.
Anyways, what the hell does it mean to *create* a value? I can't think of
any new ones for at least a couple of millenia.
Felicitations,
              M.
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Subject: Re: What is a constant? (was: Sophistry 103)
From: weinecks@mail2.sas.upenn.edu (Silke-Maria Weineck)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 02:01:21 GMT
Mahipal Singh Virdy (virdy@pogo.den.mmc.com) wrote:
: In article <5700hr$pct@netnews.upenn.edu>,
: Silke-Maria  Weineck  wrote:
: >
: >lbsys@aol.com wrote:
: >: Im Artikel <56v7md$g0i@netnews.upenn.edu>, weinecks@mail1.sas.upenn.edu
: >: (Silke-Maria  Weineck) schreibt:
: >
: >: >: >    Finally, and most interesting, *philosophically we are
: >: >: >completely wrong* with the approximate law. 
: >: >: ....
: >: >: > _The Feymann Lectures on Physics_, Volume I, pp. 1-1 - 1-2,
: >: >[lbsys]:
: >: >: Hmm, I thought those lectures where by a physicist about
: >: >: physics, no? It's a nice quote,  and F. sure  was a great 
: >: >: man, but a lousy philosopher (IMHO).
: >: >
: >: >I'm flabbergasted... May I call _this_ one a desperate rhetorical
: >: gesture?
: Dear bitchy Silke, you may take this for a compliment, but wouldn't
: calling something "a desperate rhetorical gesture" be the sum
: cummulative total contribution of your kind to all of humanity's works?
: So knock your self out silly! The whole of Existence is one fucked up
: rhetorical gesture Ackermanned! And where the hell has Matthew Weiner
: been without his "DUH!" on these threads! Believe it or not, we need him
: here and now most.
You may call the sum total of humanity a desperate rhetorical gesture, 
and you would have a point. I, too, miss Matthew Wiener quite a bit.
: [trim]
: >What's wrong with being bitchy? It's a trait I cherish in friends and 
: >foes alike. Do you want to know what people say about you behind your 
: >back? Didn't think so.
: "You are retarded on top of being a Bitch."
You are too kind; I couldn't possibly aspire to the significance, not to 
mention gentility, of your contribution here.
 : Because you record your bitchiness for future 
generations. : Provided, of course, someone asks what Silke was like.
: Indeed, that's all you've had to offer Usenet --- bitchiness.
Quite wrong; in fact, I'd say my contribution in understanding the 
Derrida quote that was at some point debated here was quite crucial; as 
was Richard Harter's and Mati's, even though the quote Robert Vienneau 
brought in helped as well, indirectly.
[...]
: [Mercilessly cuTT] In fact,  In fact,  In fact,... Nevermind. 
: >Getting more desperate... The claim went, "Feynman is a lousy 
: >philosopher," the modification went "(imho)." Trying to cover your ass. 
: Why can't you understand a simple insignificant fact. Calling a person 
: a name doesn't make him/her become that name's significance! 
What name. Feynman? 
About the
: worst thing I can say about your debating habits and countless threads,
: with their demonstratably lack of significant MEANINGFUL contribution,
: is that "Silke is Silke"! See, there's no good anywhere in there. And
: since it's text in writing, it must necessarily mean SOMETHING! Go
: figure.
Go count on your fingers, dear.
: And *if* you understand this insignificant fact, why apply it!!! Argh.
: [Mercilessly cuTT] In fact,  In fact,  In fact,... Nevermind. 
: >	This wouldn't be worthy of comment if you hadn't been the one 
: >harping on other people's competences.
:  
:  G R O W     U P. You Silke have harped on people here plenty!!!
:  Your inability to recognize Competence doesn't make it nonexistent.
:  For sanity's sake, you teach at UoPenn! That's *teach*!
Let's see... I called Feynman competent in physics and moggin 
incompetent; would you have been happier if it had been the other way around?
:  And they ask me why I bang my head against the wall! Why I drink!
My best guess, considering this performance, is PMS; they have quite good 
medication these days, I hear. Of course, it's probably just sci-phy 
syndrome, mental convulsions when faced with thought not to be 
comprehended by the mind under study. Someone should apply for an NIH grant.
