Macavity

Aside from my memory: "diffuse nebulae would be invisible"... 😑 But the surface brightness - "magnitude per square arc second" is very low. M31 (Galaxy) is "hard" to image for the same reason. Paradoxically, distant galaxies can be "surprisingly" much easier! http://www.badastronomy.com/media/inprint/underalienskies.html "To us, far away, the nebula is bright because it's small. But if we get closer, it appears bigger, of course. But the total light doesn't change! As it gets bigger, the light from every square degree of it drops. [...] As it spreads out in the sky, the light from it thins. From Earth, the nebula covers about 3/4 of a square degree. From a light year away, the nebula would fill the sky, 20,000 square degrees. That reduces the light by a factor of about 30,000! From a light year away, the nebula is practically invisible!" Or maybe NOT? (Read whole article!) 🤣

In the 60/70's Physics perhaps lost out to Chemistry re. "excitement factor"? But, in the early 70's, more *exciting* Physics, practical material, trickled in... Oscilloscopes, an Led/Transistor plug-together Binary Counter demo! Some perhaps even purchased by Teachers for their (everyone's) entertainment? 😎 But, aside from the *churlishness*, re. "Big Science" Experimental Physicists, e.g. LHC papers now have *6000* Signatories, Time Scales (build to publish) of Decades. Grad Students may mostly miss out on a "hardware experience". The whole concept of a Ph.D. Thesis is different re. length and originality? 😉 The same with Space??? You build your Planetary Probe Detector, then wait years for the data to be returned to earth? You might have retired by then?!? Your Life's Work might... BLOW UP on the Launchpad? 😭 I wouldn't cope! 😅

"Dreams of New Physics Fade..." - How (un)surprisingly Predictable? 🤣 Cue: "Team Anti-Mainstream (Science)"? With zero actual knowledge of Science! Yet, I still feel *Slightly Sad* for Experimental Physicists. 😑 As remarked above: "Memories, what memories"... 🙂

I'll stick with: "the result is an Experimental tour de force"! 😎 Rather than a show-down between Theorists & Experimentalists it is clear that the two have worked closely and in collaboration. The discerepancy between experiment and the SM remains at around Five Sigma - with future clarification a possibilty? 🙃 Not adding anything new, but I note the number of people involved on both "sides" is around Dunbar's Number ... Proabably advantageous in many ways? 😁

Fermilab just streamed it live... Haven't got to the "clincher" (or not) bit yet! 😛 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMB1znns4lQ

Getting repetative now, but: "If your hands aren't dirty, you haven't done science"! 😎 https://www.csusm.edu/stem/documents/testimonials/jaqueline.pdf At risk of siding with "health freaks", the above might enhance the physical/mental well-being of Scientists? It cannot be good for you just making Youtube Videos re. how your: "Nobel Prize was stolen"... Or listening to others re. how you: "Didn't deserve one anyway"! 😅 "Bronies" - Uhm, OK! But, another possibility for "What a Scientist looks like"? I remember one who looked pretty much LIKE this... So: "Get in touch with your Inner Hardware Guy/Gal"! 🤣

Don't worry! I used to find "The Big Bang Theory" (TV prog) slightly funny... But mostly an irritating stereotype - I now realise it was a Documentary! 😅 The idea they might have benefitted from *practical* experience / reality?

😁 This is now a discussion of Specific Physics! The real issue is Scientists? 😛 The idea that *random ideas*, thrown out by certain Scientists are adopted by the media (and the public) as being important - The "truth" or whatever. The idea of bringing science into "disrepute" by "brawling in the dust" over "Pet theories" - But also personal opinions on current issues? It seems to me that science is struggling (c.f. Covid) to retain credibility with the g.public. 😑 I think it actually DOES matter when Scientists "say things". This idea that a whole group of scientists are "Fooling the Public" matters - Beyond just being a personal irritant to me - Albeit for personal & historical reasons. 🙃 Broadcasters / Journalists - Professional Associations abide by "standards". I'm sure I had my "conditions of employment", when I was a Scientist! lol. More and more *Theoretical Physicists* are self-employed? They actually don't require much funding... Beyond Patreon and Youtube? I may believe in "freedom of speech", but I wonder re. use of... "Scientist Credibility"? 😉

