Macavity

Watch out Astronomers, Astrophysicists, Cosmologists, they're coming for YOU too... 😛 https://youtu.be/H7vCCSgSeQI (Unzicker + Pierre-Marrie Robitaille book promotion!) Imagine... No black holes, no microwave background... Liquid metallic hydrogen Sun. (The downside of searching for the Mathematics of Theoretical Physics on Youtube?) 🙃

Welcome to this week's "Top Dissenter" - The (onomatopeic?) Alexander Unzicker! I am intrigued that he feels that ALL P.Physics Data (+ Analysis Programs) should be released into the Public Domain (even 70's Bubble Chamber Film!) for "Scrutiny"?!? 😁 Has he ever seen a Scanning Table. If I dump my Snooker Table in the back garden? 😏

I thought that's where Grizabella went in "Cats" (OK, OK... The Heaviside Layer!) 😉 But I have managed to revisit some stuff that I once knew P, CP violation, CPT etc. Also clarified some of the terminology and the significance of the word Qubit! 😁 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_unitary_group The "Plate Trick" (rather than Eric Weinstein's CUP?): ☕ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_trick P.S. Things I have never really thought about... Apparent non-conservation of Energy in General Relativity (Red shift Photons)? Emmy Noether (now a FAN!) to the rescue? The Landau–Lifshitz pseudotensor!?! (Good for a name-drop?) 😅 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress–energy–momentum_pseudotensor

I will have a look later. Sometimes one can be too reliant real world analogies too... 😛 Just exploring a few Book Footnotes: "[Particle Physics] SU(2) is essentially the same group as O(3) - 3D rotation. But SU(2) requires 720 deg rotatation to "get back to the beginning"! I sense this is what Eric Weinstein tried to demonstrate to Joe Rogan with his Coffee Cup: https://youtu.be/2xiEEtoa-_4 (Begin at around 14 minutes) 😉 I suspect EW is correct that you either have to "study Maths or learn Visualistion". That mere liguistic explanation does not always suffice. Of course, any "controversial" people, have to nothing do with yours truly! [teasing] 😅

I suspect my missing "conceptual leap" was indeed Noether's Theorem? (1917) 🙃 The idea of Symmetries & Conservation Laws being related (imply one another). My above reference declines to *prove* Noether's Therorem! "The details of which are not terribly edifying" (And fairly Difficult?)! But the implications are doubtless "profound and beautiful"! I'll go with that... 😛

Heheh. No reference really needed. I found the above VERY reassuring! lol I will try to read (and re-read!) some of my Text Books! And, just maybe? 😉 I sense we are "on the same page". There is no shame in "not understanding". Maybe I reached the *limit* on my comprehension?!? Sometimes, I wish... 🙃 I should probably read a few more Chapter Introductions though! 🙂

Anyone care to offer a Website / Video that discusses *Symmetry* of the "Standard Model" etc. SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1) etc. Hey, I used it in a *practical* sense - I thought I may have *understood* it, but! 😛 I should, probably re-read David Griffiths' Book on Particle Physics! (Thanks @George Jones for the reference). Intro Chap. Four? But, if you struggle beyond: "U(1) corresponds geometrically to a circle", you may not be entirely alone! 🤣

🤣I proved to myself - in my recent deliberate absence - I'm still "OK"?!? 🙃 I just logon for the LULZ... or to HELP? The internet can get a tad "intense"! Aside: Could (talented) SGL Users have Helped to reduce the downtime? 😁

Ah... "Mentor Pete"! (sic) From a personal perspective: "To me anyway"? lol. Formal Qualifications, *don't matter* - But actual ability is STILL important. I admire anyone who has "Defied the odds" - "Come good, despite" etc. 😎 I am ever grateful for (I now miss!) the company of Amateur Astronomers... These days, I seem to spend so MUCH time "Arguing with Idiots"... Trying to convince "experts", who are firmly of the Dunning Kruger persuasion etc. 😁 I do occasionally MISS (fellow) Particle Physisicts... No one is perfect? lol. 😅

Mathematicians - A "different breed"? lol. Recalling (a Primary School best friend!) Phillip: On weekly Arithmetic Tests, he invariably scored "Fifty out of Fifty"! (49/50? - A Disaster)! 😅 Intriguing that, ability in "basic arithmetic", should be a preditor of *Mathematical Genius*? Phil excelled at (70's A-level) Maths... Further Maths... Won a Scolarship to Cambridge etc. 😲 I bumped into him later, entirely by chance, in the shopping precinct: He ENVIED Physicists! He struggled to find an *application* for his "Pure Maths" abilities? He also found it "quite hard" to fit into the Oxbridge System!? Fortunately, he was independent enough to survive! 😛

Bemusement? Mild irritation? NOT Panic! I doubt most scientists think... "blasphemy"? 😁 But, when you devote your LIFE to working in (Particle) Physics etc., build experiments... "Work 24/7"... and LAY folk sneer at question your work, because they "know better"? 😛 In the Old Days, we tried to make science popular... "gave talks", encouraged youngsters etc. These days, Social Media seems to be replete with LOUD "Renegade Scientists", who appeal to a kind of "scientific populism"(?): CERN... NASA... are old "fuddy duddies"? 😏 There are many things (established) Science simply doesn't know! Would you buy a *Submarine* off some of these... "renegades"? 😥 (Sorry -- But many of us felt genuine distress re. such stuff?)

