61

Just Chat! / The 'Gilded' Age.

« on: 09/02/2023 17:23:19 »

The Gilded Age, as Mark Twain named it, is a very interesting time in U.S. history. U.S. history books rarely talk about it. And I suspect I know why. It was a very dark and evil period in American history, certainly nothing we should be proud of. But a lot the social progress and social movements, as well as technology we just take for granted, had their seeds in this time.

As I said, I think history books in the US rarely cover it. But I am glad they did in my high school. People really need to learn about this period in U.S. history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilded_Age

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/gilded-age

62

Just Chat! / The Touchy Historical Relation Between Religion And Science...

« on: 09/02/2023 10:51:10 »

Strange thing about religion, is because it can sometimes lead to enlightenment. The Church was just part of life in the Middle Ages, it couldn't be separated from it. So things like the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment were bound to religion, couldn't be avoided. Consider Deism, for example, because atheism at the time would just be impossible, or at least unheard of.

The New Testament theology and other stuff is based on Greek philosophy, because it was just the current science that the time. How odd some fundamentalists still regard as fact. It was "fact" back then. But much off it, like the world is flat, or surrounded by water, has just been disproven. Sorry, folks.

And you know the Gregorian Calendar reform was instituted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. And is the model of scientific perfection. Even Neil DeGrasse Tyson often points out this fact. So some good can come from religion. Sometimes, at least.

63

Just Chat! / 'Treason' As Defined In The U.S. Constitution...

« on: 09/02/2023 10:32:05 »

I don't if anyone here is interested in mundane information like this. But I thought I'd post it anyways.

"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."

"The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted."

U.S. CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE III, SECTION 3, CLAUSES 1 & 2.

The U.S. definition of treason is very limited. In europe at the time, simply harming your monarch or sovereign was an act of treason. Not so in the U.S.

Also, it says "...but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted...." In ancient England, when a person was found guilty of treason, their very blood was deemed corrupt. This meant they took away the wealth and titles of your family members too. In the U.S. this injustice practice is abolished, because no one should be held accountable for the crimes of their ancestors, if they are in fact innocent of the crime themselves. Although up until the time the traitor (as their called) is executed, they can take away their assets. After that, it becomes their children's inheritance. So they must leave it alone (i.e., "...except during the Life of the Person attainted...."). And BTW, "attainder" is simply an obsolete word for traitor, since such a person bore the "taint" or mark of infamy for treason. We don't use that word, or the word "traitor" anymore. But the term still appears in the U.S. Constitution.

Another interesting note. Did you know that treason is one of only three crimes that must require an overt act? The other two are attempt and conspiracy. Now that would make a good question on the exam in a law class. Because who would know that? People just don't get arrested for treason anymore, you know.

64

Just Chat! / Even Disney Films Sometimes Have Hidden Messages...

« on: 05/02/2023 12:12:11 »

I haven't been on these boards for a while, so I don't know what you'd consider relevant or not. But it does say just chat, and I think this falls into that category.

But you know, I haven't seen the Walt Disney film Mary Poppins (1964) since I was a kid. But it always has been one of my favorites. Anyways, I think they are trying to say the Banks family is very dysfunctional. The wife is a "suffragette", and her husband doesn't even know what she is up to, basically. And it does actually contain some rather heavy or mature subject matter too, at least for children that age. One of them is found in the song "Sister Suffragette". Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds8cKgPdE6M


The song is very funny too. But it contains some cultural references that you'd have to be British, or at least of suffragist of the time, to understand.


In the song, she sings "From Kensington to Billingsgate, one hears the restless cry". Kensington and Billingsgate are two very different areas of London. Kensington is very rich and affluent. And Billingsgate is very poor, and known for is rough speech, whatever that means. So she's saying, from the richest to the poorest sections of London.


Also, she sings "take heart for Mrs. Pankhurst has been clapped in irons again!" Emmeline Pankhurst was a reformer and mover for women's suffrage in England. Basically she was the UK version of Susan B. Anthony. And she lived from 15 July 1858 to 14 June 1928. Interesting story too, because she died on June 14, 1928, only a few weeks before the Representation of the People Act (1928) extended the vote to all women over 21 years of age. Anyways, that's what that reference means.


