Comments on: Science and Space on Mayo http://asymptotia.com/2009/07/10/science-and-space-on-mayo/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:58:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2009/07/10/science-and-space-on-mayo/comment-page-1/#comment-134732 Clifford Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:12:02 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=4107#comment-134732 Heh.... Just <a href="http://newvoicesforresearch.blogspot.com/2009/07/coolest-scientist-ever-sweet-sixteen.html" rel="nofollow">looked over</a>. I'm amused by some of the people in the "living" list! Good luck with the competition! -cvj Heh…. Just looked over. I’m amused by some of the people in the “living” list!

Good luck with the competition!

-cvj

]]> By: Heather http://asymptotia.com/2009/07/10/science-and-space-on-mayo/comment-page-1/#comment-134731 Heather Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:59:22 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=4107#comment-134731 Reading about Einstein's formula reminded me that we're having a little competition for the coolest scientist ever you might be interested in. Einstein's definitely in the running but we've also got physics represented with Nikola Tesla (and others more peripherally). Reading about Einstein’s formula reminded me that we’re having a little competition for the coolest scientist ever you might be interested in. Einstein’s definitely in the running but we’ve also got physics represented with Nikola Tesla (and others more peripherally).

]]> By: Nige Cook http://asymptotia.com/2009/07/10/science-and-space-on-mayo/comment-page-1/#comment-134729 Nige Cook Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:14:42 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=4107#comment-134729 I want to read the book, though! Maybe they've discovered proof that all fundamental particles with rest mass are actually like loops spinning around at speed <i>c,/i> or alternatively maybe they are actually 1-d lines oscillating at speed <i>c</i>...... I want to read the book, though! Maybe they’ve discovered proof that all fundamental particles with rest mass are actually like loops spinning around at speed c,/i> or alternatively maybe they are actually 1-d lines oscillating at speed c……

]]> By: Nige Cook http://asymptotia.com/2009/07/10/science-and-space-on-mayo/comment-page-1/#comment-134728 Nige Cook Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:07:11 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=4107#comment-134728 The question "why" surely is an unscientific question, just philosophy? Maxwell's empirical equations of electromagnetism (based on experimental laws from Ampere for curl B, Gauss/Coulomb for div.E, and Faraday/Lenz for curl E) don't contain any absolute motion dependence: e.g. you only get a magnetic field when there is a current (charge moving) <i>relative</i> to the observer, and that plus the fact that the velocity of light appears the same to all observers (as confirmed by the Michelson-Morley experiment) are the principles Einstein uses to derive E = mc^2 mathematically. We don't know why nature is the way it is. Models and equations are just convenience predictive descriptions of observable phenomena. In biology you still have mechanisms like evolution, but basic physics is more mature and has dispensed with all mechanisms long ago. As far as mature physics is concerned, we're not allowed to ask "why" questions, let alone come up with mechanisms to answer them. :-) The question “why” surely is an unscientific question, just philosophy? Maxwell’s empirical equations of electromagnetism (based on experimental laws from Ampere for curl B, Gauss/Coulomb for div.E, and Faraday/Lenz for curl E) don’t contain any absolute motion dependence: e.g. you only get a magnetic field when there is a current (charge moving) relative to the observer, and that plus the fact that the velocity of light appears the same to all observers (as confirmed by the Michelson-Morley experiment) are the principles Einstein uses to derive E = mc^2 mathematically.

We don’t know why nature is the way it is. Models and equations are just convenience predictive descriptions of observable phenomena. In biology you still have mechanisms like evolution, but basic physics is more mature and has dispensed with all mechanisms long ago. As far as mature physics is concerned, we’re not allowed to ask “why” questions, let alone come up with mechanisms to answer them. :-)

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