Macavity

Most "Particle Physicists" (sic!) must (openly or secretly) lament the notion that we have apparently entered the "particle discovery desert" that was predicted - Many years ago. But, back then, most had not imagined the charmed quark (discovery), the intermediate vector boson (discovery), top quark, and Higgs (discovery). 😎 It is fortunate (unfortunate?) that the main stages of my "science career" coincided with many of the above. There was a lot of *beauty* (symmetry) in the "Eightfold Way"... Charmed quark discovery... the spectroscopy of particles etc. Such things were *relatively easy* to understand (In some ways, I remain Chemist at heart!). 🙃 Equally though, I can empathise with Sabine's concern about Physics and it's current "beauty" obsession?!? But then, I'm not really a "Wunderz of Science" type! When I was doing my "Video Astronomy", aside from a cursory glance skywards (to see if there were ANY Stars!) that was it. But once or twice, on nights of good seeing, I didn't even *bother* to "set up"... So I am not entirely immune to the "trancendental" experience! 🤪 (Apparently) Sabine can sell her "Chat with a Theorist" at *50 Bucks* for 20 mins! Ever think you were in the *wrong* profession? Or maybe a job opportunity... 🥳

I think the whole world has now been PUT OFF Particle Physics... 🤣 But I hope there are still keen/robust scientific youngsters etc. lol.

Having worked with FUN German Physicist teams (and French ones too) Sabine doesn't seem to be a "whole bundle of laughs"? lol. But, Hey! 😅 These days, SCIENCE has a lot of trouble finding funds to merely exist? I find myself reluctant to support these... "friendly fire" things? Whether the protagonist is "anti-science" (I rather doubt that!) seems irrelevant. Sadly, a lot of the FANS / SUBSCRIBERS to such channels seem to be. 😔 I feel Science need all the support it can get. If I can "LOVE" Brian Cox, so should you! 🤣

Brilliant, Jim! Something I had (unconsciously) begun to wonder... 😅 ++1 for the rest too! lol

GOSH! I wish I wasn't such a "thicko" re. this stuff! But (sincere) KUDOS anyway! 😅 Perhaps, there is no point "arguing with a theorist"?!? (Sabine Hossenfelder?) Sometimes, I don't know... Is there hope for "mere mortals"? 🙂

But maybe, the real problem is with "Human Nature", rather than the... "Physicists"? A lot of "science critics" forget their own "workplace experience"? There will always be the "Empire Builders" .... "Credit Stealers"... the "Lazy Gits"... "Sociopaths"(!) etc. 😑 Hey, I'd still rather *argue* with a common-or-garden "Scientist" (mostly)! lol Social Media does seems to have a lot of experts... in loaded language etc. 😏

Maybe so. But how can experimentalists "lead" via novel results... without these "costly" upgrades. There may indeed be "nothing to see"? In part, I envy Astronomers... They have their JWST pictures! Not really sure how (Particle) Physicists (A bit of a generic term - like ALL wo/men!) go from here? 🧐 But I DO THINK that "Physicists" have long reflected on "is it worth it" etc., despite Youtube critics. 🙃

I wasn't familiar with the Youtube (recommended) Videos of Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder. I find myself agreeing with *some* of this. But, for a lay audience, is it "Careless Talk"? 😅 After viewing a couple, my own feelings are, in words of a (non-Physicist) "Quora Pundit": ... “She likes pointing out problems we already know, without providing new solutions”? 😸 I sense this is a pathology of so many of Youtube's self-defined "renegade" whatevers?!? But "AIBU" (Am I being unreasonable!) as they say on Mumsnet? Can I persuade anyone to LOVE Particle Physicists. I have *always* spoken very HIGHLY of Amateur Astronomers! (Modest claims to have been both). Or should I start looking for the Nearest Clifftop? 🤣

When I was calculating the "best" f-number for a Solar Frankenscope, I seem to remember there was a GOOD reason for Solar scopes using f/7 (or slower?) objectives. Basically, the Sun is "extended" (half a degree in diameter) etc. But, you do the Maths? (I forget now!). 😅

Certainly food for thought - Perhaps an internal brain-model of a parabola? Shapes (of skylines) seem to remain in my memory - Recently cyber-revisiting (awful?) 60/70's "College Campus" architecture! lol https://magazine.scienceconnected.org/2015/05/biologist-explains-how-we-learn-to-catch/ The idea of "biological timing clocks"? Nice to see a ref. to Cricket! T20 spectating is fairly hazardous? 😅

The remanent interest (for me anyway) is the mystery re. the nature of the state variables! It seems the number of variables can be quantified with confidence (by rounding down!). I casually wondered if, repeating the "experiment", would give *different* variables? 😉

