Comments on: Building the Next Science Thingy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:47:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: tyler http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32467 tyler Tue, 02 Oct 2007 23:43:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32467 lol spyder...I got it... science-writing-for-the-rest-of-us is often distorted to the point of outright inaccuracy, which I find very frustrating. I'd rather read something that's accurate but I can't grasp in totality than something comprehensible but wrong. "Popular" explanations of the gauge principle top my list of the worst offenders in this regard. lol spyder…I got it…

science-writing-for-the-rest-of-us is often distorted to the point of outright inaccuracy, which I find very frustrating. I’d rather read something that’s accurate but I can’t grasp in totality than something comprehensible but wrong. “Popular” explanations of the gauge principle top my list of the worst offenders in this regard.

]]> By: Christophe de Dinechin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32461 Christophe de Dinechin Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:47:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32461 Very funny. I think the part I liked the most is, on the figure, bullet 5. "Science ends". Enough said ;-) But it's not just talking to politicians. Science for the layman <a href="http://grenouille-bouillie.blogspot.com/2007/09/why-are-there-no-computer-science.html#whatif" rel="nofollow">can sound pretty bizarre too</a>. How frequently have you laughed at the "popular" version of an article you read? Very funny. I think the part I liked the most is, on the figure, bullet 5. “Science ends”. Enough said ;-)
But it’s not just talking to politicians. Science for the layman can sound pretty bizarre too. How frequently have you laughed at the “popular” version of an article you read?

]]> By: spyder http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32466 spyder Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:40:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32466 So it is not true, that the faster you go the rounder you get??? Damn, you can't learn anything from rock-n-roll. So it is not true, that the faster you go the rounder you get??? Damn, you can’t learn anything from rock-n-roll.

]]> By: Reginald Selkirk http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32465 Reginald Selkirk Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:56:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32465 That was a very interesting article. Best wishes to your colleague David Kaminski in his efforts. That was a very interesting article. Best wishes to your colleague David Kaminski in his efforts.

]]> By: meewok http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32473 meewok Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:36:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32473 to be quite honest, i thought it was a truthful article... but then i read the first sentance... science-maker? you can't simply make science-its already there! and then, whaddya know! the Onion! it was amusing while my confusion lasted though! to be quite honest, i thought it was a truthful article… but then i read the first sentance… science-maker? you can’t simply make science-its already there! and then, whaddya know! the Onion! it was amusing while my confusion lasted though!

]]> By: Neil B. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32463 Neil B. Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:00:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32463 BTW, isn't it really a shame how much real physics is being held up by budget crunches, mostly because what's left after all that war spending, pork, and special tax cuts for favored well-heeled constituents? A buddy of mine was just laid off from Jefferson Lab, and it will be hard for him to find real work. BTW, isn’t it really a shame how much real physics is being held up by budget crunches, mostly because what’s left after all that war spending, pork, and special tax cuts for favored well-heeled constituents? A buddy of mine was just laid off from Jefferson Lab, and it will be hard for him to find real work.

]]> By: Ian B Gibson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32462 Ian B Gibson Sun, 30 Sep 2007 13:45:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32462 Hey- if you want a real challenge, just try explaining neutrinos and how they are detected.. Hey- if you want a real challenge, just try explaining neutrinos and how they are detected..

]]> By: Blake Stacey http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32472 Blake Stacey Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:38:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32472 I think there's actually an interesting and moderately serious point in <a href="http://www.sunclipse.org/?p=297" rel="nofollow">the way the <i>Onion</i>'s Congresspeople respond to "math"</a>. I think there’s actually an interesting and moderately serious point in the way the Onion’s Congresspeople respond to “math”.

]]> By: Manas Shaikh http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32464 Manas Shaikh Sat, 29 Sep 2007 06:46:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32464 The questions arn't that bad, really, if you take out all the advantage you have because you know so much! (smiley) The questions arn’t that bad, really, if you take out all the advantage you have because you know so much! (smiley)

]]> By: John http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32471 John Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:25:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/09/28/building-the-next-science-thingy/#comment-32471 Neil: if you want to talk about it that way, atoms don't spin, as such...the nucleus has its own spin, and the electrons have their own orbital angular momentum around the nucleus. You can sort of think of the outer electrons as moving more slowly than the inner ones. The whole atom has some overall angular momentum. In a molecule, though, which is rotating, the outer atoms are moving faster on average than the inner ones, I think it's fair to say. Perhaps there are physical chemists or physicists out there who have used this fact in laser spectroscopy? That is in an intereting thought... The idea would be to tune the laser just above or below some transition threshold and stimulate the outer but not inner atoms. Neil: if you want to talk about it that way, atoms don’t spin, as such…the nucleus has its own spin, and the electrons have their own orbital angular momentum around the nucleus. You can sort of think of the outer electrons as moving more slowly than the inner ones. The whole atom has some overall angular momentum.

In a molecule, though, which is rotating, the outer atoms are moving faster on average than the inner ones, I think it’s fair to say. Perhaps there are physical chemists or physicists out there who have used this fact in laser spectroscopy? That is in an intereting thought… The idea would be to tune the laser just above or below some transition threshold and stimulate the outer but not inner atoms.

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