Astronomy can be compared (favourably!) with some other hobbies. For a (select) few who are into Music... The price of Guitars... *Modular* Synths? A snip at £5k? How does one become a "real" Musician... Astronomer... 😛 I understand GOLF will set you back a fair bit. Waiting list join a Club... 😅

Who can you blame, If you're single? lol. [teasing] Married men are statistically richer of course... 😛

Interesting thought! It is hard to judge the optical performance of my eyes. My "master" (dominant) eye is "-6 diopter" and the other one "-2 diopters". Left eye is at least astigmatism free... (I can refocus etc.) But it has a "large black blob", when I FIRST enter any dark room? Takes ages to dark adapt! 😉 My normal! Perhaps if you start to notice significant change in your vision?

I sense it's quite complex! If you turn on the kitchen tap, to deliver the finest possible stream... Then put your finger in it... slowly approach the tap, you'll see the water jet start to "clump"! 😉 It sets up a sort of (sonic?) standing wave? The reflections are as dangerous as flying concrete. I did read elsewhere, that the: "SOUND would kill you" at close range. 😱 Related to Rocket/Jet "Crackle" (maybe) https://youtu.be/BdCizNwLaHA

The Scott Manley "report" is, as ever, sober, intelligent... and interesting? 😉 Perhaps it never really made it to the point where "staging" was possible?

"Worrying" about Elon Musk (His Fans notably - Twitter possibly?), is NOT good for me! 😅 I find it easy to lose a whole DAY thinking / talking about something... so totally remote... The old "Deathbed Regrets" thing? "I wish I'd spent more time on Twitter"? Hmmm. lol. 😛

I think it is quite easy to dish the DIRT on public figures... If you live in a place called Port Isabel maybe? lol. In fairness, this is the first time, where we have someone "doing stuff" and (effectively) impacting how stuff is reported? 😛 Dunno about you, but I discover (via Facebook) some of my own relatives are "campaigning" for stuff that impacts negatively (sic) on Me? lol. (I do have to reach for the "Sleep for 30 days" button!) 😅

A new PAGE should begin with something that made me laugh anyway! 🤣

Possibly so? But then, sometimes I think that our laudable(!) efforts, to remain NON "religious and political", seem to rather favour the uhm... more extreme. 😛 I think these are valuable discussions! Though perhaps somewhat limited? lol But then I am comparing e.g. neighbours opinions to SGL's erudite discussion! 😅

BINGO! But I still feel science COULD distance itself from politics - If it/they so chose? 😎 But then science has discovered that "being political" wins votes... for SpaceX etc. I feel sorry for NASA in a way. A political "whipping boy" these days? 🙁 Govt. Scientists don't always vote... for the Govt? <wink> lol

Are there any *Chemists* here, who recognise the TRIPOD (Bunsen Burner and Clamp!) Technology? Just saying... 😛

Are you a professional HITMAN? 😱 But "personal attacks" are deprecated? [teasing] 🤣

But it is a FAIR question though? I am relieved to find a certain number of people are ALSO asking it... 😎 But this/mine is not a personal attack? But words have power... "Back to the positive"?!? 😱 I do agree, e.g. some of his critics should... "learn more about rocketry"! lol. 🤣 (Maybe there are some genuine Rocketeers here!!!)

Heheh. Even more amazing, if you arrive in work and find no longer employed - by Email... or someone has deleted your ID? 😛 I suppose I still believe in a bit of... "Cheerful irreverence" re. the legion of *celebrities*... people who can "Do no wrong" etc. I can/do celebrate the achievement of his "back room boys", but I just cannot relate to some of the public adulation of Elon? Why do people LOVE (and defend!) Elon Musk... Sabine Hossenfelder... Brian Cox... Uhm... John Campbell? lol. I think it is an interesting question. Some of e.g. the "Quora" pundits do provide some illumination... The "American Dream"? "Freedom of Speech"? (I would never disagree with an Elon Fan!) Someone suggested "to drive up Tesla Shares"... A "Doge" or something? lol. The ultimate irony is that some of these people actually DO GOOD! Do "Heros" need to be 100% good? It's a Philosophical thing? I am getting tired of listening to their "Fanboys"! 😅 Hey, since it's everywhere else?!? lol. 🤣