Heheh - I KNOW that really? lol. When you leave (30 years) the "world of science", it is easy to fall prey to the "arrant nonsense" of today's Social Media - There, I SAID IT - "Sue me"! lol 😛 I always understood that science was a "human thing" - Good and Bad etc. Perhaps one can rather idealise science? No bad thing to discuss more contemporary experiences / thoughts! 😎

Maybe I will ask the moderators to delete this thread? lol. 🙃 The idea I was *trying* to express is perhaps *too difficult* without seeming "Political"? But sometimes, when I look at Youtube Videos & Blogs, by *certain* Theoretical Physicists (the usual suspects?) it's like entering "Alternative Reality"! 😁 Back in the 80's, I certainly came across anti-experimentalist prejudice from certain of the "Theoretican" community and certain Universities. Frankly, I blame "priviliged" education. 😑 If I could "champion" anything, it is the idea that you don't have to speak with the "right" accent... go to the right school (or University) - Be a Theoretician OR an Experimentalist". 😉 Maybe my "audience" is not the "Science Fans"... Maybe it is some "ordinary kid", who simply aspires "work on the LHC"? Perhaps an article in the *CERN Courier* inspired them etc. As I get older... less well... less to lose... Maybe I should go back on Social Media? Put the *NITWITS* "to the sword"... 🤣

Well, maybe my attempt at "Polemic"(?) failed a bit... In the face of Astronomical common sense? I do feel, increasingly, that BOTH sides of the "great Physics debate" (funding future science facilities?) use the same "conspiracy theorist" ideas, to appeal to their LAY fanbase. It just gets less subtle with time? I should *avoid* some Youtubers! 😁 Recently, I came across some research into "Science Related Populism" - The idea that an "elite group" (fellow scientists even?) is... "Fooling" the general public? "Just stick with me"... "Like my Channel" and YOU will understand? lol. Unfortunately, the above papers draw analogies with controversial areas. But, if you type these words into Google? 😉 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/apr/24/fake-or-fact-how-to-recognise-a-conspiracy-theory P.S. If Zuck & Elon really do Cage Fight, "I'd pay good money"! lol 🤣

I am interested in ideas from Amateur Astronomers... Rather than Social Media? 😛 I see no (never saw any) conflict between Theoreticians & Eperimentalists! But, "Big Science" requires a LOT of "practical" Scientists to build / run experiments? International Labs, had culture of equality between Theorists & Experimentalists. Nevertheless, sometimes, in the absence of "Experiments" to BUILD, it can seem that there is an increasing division between the above? A young scientist remarked that he had "Forgotten any Theory" - That he had just been "developing software" for the last TEN years. He arrived LONG after his (LHC) Experiment had been built. 😉 Perhaps he felt a bit like a "Ph.D. Technician"? Someone suggested he become a "grade school" teacher - To rekindle his passion for science? I am happy to address a "Bunch of Scientists"! The latter would terrify? 😅

Should Science be a *practical* thing? Let me come out and suggest that I personally & firmly feel Science should be a *Practical Thing*. To clarify, For me, the Roots of Science are firmly embedded in practical Experiment! I still have this vague notion that MANY Amateur Astronomers agree with that notion? But I may be entirely wrong in that assumption? [teasing] 😛 But ultimately, ours is a hobby that stresses a collective PRACTICAL side? At local meetings, the "Expert in Collimation" might be a *Sheep Farmer* (This is Wales! lol) - Or the guy who "Knew about Eyepieces", could be an Engineer, who once (We are old?) worked in (Astronomy!) "Big Science"! For me, it felt a welcome relief from SOME past "Professional" Science. 😅 (Social Media) "Popular Science" seems more "Science Elitism"... "Science Populism"? The Science FANS often admit that they understand very little of the Science involved!!! But they LOVE it for being "anti-establishment"? But there seems little to encourage ordinary Jack/Jill to become Scientists! The villian of the piece is now the/we grass-roots, hard-working *practical* Scientists... We "Lesser Scientists" -- "Sheeple" of a Conspiracy Theory? 😡 P.S. I note Sabine Hossenfelder has indentified the TRUE "Root of all Evil"? It's not "String Theorists"... Nor even just... "Particle Physicists"? lol. It's the dreaded Experimental Particle Physicist. I cannot say I'm TOO surprised? 🤣

More stuff I "didn't do"! lol. But I like a good animation: https://adh-sj.info/bao_cmb.php (ref. Prof. Adam D. Hincks) One might be reminded Dark Matter is a observation - Not just a theory? 😉

Amateur (Job Geheniau) shows Dark Matter! Came across his link in a Youtube Video: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rotation-Curve-with-JRT_English.pdf Apologies, Job, if you/he... is/are an SGL member - Just thought it exciting stuff? 😎 (He has other websites / stuff, if you do a name search...)