Also, at one point, she lifts up her skirt, revealing her bloomers, and they shriek. Bloomers were invented by Amelia Bloomer (1818 – 1894). They showed very little flesh, but people thought they looked too much like men's pants, so people thought they were scandalous for some reason. That's what that joke means, in case you didn't know. Here are two links for that, in case you were wondering: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Bloomer


And you know, there is a big difference, some would argue, between the the suffragette and suffragist movement. I guess you could support both. But the suffragettes were considered radical, at least at the time. Susan B. Anthony and other so-called moderates would more properly be called "suffragists", believe it or not.

65

That CAN'T be true! / Does 'Goosey, Goosey Gander' Have A Darker Side?

« on: 01/02/2023 21:33:26 »

Because I have always wondered, about that and other so-called urban legends. Anyways, whether or not the following theory is true, is why I post it here. I'd love for you all to take that hypotheses apart.

Here:

Goosey goosey gander,
Whither shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
Who wouldn't say his prayers,
So I took him by his left leg
And threw him down the stairs.

So goes a very old English nursery rhyme.

Anyways, it's interesting in a way. Because sometimes nursery rhymes have dark sides and original intentions behind them. Some people believe this otherwise harmless rhyme refers to the persecution of Roman Catholics beginning under Henry VIII and even continuing into the Commonwealth period under Oliver Cromwell ("Commonwealth" being an ironic term, because it is a synonym for our word "Republic" literally). The idea of Oliver Cromwell is further enforced by the fact that Cromwell's regime was a dictatorship. And troops and other paramilitary personnel in dictatorships often march using the infamous goose step (just look to the old Soviet Union for a classic example of this).

Yeah, Catholics risked execution for harboring priests back then. They were often hanged, and priests specifically were hanged, drawn and quartered for the deed. And when these priests were arrested (often old men, because the seminaries were all closed in England by then), they were often manhandled by the authorities ("threw him down the stairs...").

Here is an interesting article that goes into much of what I just said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosey_Goosey_Gander

66

Guest Book / I Can't Log In On My Smartphone...

« on: 29/01/2023 23:31:23 »

I don't if this is the part of the boards for this. But I can't seem to log into The Naked Scientists forum on my smartphone. On my PC, I can do it just fine (yes, I still have a PC).

The password is correct. Username too. Phone is working fine.

That's all I know. Any suggestions? Thank you for your help in advance .

67

New Theories / One Theory Of Homosexuality...

« on: 29/01/2023 16:44:16 »

Just wanted to share this, because it is at least one theory. Plus you know it is still relevant. Because although they no longer use DES per se, the findings are statistical. And would still apply therefor, am I wrong?

Please read:

The Merck Manual, Sixteenth Edition, ©1992 “…The causes of homosexuality are not known and are probably as complex as the causes of heterosexuality. Constitutional factors involving hormonal programming of the brain during fetal life may be a factor. Some support for this hypothesis is to be found in the higher-than-expected prevalence of homosexual fantasies and behavior in women whose mothers received diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy…”

Yeah, but you know in conclusion, there is probably a social component to homosexuality, because it deals with the human, mind, it's unavoidable. That does not mean that it is a choice, or even not physiological at all. But it's a complicated thing though. I mean speaking of human psychological phenomenon in general, consider anorexia nervosa. Did you know that African American women almost never get it. And there's an interesting reason for that. The feedback they get from their partners is always so consistently positive. White men are always so critical of their partners. Isn't that terrible?

But you know anorexia nervosa is  hardly a choice either (and obviously homosexuality is not a disease—as I said, I am talking about human psychological phenomenon in general now). And it's a serious matter. Anorexia nervosa can potentially kill the sufferer. Which reinforces that no one would choice it then.

68

New Theories / My Theory On Bodily Rhythms Not Already Established...

« on: 29/01/2023 02:37:58 »

Boy, this is my third theory tonight. But you know I have so many to share. And I haven't been on these boards for a while. Consider that.

Anyways, I have this theory of my own, that I have had for some time now. I call it "circasepian rhythms" (more on how I named it later).

IAE, my theory is based partly on the idea of circadian rhythms—but with a unique twist. A cultural twist, in fact.

It just seems to me, that there are some important innate human rhythms, that are not based on seasonal or already establish biological patterns, but ones that are unique to each culture. Somehow, it seems to me, your body detects these cultural rhythms, and then incorporates it into your body.

This is esp. true, I have found, with the weekly schedule and rhythm, in western culture. I know I have heard many people say, that although it is a weekend, it just doesn't "feel" like a weekend for some reason (typically a change in schedule).

That actually is where I got the name. I looked up "week" in my classical Latin dictionary. And the classical name, at least, was "septem dies". Septem Dies is rather long. So I just shortened it to "circasepian".

