What is the Universe expanding into..

[system7]

My favourite maverick Physicist is Carl Brannen:

Brannen Works

Much better at maths than me. He just loses me most of the time.

 

[Galu]

Brannen says that converting the standard model over to density operator form stops the Higgs mechanism from giving mass to the fermions.

That is, unless you eliminate the Higgs by assuming the preon model of the elementary particles we discussed earlier.

 

[Bonsai]

Higgs IIUC imparts mass to particles ie it is what makes some matter ‘heavy’ and other types of matter not so ‘heavy’.

But others say gravity is an ‘emergent property’ of matter linked to entropy.

Which way to go? Confusing.

 

[system7]

I have always hated the Higgs Boson. Along with the Standard Model.

Not often I get so agitated, but honestly, it stinks.

Endless reading about it:

The Particle at the End of the Universe

Why would a 0.511 Mev electron need a 125 Gev Boson to give it mass?

Far too complicated, IMO. Drove me into String Theory for a while. But honestly even Lenny Susskind is a bit weak on Black Holes and Information Theory.

My specialist subject: Information Theory.

That which is knowable. The rest is illusion.

 

[Bonsai]

It would be nice if all this complexity could be flushed away, replaced by something more coherent and logical.

Kind of reminds of the ‘luminiferous aether’ thing before Einstein came along and bonked it on the head.

 

[system7]

You are a brave man to even enter a discussion like this, Bonsai.

The mathematical Theorem that just blew me away, was Kurt Godel's:

Godel's incompleteness theorems - Wikipedia

Some things are just unknowable. Very odd.

 

[Bonsai]

Have you read ‘Godel, Escher & Bach: An Eternal Golden Thread’ by Hofstadter?

A good read for the mathematically inclined who delight in joining the dots and unraveling the mysteries of the mind.

He started his academic life as a PhD physicist and ended up in linguistics, neuroscience and psychology.


Douglas Hofstadter - Wikipedia

Bad title - Wikipedia

 

[Bonsai]

I don’t think Bertrand Russell was very happy when Godel found major flaws in his and Wittgenstein’s work.

All a bit beyond me I have to say.

 

[system7]

Of course I read "Godel. Escher and Bach" by Douglas Hofstadter!

Me, I'm the original bookworm. Along with "Civilisation" By Kenneth Clarke and "The Ascent of Man" by Jacob Brownowski.

If you never go to the Library, how you gonna learn anything? I think Michael Caine said that.

 

[TNT]

This post is false.

//

 

[Bonsai]

True

 

[system7]

This post is false.

//

I know this one. It's a logic problem.

 

[system7]

This post is false.

//

Not wishing to contradict M'learned friend Bonsai, can I get back to you later?

 

[system7]

I'm still on it.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Does the Hare ever overtake the tortoise?

If the Barber of Seville shaves every man who doesn't shave themself, who shaves the Barber of Seville?

Time for bed.

 

[benb]

If the Barber of Seville shaves every man who doesn't shave themself, who shaves the Barber of Seville?:

A woman?

 

[Bonsai]

Nice

 

[TNT]

I know this one. It's a logic problem.

This derives from #3846 ;-) your post!

//

 

[TNT]

... but I'm just lying

//

 

[system7]

"This statement is False"

I looked it up. It's the liar paradox.

Liar paradox - Wikipedia

It's both true and false apparently. Hmm... gives me a headache.

Andrew Wiles was worried that Fermat's Last Theorem was neither provable or disproveable.

Wiles's proof of Fermat's Last Theorem - Wikipedia

In which case he had wasted years of his life.

 

[Galu]

Grabbing a chunk of asteroid!

Watch live tomorrow, courtesy of NASA, as the OSIRIS-REx probe descends towards asteroid Bennu.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe will snag a piece of an asteroid Tuesday! Here's how to watch. | Space