This highly trained physicist was in between jobs and decided to do some consulting work where anyone could call with their physics questions:
https://aeon.co/ideas/what-i-learned-as-a-hired-consultant-for-autodidact-physicists
https://aeon.co/ideas/what-i-learned-as-a-hired-consultant-for-autodidact-physicists
Yes, we do it for free on here. Maybe we could start charging people money if they persist in talking nonsense?
Interesting that she said that most of her callers had no or inadequate maths, and were typically from an engineering or similar background. Certainly in the UK, our engineering students are taught just enough maths and science to confuse themselves. As partial compensation for this, a significant proportion of engineering lecturers actually have science degrees - otherwise the situation could be far worse.
Interesting that she said that most of her callers had no or inadequate maths, and were typically from an engineering or similar background. Certainly in the UK, our engineering students are taught just enough maths and science to confuse themselves. As partial compensation for this, a significant proportion of engineering lecturers actually have science degrees - otherwise the situation could be far worse.
Great article by [Prof.] Sabine Hossenfelder. Ideas from callers may help her work.
I'm not certain she said that. The most she said was that a better understanding of how people misunderstand popular writing may help her do better popular writing - which is not really her work, but a sideline. She did suggest that a few ideas from callers might be the germ of a genuine research project - but probably for them, not her.Antoinel said:
She also implied that physics is relatively immune from 'reverse Sokal' hoaxes: a non-physicist is most unlikely to be able to pass themselves off as a physicist. I agree with her, with the minor exceptions that a really good chemist or EE might just get away with it. But then a really good chemist or EE is almost a physicist anyway. I am only aware of one hoax physics paper having been published, but that was with the full knowledge of the journal's editor and in the Christmas edition.
As I have said before, one of the useful features of people selling audio snake oil is that they can't resist the temptation to provide an 'explanation'; this immediately confirms to those in the know that their product is indeed snake oil. The mystery of silence would be equally convincing to the gullible (especially with a hint of military involvement), without creating ammunition for the knowledgeable.
This is a very good point, the commutative properties don't exist here. It does often work in related STEM fields; I've been asked if I'm an engineer, and my answer is always, "No, but I know enough to make an engineer think I am for at least a little while."
Like high end audio then - the more it costs, the better it is??
As Dogbert says, consult is what you get from "con" and "insult" ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJfUZxCYcWo
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