So what do you think about my biological theory? I look forward to your comments on this too .

69

New Theories / My 'Calculator' Discovery...

« on: 29/01/2023 02:34:36 »

Been sharing this one for a long time too. And I think it bears repeating here too. Just to be clear, I think even irrational number have simple patterns. Yes, everyone knows they have predictable patterns. But I think there may even be a shortcut to the ones we know (consider my slide rule analogy below for that).

But anyways, without any further ado, I think I may have come upon a new discovery in mathematics (do we still make "discoveries" in math?). But first some background.

Anyways, I play around a lot with calculators. And I'm not ashamed to admit it either. You know you can learn a lot that way, believe it or not. And I have even shared some of these things with others on the internet in the past.

This next one is equally as bizarre as the rest. When you take the square root of .111111.... you get .3333333... naturally, since the square root of one-ninth is one-third. But one time, just as a lark, I thought I'd square root .11 alone. Then .111 (again, only three digits), etc.. Long story short, you get the following pattern: 0.33333333331666666666624999999998. As you can see, the .33333... pattern is followed by an intrusive 1666666... pattern, and a 2499999... pattern (leading ultimately to 25, presumably).

It happens with other numbers too. Take .44444... The square root of this repeating decimal is .66666..., two-thirds, naturally. But when you do the same thing, you get 0.66666666663333333333249999999996. A "333..." pattern emerges, and then again that "25" pattern.

It doesn't just happen with these. Consider .9999... That equals one, of course. But when you do the same, you get 0.99999999994999999999874999999994. Now, you get "5" and "75" as your hidden pattern.

Also odd, is that these patterns are "put off" until infinity. Which I guess is permissible, even if they are never part of the actual number.

What is the explanation for these strange patterns? Because personally, I think I have hit upon something big and (possibly) undiscovered. I think I may have also hit upon a simpler way of finding irrational numbers. (That is, if they show unique patterns too--just think of how the slide rule uses simple addition and subtraction to find multiplication. Think about it.)

And BTW, I don't think it is just a phenomenon found in calculators alone. the square root of .1 is 0.3162277... (note the "16" already there). In short, the pattern is already there, for all to see. It's clearly not a fluke.

I look forward to your supports and criticisms of this .

70

New Theories / My Theory On Human Evil...

« on: 29/01/2023 02:28:44 »

You know, evil is a pervasive problem in human society. And since at least 1996, if not before, I've tended to look at it more as a disease and problem than anything else. I'm not saying I don't believe in personal responsibility. And no one has ever heard me say that.

But I think everyone in their hearts probably would agree with me anyway. We should for example look at the cause of societal problems, before we simply punish destructive behavior.

And never is it justified to be cruel, under any circumstances, no matter what a person has done. I know the feeling. I used to feel that way myself. But that kind of attitude is always destructive and accomplishes nothing in the end.

Anyways, around twenty years ago too, I came up with another theory (and I might as well post it here too while I'm at it). If we're going to treat evil as a disease anyways, why not treat it as we would any disease. Perhaps with a medicine. When I brought this up 20 years ago, some people claimed there were already such medications. Now, I've never heard of one. I mean, Oxytocin increases human empathy or something close to that, so that could perhaps fall into that category. But I think there is nothing really effective along those lines yet, is there?

And BTW, as I also told people when I stated sharing this theory, human evil is complicated, and I realize that. Some people just choose to be evil. So this hypothetical drug would presuppose the person wanted to be rehabilitated and helped of course. Also people use things like violence to defend themselves. So we don't want to turn people into defenseless sheep either. (Ironically, about twenty years ago, people often pointed out that the cult classic movie "A Clockwork Orange" deals with this last point, though rather inaccurately, I at least think.)

And lastly, at the risk of having to start another thread for this one, I just wanted to add, I often tell people I find attorneys and physicians unique. They always just accept you as a human being in need of help, no matter what you've done. I find that commendable. But you know, that really ties in with what I said above too. Even today, there are some professions that do see human evil objectively. As I said, I think that's the step in the right direction. (I do still believe in responsibility though as I said—we're certainly not at the point where we could safely abandon that.)

Thoughts on what I just said ?

71

Just Chat! / Real Church Bulletins...

« on: 27/01/2023 18:12:06 »

See, I haven't been on these boards for a while. So I don't even know if you have a section for jokes. Oh, well. We all need a little comic relief now and again. Don't we. Here:

REAL CHURCH BULLETINS...

"If you need to heave during the Postlude, please do so quietly."

"The Senior Choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir."

"Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Nelson's sermons."

"Applications are now being accepted for 2 year-old nursery workers."

"The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon."

"Maundy Thursday service: The ladies of the altar guild will be stripping on the altar."

"The associate minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.'"

"This evening at 7:00 p.m. there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin."

"Next Thursday, there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get."

"The choir will meet at the Larsen house for fun and sinning."

"The 'Over 60s Choir' will be disbanded for the summer with the thanks of the entire church."

"Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our Church and community."

"Church office will be closed Monday. Halleluia. Halleluia."

"A song fest was hell at the Methodist church Wednesday."

"The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church."

"A cookbook is being compiled by the ladies of the church. Please submit your favorite recipe, also a short antidote for it."

"At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What is hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice."

"Diana and Don request your presents at their wedding."

"Twenty-two members were present at the church meeting held at the home of Mrs. Marsha Crutchfield last evening. Mrs. Crutchfield and Mrs. Rankin sang a duet, The Lord Knows Why."

"Next Sunday is the family hay ride and bonfire at the Fowlers'. Bring your own hot dogs and guns. Friends are welcome! Everyone come for a fun time."

"Let us join David and Lisa in the celebration of their wedding and bring their happiness to a conclusion."

"Mr. Bradford was elected and has accepted the office of head deacon. We could not get a better man."

"Announcement to the Moms Who Care ladies group: There will be no Moms who care this week."

"Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children."

"Thank you Steve, who once again has worked hard to clean the pastor off the basement floor."

"After the sermon: A moment of silence for prayer and medication."

"Visitors are asked to sing their names at the church entrance."

"The class on prophecy has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances."

"Life groups meet on Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM for food, fun, and fellowwhipping."

"The beautiful flowers on the altar this morning are to celebrate the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Belzer."

"Illiterate? Write to the church office for help."

"Ushers will swat the latecomers."

"The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience."

"The peace making meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict."

"Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It is a great chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."

"The concert held in the Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her."

"It's Drug Awareness Week: Get involved in drugs before your children do."

"Great news! Doctors have performed a CAT scan on Pastor McLaren's head and report that they have found nothing!"

"Please sigh during offering."

"The church is glad to have with us today as our guest minister the Rev. Ralph Green, who has Mrs. Green with him. After the service we request that all remain in the sanctuary for the Hanging of the Greens."

"When parking on the north side of the church, please remember to park on an angel."

"Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary."

"Men's Prayer Breakfast. No charge, but your damnation will be gratefully accepted."

"If you would like to make a donation, fill out a form, enclose a check, and drip in the collection basket."

"The sermon this morning: 'Contemporary Issues #3 - Euthanasia.' The closing song: 'Take My Life.'"

"For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs."

"Bilingual Chicken Dinner this Sunday at Noon."

"The visiting monster today is Rev. Jack Bains."

"There has never been a better time to invite your fiends to church."

"During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J. F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit."

"The Pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning."

"Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones."

72

Just Chat! / Middle English Variations of 'You'...

« on: 27/01/2023 18:00:37 »

Wasn't quite sure where to put this on these boards, so I'll put it here.

But I tell you, if you don't get this information here, where will you? Think about it. I also post it here to make a point.

People sometimes think thee and thou are old English. Not so. They are more Middle English, which came into being after the Norman Conquest of 1066, and the introduction of Old French (via Vulgar Latin) into the UK.

The original Anglo-Saxon tongue originate from a peninsula off of Denmark, somewhat shaped like a hook. That's what Angle means. It means hook. And I did hear the Lord's Prayer on Old English on the History Channel once. And you wouldn't recognize it. Sounds kind of Scandinavian, I think at least.

Anyways, here is where we get you from. You know, another interesting story. We used to use thou, which is merely the singular form of you (we do technically still use it—just very rarely). But doing that was called tutoyer, speaking to someone in the familiar. It can be considered rather disrespectful. I mean, if you addressed a cop who pulled you over for speeding in France as tu or toi, he'd arrest your ass right on the spot. So as English speakers became more egalitarian, we just naturally switched over to the more respectful You. So why do they still do it in France then? Hmmm.

Please read:

NOMINATIVE: thou NOM. PLURAL: ye
ACCUSATIVE: thee ACC. PLURAL: you
GENITIVE: thy(n) GEN. PLURAL: your
DATIVE: thee DATIVE PLURAL: you

73

Just Chat! / The Timeless Message of Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'...

