Comments on: In A Cafe Near You? http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/ Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:51:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Plato http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25174 Plato Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:15:45 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25174 I think it was the 5-8 and the "time thing" that threw me off. A dimensional perspective perhaps? ....and of course the "dimensional thing" in general? I think it was the 5-8 and the “time thing” that threw me off. A dimensional perspective perhaps?

….and of course the “dimensional thing” in general?

]]> By: Bee http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25148 Bee Mon, 22 Jan 2007 12:56:52 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25148 Well, Aaron, excuse my ignorance. I thought so, but it failed to make me smile, so I thought it might have been a first name. Or what do I know, maybe there's indeed a place called 'Harvey's place' and I've just never heard of it. But I give it up - humor is too complicated for me. I'll stick to my equations. Well, Aaron, excuse my ignorance. I thought so, but it failed to make me smile, so I thought it might have been a first name. Or what do I know, maybe there’s indeed a place called ‘Harvey’s place’ and I’ve just never heard of it. But I give it up - humor is too complicated for me. I’ll stick to my equations.

]]> By: Jude http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25122 Jude Mon, 22 Jan 2007 06:45:15 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25122 I searched www.cartoonbank.com (which I use often because it *explains* obscure cartoons that appear in The New Yorker) and found that this cartoon was by Lee Lorenz. The other cartoon, published on September 28, 1998, was by Victoria Roberts. You can buy an over-priced t-shirt for $19.95 with the cartoon on the front--or get them as note cards. I searched http://www.cartoonbank.com (which I use often because it *explains* obscure cartoons that appear in The New Yorker) and found that this cartoon was by Lee Lorenz. The other cartoon, published on September 28, 1998, was by Victoria Roberts. You can buy an over-priced t-shirt for $19.95 with the cartoon on the front–or get them as note cards.

]]> By: gina http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25116 gina Mon, 22 Jan 2007 04:03:51 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25116 Dear Clifford, (and other kind experts) I am glad there is a new post in the string theory category because there was a technical thing that puzzled me. I know that questions to experts from layperson can be a bit tiring. But let me try it anyway. I have the following question about strings. (Probably it puzzles others too.) From what I saw in Wikipedia (string theory) strings are like arcs that can close up or remain open and if you add time you get a nice and smooth two dimensional picture like a cylinder. The pictures are always like that. Also from Wikipedia (string(physics)): "a string is an object with a one-dimensional spatial extent, unlike an elementary particle which is zero-dimensional." In short, my question is, why one-dimensional and not, say, 1.25-dimensional? Do you regard string as a nice looking curve that over time looks like nice surface? (or it is just the pictures.) I remember that there are curves that look very different: like plane filling or space-filling curve (again there is a Wikipedea item mentioning a mathematician Peano who invented such curves). These curves have dimension which is that of space they fill, and there are even curves that have dimension which is not an integer number like fractals, I think. So isn't it better to assume strings are some sort of fractals? say 1.25 dimensional arcs in space? (or 1.63-dimensional) Does string theory relies (beyond the nice pictures) on thinking about strings as smooth and nice and their "spacesheets" as nice behaving surfaces? Does it make a difference if strings are fractals? (Actually, I thought first to ask this question in the old tea thread. Why not have 1.25-dimensional fractal-like weblogs?) Dear Clifford, (and other kind experts)

I am glad there is a new post in the string theory category because there was a technical thing that puzzled me. I know that questions to experts from layperson can be a bit tiring. But let me try it anyway. I have the following question about strings. (Probably it puzzles others too.)

From what I saw in Wikipedia (string theory) strings are like arcs that can close up or remain open and if you add time you get a nice and smooth two dimensional picture like a cylinder. The pictures are always like that. Also from Wikipedia (string(physics)): “a string is an object with a one-dimensional spatial extent, unlike an elementary particle which is zero-dimensional.”

In short, my question is, why one-dimensional and not, say, 1.25-dimensional?

Do you regard string as a nice looking curve that over time looks like nice surface? (or it is just the pictures.) I remember that there are curves that look very different: like plane filling or space-filling curve (again there is a Wikipedea item mentioning a mathematician Peano who invented such curves). These curves have dimension which is that of space they fill, and there are even curves that have dimension which is not an integer number like fractals, I think. So isn’t it better to assume strings are some sort of fractals? say 1.25 dimensional arcs in space? (or 1.63-dimensional)

Does string theory relies (beyond the nice pictures) on thinking about strings as smooth and nice and their “spacesheets” as nice behaving surfaces? Does it make a difference if strings are fractals?

(Actually, I thought first to ask this question in the old tea thread. Why not have 1.25-dimensional fractal-like weblogs?)

]]> By: Aaron Bergman http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25114 Aaron Bergman Mon, 22 Jan 2007 03:54:52 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25114 Who's Harvey? You have <a href="http://cosmicvariance.com/2007/01/06/string-wars-hit-the-msm/#comment-171774" rel="nofollow">to ask</a>? Who’s Harvey? You have to ask?

]]> By: Bee http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25110 Bee Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:49:44 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25110 I still don't understand it. And who's Harvey? I still don’t understand it. And who’s Harvey?

]]> By: Moshe http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25090 Moshe Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:49:27 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/21/in-a-cafe-near-you/#comment-25090 Also from the New Yorker, displayed now on my office door: two cats conversing, the caption is "people are OK, but I prefer little pieces of string". Also from the New Yorker, displayed now on my office door: two cats conversing, the caption is “people are OK, but I prefer little pieces of string”.

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