Admin1: Physicists use experiments as false witness to establish a unit.
Doctor Gravytee: This is an old tradition in physics. It started with Coulomb's experiment, then Cavendish experiment, and then so called the discovery of the electron and the Millikan experiments are all definitions of new units by using experiments as false witness.
A1: If this is true physicists must be certified crooks.
Dr. G: It is not that simple. Take G. This is the so-called Newton's constant of universal gravity.
A1: Cavendish defined it.
Dr. G: No. Cavendish computed the mean density of the earth using Kepler's third law and called it an observation of Newton's law. In the 19th century hard core British Newtonists defined G in order to replace then prevalent Kepler's constant with G, the Newton's constant.
A1: Then when you see a constant in physics it is a definition?
Dr. G: Yes. You got it. Physicists make a definition. Fake an experiment and claim to have observed it. Then they enforce it as a constant of nature.
A1: Oh my God! Physicists are low life bottom dwellers! Low life snake oil salesmen and Shamans! I am so disillusioned.
Dr. G: Well, we are living in a world which is not atomic materialistic. So in a way, physicists prove that the world we live in is NOT atomic materialistic.
A1: Standard is the thing.
Dr. G: Yes. Exactly. There are no discontinuities in this world. It is all convention.
A1: This is so beautiful.
Dr. G: This is also so elegant.
Showing posts with label Standards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Standards. Show all posts
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Friday, December 22, 2006
Science, Progress and Garages
Admin1: Yippee! Congratulations! You had your first comment!
Dr. Gravytee: Nothing to be excited about. I get thousands of comments every day. I just thought this one was the first one worth approving.
A1: I see. I agree with everything your anonymous commenter said.
Dr. G: I don't.
A1: Obviously science is not a unit that is measured.
Dr. G: We can measure progress if we define a unit for it. I defined the unit to measure progress as the building of a mechanical clock. The commenter gave that as an example of one of the greatest achievements of Europeans.
A1: What about thousands of years humans spent to discover the alphabet.
Dr. G: Alphabet is an agreed upon set of symbols. What humans needed to discover was that only when parties agree upon a standard that communication becomes possible. Today our real alphabet is the QWERTY keyboard which has many more symbols than the "classic" alphabet still taught in schools out of scholastic inertia.
A1: You are so impressed with the present century. Without the previous centuries we wouldn't be here.
Dr. G: I don't subscribe to the continuous progress view. The break from the European scholastic tradition when pilgrims migrated to the new continent made this century possible not a build up on European scholasticism.
A1: There are more scientists today than in previous centuries.
Dr. G: Regular folks/Doctors ratio has stayed the same throughout history. The amateur scientist/Doctors ratio is also a constant. Amateur scientist type mentioned by the commenter always makes the new discoveries. Edison comes to mind. These are the people who tinker in their garages and discover new stuff. Doctors park their cars in their garages.
Dr. Gravytee: Nothing to be excited about. I get thousands of comments every day. I just thought this one was the first one worth approving.
A1: I see. I agree with everything your anonymous commenter said.
Dr. G: I don't.
A1: Obviously science is not a unit that is measured.
Dr. G: We can measure progress if we define a unit for it. I defined the unit to measure progress as the building of a mechanical clock. The commenter gave that as an example of one of the greatest achievements of Europeans.
A1: What about thousands of years humans spent to discover the alphabet.
Dr. G: Alphabet is an agreed upon set of symbols. What humans needed to discover was that only when parties agree upon a standard that communication becomes possible. Today our real alphabet is the QWERTY keyboard which has many more symbols than the "classic" alphabet still taught in schools out of scholastic inertia.
A1: You are so impressed with the present century. Without the previous centuries we wouldn't be here.
Dr. G: I don't subscribe to the continuous progress view. The break from the European scholastic tradition when pilgrims migrated to the new continent made this century possible not a build up on European scholasticism.
A1: There are more scientists today than in previous centuries.
Dr. G: Regular folks/Doctors ratio has stayed the same throughout history. The amateur scientist/Doctors ratio is also a constant. Amateur scientist type mentioned by the commenter always makes the new discoveries. Edison comes to mind. These are the people who tinker in their garages and discover new stuff. Doctors park their cars in their garages.
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