Silke
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Subject: Re: what Newton thought
From: lew@ihgp167e.ih.att.com (-Mammel,L.H.)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 04:41:51 GMT
In article , Gordon Long  wrote:
>
>  Hmmm...I don't think the confusion was mine.
Gee, I thought your were finally admitting that the rock test
did not test for a Newtonian inertial frame, even approximately,
since ( as you described ) it might "drop like a rock" due to
gravity even in a perfectly Newtonian inertial frame, and
conversely ( what we've been arguing over ) in a free fall frame
the rock test passes even though this is an accelerated frame
under Newton's Laws.
So do you agree with this? If so, then you were confused when
you proposed the rock test. If not, then I guess your lucid moment
has passed and you're still confused!
Lew Mammel, Jr.
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Subject: Re: Universal Coordinate System
From: odessey2@ix.netcom.com(Allen Meisner)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 04:26:58 GMT
In <0$LMkiAc2flyEwtP@newbrain.demon.co.uk> Ian Robert Walker
 writes: 
>
>In article <573f29$1l1@dfw-ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>, Allen Meisner
> writes
>>    Here is a thought experiment that will decide the matter. You are
>>traveling in a spaceship at 1000 meters per second. In the nose of
the
>>spaceship is a laser that operates in a pulse mode. The laser is
>>pointed in the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of
>>the spaceship. At time t=0 the laser begins to emit pulses of light.
>>One hour later the ship has traveled 72,000,000 meters. Will the
first
>>pulse of light still be aligned with the nose of the spaceship at
this
>>time. To claim so would be, and is, preposterous.
>
>Consider that instead of a pulse of light I throw a ball perpendicular
to the
>direction of the space ship, what will be observed?
>-- 
>Ian G8ILZ
>I have an IQ of 6 million,  |  How will it end?  | Mostly
>or was it 6?                |  In fire.          | harmless
    Consider a rotating disk with a laser attached along the diameter.
Does the laser beam follow the source around the rotating disk, if it
emits light in pulses?
Edward Meisner
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Subject: Re: How Much Math? (not enough)
From: C369801@mizzou1.missouri.edu (Walker on Earth)
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 96 11:06:24 CST
In article <56tocb$agk@panix2.panix.com>
+@+.+ (G*rd*n) writes:
>C369801@mizzou1.missouri.edu (Walker on Earth):
>| What I have seen is an unsupported assertion that a) you
>| understand Newtonian mechanics with recourse to mathe-
>| matical machinery, b) that you 'understand' the machinery,
>| specifically, calculus, and c) that 'understanding' calculus
>| did not significantly improve your understanding of Newt-
>| onian mechanics.
>|
>| Your refusal to demonstrate such on the grounds that I am
>| engaging in a 'domination ritual' (whatever that means; more
>| in a moment in re this and other misuse of terminology) ....
>
>I think you need to rewrite your article.  I gave up trying
>to say I "understood" anything a long time ago; do try to
>catch up, and give it another try.  I've gone on to trying
>to find out what people mean by "understand" and that's
>turned out to be pretty difficult, too.
Translation:  Gordon is incapable of proving any of his
assertions, but rather than admitting what is obvious to
everyone, he now says the question is irrelevant because
he's attempted to change to subject.
>As for "domination ritual," that's what irrelevant math
>tests are.   At least, that's the way I see it, and I think
>plenty of people in our audience do, too.  Maybe it'll come
>to you if you think about it for a few months.
Another unsupported assertion followed by a completely unneces-
sary insult; you'll never be a scientist.  Mr. Fitch, every-
one here knows that I have explained in increasing detail at
least four times why a) you must demonstrate your assertions
to be true, and b) why my motivations, benign or not, are not
germane to the reasons why you must do so.  Calling these
reasons irrelevant (I notice you snipped them) does not make
them irrelevant unless you also have an argument of your own
that purports to show why they are.  I also notice that, though
you do not apply any unpleasant motivation to my request that
you also demonstrate some understanding of Newtonian mechanics,
you have also been remarkably slow to show such as well.
>As usual, explanation has proved a waste of time, and I
>shall try to avoid it more assiduously in the future.  There
How would you know; you haven't 'explained' anything.  The
bottom line is, you've actually gone a long way towards showing
why mathematics is so necessary to the enterprise of physics.
Btw, please learn what the words you are using mean, and how
to use them, and when, before employing them in your posts.
