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Often times people distrust the scientific community, and I don't think this is entirely unreasonable; if knowledge is power, and power corrupts, don't you think the scientific community (or at least those in charge of it) might be tempted from time to time to abuse their power? I've seen "normal" people (as opposed to scientists) imply that the ends of stopping pollution justify the means of going along with anthropogenic climate change when one in reality doubts it; what if some scientists think a similar way?
edited 11th Aug '11 4:24:47 AM by HiddenFacedMatt
"The Daily Show has to be right 100% of the time; FOX News only has to be right once." - Jon Stewart
What sort of power do you think my knowledge of theoretical physics gives me? What about my knowledge of how to improve laser spectral output? Are we expecting me to start bringing out the laser death ray?
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That's not the kind of abuse of power I was referring to. Read my post again.
I see the Awesomeness.
Pythagoras theory is actually a contraction of a different law, the law of cosigns.
Fight smart, not fair.
See ALL the stars!
Though you can prove it without trig.
You stated the axiom "knowledge is power, and power corrupts" which has its own meaning. "Knowledge is power" means that by knowing about something, we can control it and apply our power to it. It's pretty straightforward, it's pretty much the basis of the drive in science. It pretty much doesn't help your post make any sense.
I read your post several times. If it didn't really make much sense after the fifth go, I don't think it was my fault.
Christmas Sheep
I don't understand it either.
Not Actually Indie
Not only can you graduate without understanding even the basics of any of these topics, most people do. Especially frustrating is the gap between how much most people think they understand and how much they actually do.
...eventually, we will reach a maximum entropy state where nobody has their own socks or underwear, or knows who to ask to get them back.
NOT THE BEES
Sadly true. About half of the upper-division courses in physics are kind of a clusterfuck, but if you test well you're golden. Most of what you have to do on exams is stuff that telescopes very, very nicely if your head was clear enough to see the right approach.
edited 11th Aug '11 9:09:27 PM by Pykrete
This foreboding is fa...
True facts, most people memorize information and mathematical equations they think will be on the test, without understanding it at all.
They then proceed to forget everything they learned within the next few hours, possibly via copious application of alcohol.
And then they get to the next class that relies heavily on previous concepts, and dipshits alpha through zeta go "I don't get it, that don't make no sense."
And then I seethe silently, waiting for the day I can eliminate them all. And then they come to me for tutoring, and I gladly help them by working backwards until I hit something they DO know. It never ceases to amaze me how far back I have to go in a lot of cases.
Had one person come to me halfway through physics 2 who didn't seem to understand force. How the fuck did you get a C in physics 1 without understanding FORCE?! True story. Flabberghasted me.
edited 11th Aug '11 9:31:38 PM by deathjavu
Look, you can't make me speak in a logical, coherent, intelligent bananna.
Theories don't become laws, theories become "facts" I guess but definitely not laws. Scientific laws are axiomatic principles we distill from observation of the universe. The sine non qua of our scientific understanding.