« on: 27/01/2023 15:54:46 »

You know I really became enamored with this quote when I first heard it about 20 years ago. My father used to recite it by heart. His version was interesting, because in it, mercy was enthroned in the hearts of men, not kings. I actually like that version better. IAE the following is the standard version.

Yeah, and then I saw the play to "The Merchant of Venice" on video. Lawrence Olivier is really the best. The more recent one that came out in 2004 with Al Pacino, leaves out the quote "how far that little candle throws his beams". That's one the best quotes, isn't it? Anyway in HS we had to study the plays. Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and the Tempest. But this time I encountered one on my own, which I think was much better.

The quote goes into all the reasons why we should show mercy. Shakespeare supposedly based it on De Clementia a two volume hortatory essay written in AD 55–56 by Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher. Also Portia recited. Since Portia was a woman, she had to attend the trial disguised as a man, to save her friend's life. Also since she is addressing the villain Shylock, they say she only goes into selfish reasons why we should be merciful. I don't think that's true. I think the reasons she gives are timeless and universal.

Please read:

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd,—
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest,—
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings,—
But mercy is above this sceptred sway,—
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself,—
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore...
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy,—
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy."

SHAKESPEARE's "The Merchant of Venice" (1596)
[Note. "Strain"d"="constrained, compelled".]

74

Physiology & Medicine / Can I come back WITHOUT cryogenics?

« on: 04/01/2016 08:50:09 »

I would love to see the future. And like many of you, I do fear death. Not so much what follows (I don't really believe in an afterlife), but just the fact that I won't be here anymore to see how the future turns out. I'd love to see how the future turns out. Just the technological advances that have been made in my life are incredible.

Anyway, I am not getting any younger. So for a while now, I have been thinking of cryogenics. But that might just be a fad. Probably all those frozen corpses will just end up discarded some day (forgive my candor, but it's true).

Then I heard Prof. Stephen Hawking say something interesting once. Information, he said, is never truly lost.

So who needs cryogenics! At some VERY distant future date (let's just say the year 3000 A.D., and leave it at that), they will be able to resurrect even the most decayed corpse (again, forgive my candor--but again, it's true).

Now, all I need to do is let the future know somehow that I want to be brought back. But maybe they already will know. They will be Godlike. And therefore know everything, no?

What do the rest of you think?

 [] [] []

75

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / How can photons travel at the speed of light?

« on: 04/01/2016 08:35:46 »

Just one question I have always had. Why can photons go the speed of light?

Einstein proved light speed would require infinite energy to move infinite mass. And nowhere in the universe is there infinite energy.

Oh, I've heard some people say, photons have energy, but no mass. But that is ridiculous. Einstein showed energy is mass. And mass is energy. So there.

Also, while we're at it, why can't photons go faster than light? If they have no mass (which is what some of you will probably say), then it should be no problem. And then they could go back in time. Why not? I'd love to send a message back in time. Where I live, the jackpot for the multi-state lottery is $300 Million+. You can guess what I would say.

And lastly, what do you call photons in Britain? It says in my Webster's dictionary that it is an American term (well, actually, it has a star by it--which is what that means). So what do you call a quanta of light in the UK? We just call them photons. I would be eager to hear what you all would say.

 []

76

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Quantum Physics When You Are Asleep?

« on: 24/12/2015 09:12:25 »

I will be the first to admit, IANAScientist. But I think I understand quantum mechanics, to a small degree, at least. Take Schrödinger's cat. As I understand it, if you don't "measure" something (in quantum mechanics), it exists in its multiple states.
 
Now, take sleep. I already brought up what goes on in my attic, when I am not there. It was in another message board, I think. Now I wonder about something else: when I am asleep.
 
I was actually inspired to ask this question, by some very interesting dreams I have been having as of late. I often find myself off to far-off and exotic lands. Anyways, I am not really there. I am still asleep in my bed.
 
But if I am no longer observing things (hint-hint), does that rule of what happens in my attic (or any other place I, and other humans, aren't at the time) happen when I am asleep?
 
I think you can understand my question, or at least confusion, as to this apparent quantum mechanics rule.
 
Thanks in advance, to all who reply

77

New Theories / My 'Calculator Discovery' (and Theory).

« on: 25/01/2015 02:58:56 »

I think I may have come upon a new discovery in mathematics (do we still make "discoveries" in math?). But first some background.

Anyways, I play around a lot with calculators. And I'm not ashamed to admit it either. You know you can learn a lot that way, believe it or not. And I have even shared some of these things with others on the internet in the past.