For example:
>Revile away, Walker; I'm shaking in my boots.
Looking in my little nondescript dictionary with the front cover
torn off, I don't see any definition under revile that reads
remotely like, 'revile:  to request of a person or persons proof
of the veracity of their statements.'
This will be my last post on this matter unless you have something
useful to contribute, so feel free to revile my motivations ;-)
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Subject: Re: Erector set plus?
From: Judson McClendon
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 14:38:22 -0600
roth@tpusa.com wrote:
> I have a 13 year old that wants to tinker. They want something other
> than wimpy mechanical toy sets- they want an assortment of gears,
> pulleys, shivs, belts, pillow blocks, shafts, wheels, motors, etc. so
> that they can design and build all sorts of mechanical contrivances.
> We're talking about stuff on the miniature side here, not "full size".
> 
> Any ideas or suggestions on how to find such items, possibly in an
> collection already?
Good luck.  One of my favorite Christmas gifts as a kid in the 50's was
an Erector set such as you describe.  I *LOVED* it!  I could never find
one like it for my kids.  Today's philosophy aparently is to give them
pre-designed toys which they merely assemble.  Sigh.
-- 
Judson McClendon
Sun Valley Systems    judsonmc@ix.netcom.com
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Subject: Re: what Newton thought
From: lew@ihgp167e.ih.att.com (-Mammel,L.H.)
Date: 23 Nov 1996 04:56:17 GMT
In article , Gordon Long  wrote:
>  Oh, sorry about that.  MTW is short for _Gravitation_, by Misner, 
>Thorn, and Wheeler; people often refer to it by the first initials of 
>the authors' last names (MTW).  It is a very large (almost 1300 pages) 
>textbook for General Relativity, and its use in GR courses seems to be 
>almost universal -- sort of like Jackson for electrodynamics.  
On page 13 of those 1300 pages read:
	Travel aboard a freely falling elevator to experience
	weightlessness. Or travel aboard a spaceship also falling
	straight toward earth the earth. Or more happily, travel
	aboard a spaceship in that steady fall toward Earth that
	marks a circular orbit. In each case one is following a 
	natural track through spacetime.
Compare and contrasts with Gordon's pronouncements, which
I personally find to be amazing:
Gordon Long  wrote:
 a better example would be something like an elevator in free fall, i.e.
 a frame in which accleration exactly cancels out the effects of gravity.  
-Mammel,L.H.  wrote:
 The shuttle is exactly equivalent to an elevator in free fall.
 I dare say you obviously don't understand this important fact.
Gordon Long  wrote:
   That's true; I don't.  In an elevator in free fall, it seems to 
 me that (to use Mati's example) gyroscopes do not suddenly start
 spinning all by themselves.  Another difference comes from the fact 
 that orbital velocity is a function of height, leading to effects
 you would not see an an elevator in free fall.  In the context of 
 inertial frames, these strike me as rather important differences.
[...]
  My point is that an elevator in free fall and the orbiting space 
shuttle bay are not equivalent.  There *is* a qualitative difference;
namely, one is an inertial frame and the other is not.
______________
Lew Mammel, Jr.
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Subject: Re: Sonar Program Supervisor Vacancy Announcement
From: thomason@primenet.com (Brian K. Thomason )
Date: 22 Nov 1996 22:18:03 -0700
On Fri, 22 Nov 1996 18:51:11 -0600, tomk@fishgame.state.ak.us wrote:
>QUALIFICATIONS: B.S.+ experience required; M.S. or Ph.D.+ experience 
>preferred. This is a supervisory position which requires solid 
>educational background and technical skills in hydroacoustics and 
>electronics. Experience in riverine hydroacoustics and fisheries are 
>desirable. Good writing, communication and administrative skills are 
>necessary. On the job training will be available.
>
>SALARY: Starting at $49,116 plus benefits.
>
Wow, does that first paragraph really look out of place with the
second paragraph. I have high school graduates making that.
BKT(SS)
BKT
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Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?)
From: nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver)
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 08:41:25 GMT
dcs2e@darwin.clas.virginia.edu (David Swanson) wrote:
>In article <572u9b$77t@news-central.tiac.net>
>nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver) writes:
>> 
>> Their law firm is Howie, Cheatam, & Dewe
>> 
>> ken
>Ain't that Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe?