Unfortunately science cannot ignore withdrawl of govt. funding... UK withdrawl from international collaboration etc. (CERN was once "touch & go"!) In theory, there is a lot of exciting stuff going on... re. greater "World" Collaboration? 😎 https://home.cern/news/news/knowledge-sharing/cern-and-nasa-join-forces-commit-research-future-open-and-accessible But, underpinning it, is (important) "public opinon/support"? (They do believe "maverick" Scientists on Youtube etc.). 😉 I suspect, again, we digress! 🙃

https://www.space.com/interstellar-meteor-avi-loeb-expedition “It’s most likely a technological gadget with artificial intelligence.” 😮 It may be "ALIEN Spherules"? 😉 But, scepticism seems fair? It is nice to think these... "might be something", but the greater likelihood is that they are *probably* not. That's just science? 😉 What constitutes discovery now? What constitutes science? Whither Peer Review, now it is circumvented by "publishing" in Newpapers, on Social Media, or writing your own Books... 🤔

But, in a sense, scientists HAVE looked for Aliens... If you consider SETI? But I sense it is seen as "mainstream science" - Negative results (except "Wow"!) don't make headlines? I have not taken a great interest in such things, but Avi Loeb seems to think Oumuamua was an ALIEN Light-sail? IIRC, it could have been, if it had JUST the right dimensions! But a lot of other Astronomers... "don't much favour" his idea? I see e.g. Jill Tartar is a former director of SETI. The subsequent FIGHT Q & A session, did not go particularly well?!? 😅 https://youtu.be/bh3DnraBCqw P.S. I have no dog in this fight, except I rather empathise with mainstream scientists, who get dismissed (as a generalisation) re. consuming public funds, achieving nothing etc. 😟

Sometimes it's HARDER to work out how to Download the stuff? lol. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.05054.pdf (It's actually fairly readable!) Parametric gravitational lens modeling was performed with Lenstool... 😉 Nothing wrong with using existing software? Indeed, there is commonality in "experimental" Physics? Except, their experiment is rather far away! Only 30 authors? Postgrad-students get to *name* things? For a moment, science seemed quite FUN again! 😁

Plopped onto Browser - Even skimmed through some of the papers. 😛 https://www.space.com/james-webb-telescope-einstein-general-relativity-galaxy-warps But, from a (totally) non-expert perspective, it is interesting to *try* to get some sort of (qualitative) idea, what Researchers DO with this? lol. Seems like they can *model* the gravitational lens at various locations & wavelengths? Then "decovolute" the actual parameters of objects? 🤯 Aside: I had not thought about *brightening* objects! - Makes sense, I suppose? You have a HUGE (gravitational) Objective Lens out there! 😅

Interesting postscript. From other sources, the HEADLINE: "UK not doing enough for national security" re. UFOs. 😉 Bit of fun from the GOV links. Aliens prefer Orange Lights? https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ufo-reports-in-the-uk

In the interests of balance? I must stop this... Boring (domestic) stuff! 😏 https://www.philosophersmag.com/essays/131-want-to-be-good-at-philosophy-study-maths-and-science (The source of the lounge 0.999999 etc. equals 1.0, thread of course!)

To lighten things up a little: "The Men Our man from the Ministry" 😁 https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/us-congress-ufo-hearing/

Picked up randomly: The APS (American Physical Society) learned from experience? A really tragic story though... 😟 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22171039

"String Theory vs the Popperazzi"? I find myself in agreement, finally! lol https://www.philosophersmag.com/footnotes-to-plato/77-string-theory-vs-the-popperazzi I feel I should, "hate philosophers"? Previously ignorant/indifferent/etc. 😅 Whatever, the idea of a "Popperazzi", gave me a MUCH needed laugh! 😎