This next one is equally as bizarre as the rest. When you take the square root of .111111.... you get .3333333... naturally, since the square root of one-ninth is one-third. But one time, just as a lark, I thought I'd square root .11 alone. Then .111 (again, only three digits), etc.. Long story short, you get the following pattern: 0.33333333331666666666624999999998. As you can see, the .33333... pattern is followed by an intrusive 1666666... pattern, and a 2499999... pattern (leading ultimately to 25, presumably).

It happens with other numbers too. Take .44444... The square root of this repeating decimal is .66666..., two-thirds, naturally. But when you do the same thing, you get 0.66666666663333333333249999999996. A "333..." pattern emerges, and then again that "25" pattern.

It doesn't just happen with these. Consider .9999... That equals one, of course. But when you do the same, you get 0.99999999994999999999874999999994. Now, you get "5" and "75" as your hidden pattern.

Also odd, is that these patterns are "put off" until infinity. Which I guess is permissible, even if they are never part of the actual number.

What is the explanation for these strange patterns? Because personally, I think I have hit upon something big and (possibly) undiscovered. I think I may have also hit upon a simpler way of finding irrational numbers. (That is, if they show unique patterns too--just think of how the slide rule uses simple addition and subtraction to find multiplication. Think about it.)

And BTW, I don't think it is just a phenomenon found in calculators alone. the square root of .1 is 0.3162277... (note the "16" already there). In short, the pattern is already there, for all to see. It's clearly not a fluke.

 [] [O8)] []

78

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Why Is the Higgs Boson called the God Particle?

« on: 28/08/2014 01:20:16 »

My question may seem somewhat naïve to some. But why is the Higgs boson particle called the "God particle"? (Realize, it has been a while since I took high school physics. So much of my info comes from message boards like this one.)

Does this particle prove the existence of God? Is the particle itself God? Why?

 []

79

Physiology & Medicine / USA Intelligence Falling, and an Undiscovered Neurotoxin?

« on: 26/08/2014 21:37:17 »

I don't have the cite. But I assume everyone knows that intelligence tests in the USA show that the people of the United States are of lower IQ than they were just a hundred years ago.

My question is Why? And also, could there be some undiscovered neurotoxin responsible?

There are many additives, to our food, our environment. And we still don't fully know the effect of all of them.

Could I be on to something with this?

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80

Physiology & Medicine / Can violence be managed medically?

« on: 12/08/2014 07:09:21 »

I have this medical theory of violence, that I have been sharing (first with snail mail) for about 10 years now, probably closer to 15 actually. I have in a form letter, making easier to share with many people. And as you will see, I am definitely in the right forum as I share it with you all. Please read:

"I have a theory on violence that I have been trying to share with others for the past 10 years or so. For this reason, I may have sent it to you in the past, and I definitely apologize if this is the case.
 
My theory is simply this: why can't we some day treat violence with a MEDICINE taken by the violent person? Of course, some might just chose to be evil. So it will need the full cooperation of the person being treated.
 
I think a medicine would have several advantages to it. For one, it would be much more effective that simple rehabilatative therapy the same way psychiatric drugs we now have are more effective then old talk methods. Also, we could come across a drug simply by accident--before we even fully understand how it works, as has been the case with many drugs. This is why I believe we should start looking for this drug now. And of course this drug would have the advantage of making violence less likely where the potential greatly exists--like prisons for example.
 
Of course this does bring up some moral questions, like "Who are we to judge other people's moral beliefs and dispostions?". And, of course, people use violence to protect themselves, so we don't want to turn people into defenseless sheep. For these reasons, the medicine could just be used voluntarily at first, I imagine. But I do think the good that it will provide will far outweigh any evil.

What to call this new medicine? I once looked up "violent" in a Greek-English dictionary. And it said "bia" (inflected form, "bia-tos"). So about 10 years ago, I came up the appellation "antibiatic". ("Antiviolence therapy" and "antiaggression therapy" work good too, I suppose.)

Just to make clear here, I am talking about a drug that “resensitizes” the areas of the brain associated with human empathy. Interestingly enough, I think the hormone Oxytocin may have many of the qualities I am talking about.
 
I would like to hear your thoughts on my theory. And thank you very much for your time and indulgence :-), etc...."



Well, that's it. What do the rest of you think of my theory?

BTW, I don't believe I ever shared it on these forums. Please forgive me if by accident I have. But if I did, it would have been a long time ago. And I really think it is a good theory, worthy of telling people.

Also, if anyone knows anyone, esp. someone in the medical field, who would be interested in my theory, please tell them. I would love hearing their feedback too.

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