OK, I concede that one. Something I read, recently? Here's another discussion on the subject: https://aasnova.org/2015/09/25/how-normal-is-our-solar-system/ Just a minor chuckle: The authors find that for the most part, we’re a pretty typical solar system. Our most unusual features are the lack of a super-Earth, the lack of any close-in planets, and the low eccentricities of planets. Monty Python "Spanish Inquisition" - Our three main differences... 🥳

Study of exoplanet systems has (contrary to past expectation) shown that the layout our solar system (rockies nearest, gas giants furthest) is rather atypical. The other "reminder" I get is that the Uranian satellites are in the plane of Uranian equator - Thus were formed after, in the debris of, any "big collision". 😎

OKaaaaaaaaay! Above must be a record for appearences of "AI" in once sentence. [teasing] I think overall, it has been illuminating for everyone? Ever wish you hadn't started something? 😝

Thanks! I think it important not to "throw the baby out with the bathwater"!?! 🙃 Highlighted by the following paragraph re. CERN (LHC) data selection/analysis: It has different meanings in different contexts, and CERN is mainly interested in task-oriented, so-called restricted AI, rather than general AI involving aspects such as independent problem-solving, or even artificial consciousness. Particle physicists were among the first groups to use AI techniques in their work, adopting Machine Learning (ML) as far back as 1990. Beyond ML, physicists at CERN are also interested in the use of Deep Learning to analyse the data deluge from the LHC. The actual LINKS can be found on the following page: https://sparks.web.cern.ch/index.php/ai-cern P.S. Apparently the links copied over... Ah, the JOY of intelligent computers! 😎

Thanks for that - And for actually reading the article? I guess the term "AI" is a trigger? 🤔 Perhaps they should call their (to me) "innocuous, but interesting" ideas, something else?!? On lighter note, the "constant" in front of the "new parameters" might always be ONE? 🥳 <thinking> This AND Sabine Hossenfelder (watched earlier) all in ONE day? 😸

Maybe we're not that into "talking computers"! But: Can "AI" discover new Physics? 🤔 For a change not the Youtube link! (But there is a FUN video embedded!) https://www.creativemachineslab.com/hidden-variables.html Interesting stuff, if you're into Robotics? 🥳

😎 Perhaps they've got some Margay in them. lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RewQMq13pw ... 180 deg rotatable ankles... walks vertically down trees. 😎

Looks like "secular spin-orbit interation" is still an (interesting) thing. 🙃 https://astronomycommunity.nature.com/posts/43969-tilting-planets-and-sculpting-orbits Aside from a hypothetical "Planet X" (rejected by simulations above)?

Objectively, not the MOST tasteless idea to emerge in recent days? 🤣 The general concept was fairly amply/ably demolished elsewhere too.

Perhaps it's more a case of the "Journalistic Parenthesis" (a.k.a. clickbait)? 🤔 The concept of a rotating space station was imagined by Werner von Braun, but WAS previously known as the Gateway Spaceport (after the company)? (Hey, I didn't know anything about this stuff, but I was able to look it up!) 🥳 Perhaps speculating re. the reaction "if it were called" is a bit premature? 🙃

(Though I understand) Planetary images are not that great (looking)? 😏 Still of significant scientific interest of course...

Heheh - But quite so! I think we all have notions of the "age of things"... Solar system ... Universe etc. Some of us (maybe) the life of 1st gen. stars... "Millions not Billions"? The sun was "born in an Open Cluster". But, maybe, what constitutes a "galaxy" etc. 🤔 Recently, I was impressed by the (past / future) frequency of STARS wandering into close proximity of our solar system! We live in interesting boring times (thankfully)? 😅 https://astronomy.com/news/2020/05/wandering-stars-brush-past-our-solar-system-surprisingly-often

Fascinating stuff re. "youngest" Galaxies (after the Big Bang!?!). 😎 Notably galaxies seem quite SMALL (compared to ours!) Consist of "First Generation" (Hydrogen only) stars? I forget... don't know... All GOOD STUFF! 🥳 Business Insider? Teasing/Musing! 😅

I thought he was the "bloke who invented Rugby"?!? I'd never win at Mastermind! 🤣 But, as with many things, there is controversy? The only thing I can say it that (in my day) scientists "named things" etc., without always thinking about the details / repercussions. Bad people do good stuff? I don't think most scientists want to promote prejudice. 😐 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-needs-to-rename-the-james-webb-space-telescope/ Some people feel "energised" when the expose the "enemy". I just feel tired/sad... 🤔