Comments on: Busted

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:03:31 +0000

Clarification it was a graduate course (in the above comment — I was just a precocious undergrad when I took it along with a couple of friends, and I had to submit to a year of graduate quantum mechanics to get in to this course)…. Thanks to the person who put these online. But spelling out the acronyms would be a real help.

Also pay attention to Prof. Coleman’s pedagogical style — the intuitive “physical” derivations are in the reverse order as the axiomatic one! And don;t shy away frmo actually doing calculations once the theory is in place….

By: slw

slw — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:35:07 +0000

Wouldn’t a simple “contemplation” have worked better in that context than either of the alternatives?

By: Charon

Charon — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:56:46 +0000

“Prevaricate” is defined as “equivocate” in American Heritage – but it’s true that while “equivocate” has two meanings, only one of which is explicitly lying, “prevaricate” really only corresponds to the lying one. Although American Heritage does say the other definition of “equivocate” is to use equivocal language intentionally.

And begging the question…

Really? The recommendation is to just not use the expression.

Amen. In its “proper” usage, let’s just say circular reasoning. Its “improper” everyday usage… actually makes sense, if not from a historical standpoint, at least from an “understanding the words in the phrase” standpoint. It’s a really crappy phrase to convey its “proper” meaning.

By: Sili

Sili — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:37:48 +0000

I think I have a pretty good track record with “begging the question.”

Really? The recommendation is to just not use the expression.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:27:49 +0000

Huh. Apparently wiktionary has them backward.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:44:36 +0000

Prevarication is really just lying.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/+prevaricate

Equivocation can have connotations of deceit, but it’s really more about being vague and unclear.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/equivocate

You can argue that what I should have said was just “hesitation,” but my brain was certainly reaching for “equivocation” and not quite succeeding.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:11:00 +0000

What? Wait? Equivocate has connotations of deceit. Prevaricate means waffling. Isn’t that more what hamlet did? Dithered? Prevaricated? Am I using a bad dictionary?

By: Cormac

Cormac — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:51:41 +0000

Sorry, I’m talking about the Coleman notes of course!

By: Cormac

Cormac — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:50:27 +0000

This is a real find, many thanks to all involved, and many thanks for letting the world know, Sean.
The pedant in me can’t help making one editorial suggestion; it’s a pity to begin the notes with acroynms like NRQM and LI (no matter how self-evident), if they are truly for undergraduates. One of the advantages of writing up lectures after the event is that there is time to spell out these quantities, at least the first time we meet them…but maybe that’s just me

By: Marc

Marc — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:28:59 +0000

Sean et al. What do you think of this Jacob Barnett kid? The next Einstein, yea or nay?

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 03:40:17 +0000

Ditto for Prof. Coleman’s lectures. I took Physics 253 in 1981-82, and it was the pinnacle of my Physics education (I was an undergrad then, and I do earth sciences now). Learning the CPT theorem was amazing, and then on to spontaneous symmetry breaking! Clarity of thought and presentation, and above all his engaging and humane presence made the difficult (for an undergrad, at least!) course a pleasure to attend.

By: Joseph Smidt

Joseph Smidt — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 03:01:17 +0000

I too am excited Sidney Coleman’s lectures have been written up. They should be awesome to look through!

By: Mandeep

Mandeep — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 01:52:04 +0000

Thx Sean – a public acknowledgment of your one-time misusage of a word after a gazillion and a seventh near-perfect (far as i’ve seen) blog posts wasn’t really *necessary* (which is why i just wrote you privately) — but it did make me smile. ;->

Also, posthumous congrats to Slick Sid on getting his famous (infamous?) notes Texed too — and now they are for posterity.

-M