Path: csiph.com!weretis.net!feeder6.news.weretis.net!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!micro-heart-of-gold.mit.edu!newsswitch.lcs.mit.edu!nntp.TheWorld.com!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: moroney@world.std.spaamtrap.com (Michael Moroney) Newsgroups: sci.physics Subject: Re: I figured out charge Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2017 02:27:41 +0000 (UTC) Organization: The World : www.TheWorld.com : Since 1989 Lines: 49 Message-ID: References: <893ae317-1190-4cb0-82f2-54795bcc2c80@googlegroups.com> <79e98ab1-6610-4694-9e9c-eb896bab4126@googlegroups.com> <7da80935-52f1-4c12-8077-10b9bd12c56e@googlegroups.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: shell01.theworld.com X-Trace: pcls7.std.com 1502591261 9725 192.74.137.71 (13 Aug 2017 02:27:41 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@TheWorld.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2017 02:27:41 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: nn/6.6.5 Xref: csiph.com sci.physics:645681 John, you wound up in a real Twilight Zone moment for me. First, about a week or two I was explaining fractals to my kid, using a fern as an example (look at the overall shape of the fern, now notice each "leaf" of the fern has about the same shape as the fern, and that each "leaf" is made of smaller versions similar to itself and even these have a jagged edge resembling itself, but the fractal nature ends there but real fractals theoretically repeat forever). I told her that nature has many examples of these almost-fractals. Then today, while on a long road trip (returning from Canada) my kid started talking about horoscopes. I commented that the zodiac signs are now "off" by one sign/constellation. She asked why, and I tried to explain how the earth's rotational axis precesses like a spinning top and that this causes winters/summers to get out of line compared to the stars of the constellations. And I thought of you, and your precession obsession. Then my kid asked about the Twilight Zone show itself, and I explained how many of the plots involved coincidences that seemed too strong/numerous to really be coincidences. She asked for an example, I stated I couldn't think of any real ones at the moment, but I made up an example. Later she asked what are quarks made of. I stated that right now science considers them fundamental, they aren't made of anything. She objected, by stating how we learned that matter is made of molecules, molecules are made of atoms, atoms have nuclei, nuclei are made of protons and neutrons, they are made of quarks so quarks had to be made of something. I almost drove off the road, Sefton was channeling through my kid? Begone Satan!! But having plenty of practice here, I asked her _why_ you believed that. She did answer she's just a kid, she doesn't know the science but it didn't make sense that things ended there. I explained that you are not the first to think of that, scientists have been hard at work looking for structure with no success, but the theory that predicts quarks also predicts they are fundamental. We discussed that but I pointed out that stating she didn't actually know was a very good sign, and knowing what you don't know is very important. John, that is the difference between her and you. Instead of just making up crap and believing in it for no reason whatsoever, she knows what she doesn't know, and therefore can learn from future research. So somehow three of your obsessions wound up here. I then brought up the Twilight Zone again, and how this one guy on the internet was obsessed with several ideas she brought up. Oh we also discussed lakeside cabins and how drugs can wreck your mind. And Canada, of course. Do-do-do-do do-do-do-do...