You confuse your law firm with theirs.
ken
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Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?)
From: nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver)
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 08:43:03 GMT
"Michael S. Morris"  wrote:
>Friday, the 22nd of November, 1996 
>moggin says:
>  Of course not --but the outfit that you're wearing is a fashion
>  catastrophe.
>Well, you and I read it differently, then. I am of the
>opinion that the outfit I'm wearing (not just science, 
>mind you, but the whole program of Enlightenment liberal 
>political philosophy)
Chain mail!
ken
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Subject: Re: Erector set plus?
From: Architectural Toys
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 22:14:27 -0800
roth@tpusa.com wrote:
> 
> I have a 13 year old that wants to tinker. They want something other
> than wimpy mechanical toy sets- they want an assortment of gears,
> pulleys, shivs, belts, pillow blocks, shafts, wheels, motors, etc. so
> that they can design and build all sorts of mechanical contrivances.
> We're talking about stuff on the miniature side here, not "full size".
> 
> Any ideas or suggestions on how to find such items, possibly in an
> collection already?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Lee
> 
> +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
> | Lee Roth N8JQY   | "No matter how thin you slice it, it's still   |
> | Trade Point USA  |  baloney."  -Rube Goldberg                     |
> | roth@tpusa.com   | "I gave up VMS for Unix? Sigh." -Lee Roth      |
> |                  |                                                |
> +-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
> 
> -------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
>       http://www.dejanews.com/     Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Yes, well, you can either purchase a new "Meccano-Erector" set, which has 
some gears and a new infrared remote control, or you can buy an old 
Erector set which has been reconditioned--for a lot of money, or you can try 
your hand at toy and collectible shows--something might turn up at a good 
price, but it will be a long shot.
Return to Top
Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?)
From: nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver)
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 08:53:34 GMT
fi@oceanstar.comDeleteThis (Fiona Webster) wrote:
>Ken writes:
>>The way it looks to me scientists are objective worker bees who
>>research the world indepndent of *values*  [which belong to the
>>political realm] to the table so they certainly don't believe in
>>something so amorphous as *truth*.  The litcrits et al think there is
>>no such thing as *truth* so both of them dead they're in the same bed.
>>What's to worry about?
>Hmmm... not exactly.
Hmmmmmmm and other wise ass sounds.  Of course, it's not exactly, it's
the way it looks to me.
  Scientists study the world and arrive at truths
>that are themselves independent of value, yes.  But a scientist (or
>a non-scientist) can then assign value to the mere fact of those truths, 
>can they not?  And then again to the technology that those truths 
>generate, right?
You have this exactly backwards.
>Like this:
>	Person #1 (scientist) studies process of forest succession.
why did this person do so
>	An accumulation of tiny little truths develop about this 	
>   	 subject.  Each of these truths is objective and makes no
>	 claim about what is or is not of value (= good).
>	 
>	Person #2 (anyone) says, "All truths are inherently good."
was this person drunk
>	Person #2 (anyone) goes on to say, "These truths about forest
>	   succession, in addition to being good just *because*
>	   they are truths, may also be good because they will
>	   help humankind in better management of forests."
>But note that Person #2's statement about Truth being inherently a good 
>thing, is not a necessary precursor to the products of technology (e.g.,
>forest management) being a good thing.  I just happen to think that 
>Truth is a good thing, and so do a lot of scientists I know, so I threw
>that in as sort of the baseline of "good things" that science produces.
>So now tell me what's wrong with this logic.
Let's see. Somebody decides to follow a personal whim to study the
woods; someone else says "heavy, man,"; a third party says "truth be
it" & what?  More likely scenario:  Cut down a tree & it's not there;
cut down a whole bunch of them & the forest is gone; we like the
forest for a lot of reasons; let's employ one of those scientist types
to study it.
ken
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Subject: Re: Can science provide value? (was: Where's the theory?)
From: nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver)
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 09:05:48 GMT
trx140@xmission.xmission.com (theurgy) wrote:
>nanken@tiac.net (Ken MacIver) writes:
>>trx140@xmission.xmission.com (theurgy) wrote:
>>>weinecks@mail2.sas.upenn.edu (Silke-Maria  Weineck) writes:
>>>>Michael, it's not science itself that makes these things good; science 
>>>>evolved the way it did because the evaluations were in place.
