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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: Today at 16:33:13 »

Many thanks, Eternal Student, for this most auspicious and illustrious award, even though I feel I did not deserve or desire it. Anyway I like your idiom of "gospel truth" concerning the forum contents!

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: Yesterday at 08:18:04 »

Well then, give it to me!! Of course I am joking as I have not the slightest interest in any accolade. I just enjoy the discourse here, especially my jousts with Alan. And of course the learning of new facts and understandings.

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New Theories / Re: Where does quantization of energy of electromagnetic radiation come from?

« on: 07/12/2024 12:03:44 »

I would argue that all em is quantised but I have zero proof. A thought experiment: set up a standard black body radiator, ie small aperture in a spherical matt black furnace, and use the radiation to illuminate a photoelectric cell. As we increase the furnace temperature we see a smooth increase in frequency of the emitted radiation exactly the same as one would see if the frequency of a radio transmitter was swept up or down. The photocell however will only react when a specific frequency is reached, indicating quantisation. It may be the case that we simply do not have a suitable phenomenon to detect the quantisation of lower em frequencies, akin to the photoelectric cell for the higher frequencies.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What is the exact cause of the time dilation of the twin?

« on: 07/12/2024 11:33:53 »

"I was hoping we could lean towards what an exact reason for the different ages of the twins is". Am I missing something? I was of the opinion that this question was comprehensively answered at an early stage in this query. Surely 1/√1-vsq/csq is all one needs to answer this without digressing into ever more complicated reasoning.

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Question of the Week / Re: QotW - 24.12.12 - Is there any way to harness nuclear energy other than steam?

« on: 06/12/2024 20:41:58 »

20% would be quite good. I'm not up to date on these developments.

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Question of the Week / Re: QotW - 24.12.12 - Is there any way to harness nuclear energy other than steam?

« on: 06/12/2024 17:19:15 »

30% with thermoelectric converters? Are you hiding some advanced tech, Alan?

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Question of the Week / Re: QotW - 24.12.12 - Is there any way to harness nuclear energy other than steam?

« on: 06/12/2024 11:23:43 »

Fission produces energy in the form of heat. Although not very efficient a steam cycle is the only realistic way of producing electricity. Thermoelectric converters rarely reach 10% efficiencies. Magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) converters have been proposed as being more efficient but the technical problems involved have prevented their use.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 06/12/2024 08:17:58 »

There is nothing whatsoever in your last post, #30 , that I can find disagreement with, but you are missing my point. Human nature dictates that the why questions will be asked and there is no way of preventing this.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 05/12/2024 18:35:29 »

I do not think we can restrict what questions may be asked. It is simply human nature to ask all the "hows", "whys", "whens", "wheres" and many others. Humans are incredibly inquisitive, valid and outright dumb questions are regularly posed. I cannot imagine a scenario where a lot of the "whys" are not raised. Simply telling someone that asking why will not yield a profitable answer will just increase curiosity as to the reasons for this logical cul-de-sac.

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New Theories / Re: In four dimensions, must an object move at c in at least one of them?

« on: 05/12/2024 14:38:01 »

I had come across this concept of every object moving at c but never gave it any serious consideration- maybe I should have, maybe not. From an engineering perspective I find it falls short of rigour: "c" has units of m/s and time has units of s, how can one have a speed(m/s) in a dimension of s?

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 04/12/2024 16:06:01 »

If you teach kids not to ask about the "whys", do you think that will work? People are told base jumping is an inherently dangerous pursuit yet it is still practiced. Things that are forbidden are often the focus of increased curiosity. Knowledge can be vertically transmitted but unfortunately wisdom cannot.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 04/12/2024 14:37:02 »

By education we hope to prevent people doing stupid things, sometimes it works and sometimes it fails. I am not arguing with you concerning the bloodshed and mayhem that organised religion is responsible for- we are at one regarding that. What I am saying is that it is in man's nature to seek answers for the "whys" and since there are no valid answers to these questions, religion, de novo, is bound to arise even if it had previously been supressed.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: How does H20 wear away stone?

« on: 04/12/2024 11:38:27 »

Petro, I am neither a chemist nor a geologist but my guess is that pure static water would have very little or no effect on hard rock.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 04/12/2024 09:22:38 »

Most of the "whys" are unanswerable but you cannot stop the questioning nature of man short of universal lobotomy. These questions will always arise and since there are no valid answers, this is how religions arise. Man, by nature, is prone to asking philosophical questions- any study of anthropology will affirm this. Alancalverd's thought police to the rescue!!

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: How does H20 wear away stone?

« on: 03/12/2024 20:44:53 »

Water is rarely present in pure form and in terms of geology there is almost always particulates and dissolved substances present.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 03/12/2024 17:36:43 »

Alan, you have not asked that question and I fully accept your answer in that regard. Others do ask such questions and whether you approve or not it will continue. I am not arguing against your position regarding organised religion but just stating the simple fact that these unanswerable questions have been posed for as long as we have historical records and most likely for much longer. I cannot envisage a future where these questions will not arise.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: How does H20 wear away stone?

« on: 03/12/2024 15:48:35 »

And that co2 partly converts calcium carbonate in the limestone to the slightly more soluble calcium bicarbonate, Ca(HCo3)2

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Just Chat! / Re: Should smartphones be banned from the dinner table?

« on: 03/12/2024 09:45:17 »

I would reckon that ban will be hard to implement.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 03/12/2024 09:41:34 »

Science can answer the "hows", most of the time, but man has sought answers to the "whys" as long as he has inhabited this planet and it is this searching nature of man that has spawned the various religions. I fully get that you consider these questions as absurd but many, many people past , present and future have sought these answers.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: How does H20 wear away stone?

« on: 02/12/2024 20:39:59 »

Evan_au has covered many points concerning erosion but I have one addition. Many substances are referred to as being soluble or insoluble in water but this is a simplification as those considered insoluble have a finite but very small solubility. Everything will dissolve in water to some extent even if the solubility is infinitesimal and over time some loss can be expected.