Comments on: Premiere of The Atom Smashers http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/09/26/premiere-of-the-atom-smashers/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:09:16 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: The Atom Smashers on PBS Nov. 25 | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/09/26/premiere-of-the-atom-smashers/comment-page-1/#comment-49271 The Atom Smashers on PBS Nov. 25 | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:02:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/09/26/premiere-of-the-atom-smashers/#comment-49271 [...] the night before the world premiere at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, then at the premiere, and then at Fermilab a month later. At both showings we sat on panels and took questions afterward [...] [...] the night before the world premiere at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, then at the premiere, and then at Fermilab a month later. At both showings we sat on panels and took questions afterward [...]

]]> By: Lawrence B. Crowell http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/09/26/premiere-of-the-atom-smashers/comment-page-1/#comment-43672 Lawrence B. Crowell Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:37:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/09/26/premiere-of-the-atom-smashers/#comment-43672 Whether Godel's theorem enters into physics is uncertain. Chaitan's thesis is that mathematics amounts to various "accidents" which exist in a vast set of self-referential propositions. By extension we might ponder that physical principles exist by a similar process as accidental islands of order which emerge from a set or vacuum of quantum propositions which reference themselves. Maybe the Planck scale is the ultimate cut-off where on a smaller scale physical principles or "laws" do not exist. John Wheeler talked often about "law without law." The lack of a universal Turing machine (UTM) operates for quantum computers. To model universe as a quantum computer, or network of quantum computers, this machine can't be a UTM and so the cosmic quantum computer is incapable of computing all states about itself according to a single algorithm. That algorithm is any set of logico-algebraic system (gauge theory, particle theory, etc), and maybe the universe can never be computed completely according to such. This might have some bearing on physics beneath the string length scale, or close to or at the Planck scale. It is of course hoped that before physics reaches this "end of physics" that some rational system of unification is possible. Of course the greater challenge physics faces has less to do with an axiomatic incompleteness and with our ability to experimentally probe these extreme scales. Lawrence B. Crowell Whether Godel’s theorem enters into physics is uncertain. Chaitan’s thesis is that mathematics amounts to various “accidents” which exist in a vast set of self-referential propositions. By extension we might ponder that physical principles exist by a similar process as accidental islands of order which emerge from a set or vacuum of quantum propositions which reference themselves. Maybe the Planck scale is the ultimate cut-off where on a smaller scale physical principles or “laws” do not exist. John Wheeler talked often about “law without law.”

The lack of a universal Turing machine (UTM) operates for quantum computers. To model universe as a quantum computer, or network of quantum computers, this machine can’t be a UTM and so the cosmic quantum computer is incapable of computing all states about itself according to a single algorithm. That algorithm is any set of logico-algebraic system (gauge theory, particle theory, etc), and maybe the universe can never be computed completely according to such.

This might have some bearing on physics beneath the string length scale, or close to or at the Planck scale. It is of course hoped that before physics reaches this “end of physics” that some rational system of unification is possible. Of course the greater challenge physics faces has less to do with an axiomatic incompleteness and with our ability to experimentally probe these extreme scales.

Lawrence B. Crowell

]]> By: A Student http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/09/26/premiere-of-the-atom-smashers/comment-page-1/#comment-43673 A Student Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:00:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/09/26/premiere-of-the-atom-smashers/#comment-43673 The answer to the student is... Cynicism Wikipedia Cynicism (Greek: K???????) originally comprised the various philosophies of a group of ancient Greeks called the Cynics, founded by Antisthenes in about the 4th century BC.[1] The Cynics rejected all conventions, whether of religion, manners, housing, dress, or decency, advocating the pursuit of virtue in a simple and unmaterialistic lifestyle.[1]. In pop culture, the word cynicism generally describes the opinions of those who see self-interest as the primary motive of human behaviour, and who disincline to rely upon sincerity, human virtue, or altruism as motivations.[2] On the other hand, the Oxford English Dictionary suggests as the usual modern definition (per cynic): showing "a disposition to disbelieve in the sincerity or goodness of human motives and actions" and a tendency "to express this by sneers and sarcasms". The answer to the student is…

Cynicism

Wikipedia

Cynicism (Greek: K???????) originally comprised the various philosophies of a group of ancient Greeks called the Cynics, founded by Antisthenes in about the 4th century BC.[1] The Cynics rejected all conventions, whether of religion, manners, housing, dress, or decency, advocating the pursuit of virtue in a simple and unmaterialistic lifestyle.[1].

In pop culture, the word cynicism generally describes the opinions of those who see self-interest as the primary motive of human behaviour, and who disincline to rely upon sincerity, human virtue, or altruism as motivations.[2]

On the other hand, the Oxford English Dictionary suggests as the usual modern definition (per cynic): showing “a disposition to disbelieve in the sincerity or goodness of human motives and actions” and a tendency “to express this by sneers and sarcasms”.

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