>>>>This is really very simple, and I had no idea I was saying something 
>>>>remotely controversial.
>>>Not controversial, merely trite. "Values" in your sense are thin stuff,
>>>arrived at via metaphysical invocations. Whether you get 'em from intense
>>>introspection, or from blister-packs at the checkout stand, they seem
>>>ubiquitous, unavoidable, and largely built-in. What they mean, and whether
>>>they are anything other than abstracted/idealized urges and intestinal
>>>discomforts is another question. Insofar as anything can be said to be 
>>>source of *examined* values, science is.
>>Assuming, as I do, that values are not solely metaphysical, it remains
>>hard to see how science cand discover them in any meaningful sense.
>>Values may be common to all (we humans want to live longer and
>>healthier), imposed (we'll jail you if you violate a particular
>>value), political/ephemeral (man on the moon), and so forth.  Once
>>decided through a process of common sense, philosophy, politics,
>>power, or whatever, science may then be employed to help us achieve
>>these values.  I suppose one could say that science can point the way
>>to values, as when it uncovers facts that threaten (the rain forest
>>will die, the blue goat will cease to exist, nuke the commies).
>Science can cast light on the sources of values, at least from its own
>view of the world. If one assumes that values are something more than
>metaphysical chimera, and are somehow grounded in the human experience
>(something that I'm sure both Michael and Silke-Maria will dispute, for
>different reasons) then the knowledge that science provides of the
>physical world can help us make better choices. Of course, that
>presupposes the ability to freely choose a value, something I'm inclined
>to doubt.
>Anyways, what the hell does it mean to *create* a value? I can't think of
>any new ones for at least a couple of millenia.
In 1958, Maine created a new value when it made a law that cleansing
the Kennebec River was more important than catering to the paper
companies or stright pipe drops into the water.  In 1979, salmon swam
in the Kennebec for the first time since the nineteen twenties.  It
pays remembering that *values* can take time to reach fruition.
ken
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Subject: Re: Why Does Flow Increase Dramatically?
From: cfbarr@aol.com
Date: 23 Nov 1996 06:10:50 GMT
A (somewhat) related question:
When I turn on the hot water tap in my sink, the amount of water flow
gradually *decreases* as the water warms up.  Why is this?
Return to Top
Subject: Re: Anthony Potts, monolingual buffoon...
From: Matheson@ceri.memphis.edu (Duncan Stewart Matheson)
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 11:32:25 +0600
In article ,
hdmiller@minerva.cis.yale.edu (Texas Turd) wrote:
> > Dear American Gentleman,
> > Ummmmm.......I think you have mistaken me for someone who posts
> > exclusively to antU. 
> 
> Perhaps that's true.  Perhaps it's also true that you need to consider
> trimming your headers, to keep you out of antU.  However, there's
> absolutely no doubt that you're a worthless little shit who believes in
> posting real-life addresses to newsgroups.  What exactly did you hope to
> accomplish with that stunt, Cunt-can?  Did you believe it to be somehow
> amusing or mildly threatening?   What could you possibly have been
> thinking?
> 
Ummm......it amazes me what they'll let into Yale these days. Presumably
this chump was admitted due to the wonders of his fathers bank account
rather than the merits of his thought processes. MIT seems to be going the
same way, what with the Nemec and all. Clearly, a requirement for getting
into the top ranked American educational establishments these days is
simple the ability to be as foul mouthed as possible ( a trait best
displayed by those of retarded imaginations & vocabulary) and to display
hugely Xenophobic attitudes.  
> 
> > What exactly is credible flame material anyway??
> 
> Something your ossified, low-browed, underpowered cranium is never likely
> to produce.
You are quite correct. I don't flame, and I certainly don't resort to
using bad language to emphasise a point. 14 year olds do that. 
> 
> > I guess this would be such cherries as "bullshit","mewling bitch" and "fuck
> > off".
> 
> No, those bon mots were merely tossed your direction to get your
> attention.  Consider them the warning rattle, if you will. 
I'm sorry, I only speak English. What does "bon mots" mean???
> 
> Now, let's try this again, shitwit:   Fuck off, bitch.
> 
Ooooh baby. I love it when you talk dirty to me. How about me coming up to
Yale and serving you up with a large consignment of English Sausage??
Cheers,
Duncan.
-- 
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