81–90 of 90 posts
An interesting (banned) TEDx talk by Rupert Sheldrake, one part on the changing "fundamental constants", starting here: https://youtu.be/JKHUaNAxsTg?t=591 The other parts are a bit "woo" and I'm sure would be laughed at by the HN crowd. But his points about fundamental "constants" changing, and the metrologists' dogmatic (really, anti-scientific) response, are worth pondering.
Just in case folks are unaware, this is the parapsychology guy that believes the following: > Sheldrake's morphic resonance hypothesis posits that "memory is inherent in nature" and that "natural systems, such as termite colonies, or pigeons, or orchid plants, or insulin molecules, inherit a collective memory from all previous things of their kind" ... Sheldrake proposes that it is also responsible for "telepathy-typ…
It does not make sense, practically. So they'll be using a balance with multiple moving parts made of multiple minerals that have to be precisely calibrated with margins of error adding up, instead of a simple platinum cylinder? Although, it makes sense politically
Most people can continue to depend on prototypes for calibration, so it does not cost us any complexity in that respect. What we're gaining is to be able to independently re-calibrate multiple prototypes.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Ha, the irony! The USA's NIST defines a SI unit to the rest of the world; meanwhile, most of citizens don't know what it is. ...except actually it's the International Committee for Weights and Measures. However I will help you retain your justifiable sense of ironic superiority: the US is one of the 17 original signatories to the metre convention (in May 1875: http://www.bipm.org/en/about-us/member-states/original_…
Submission title says "NIST". > and/or who uses illegal drugs. :)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do they account for potential variations in gravity where they've been doing the measurements? Given how ridiculously sensitive the equipment is the position of the moon probably has an impact on the readings they're getting.
Balance scales work independently of gravity, both sides of the scale are equally affected.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Even if they did use the imperial system, no drug dealer is going to care about a change in the 8th decimal place of the definition of the pound.
Carfentanil is LD50 at 0.05mg. Don't be Bill Gates, 640KB is not enough for everyone and the 8th decimal of the pound is a lethal dose of Carfentanil.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Balance scales work independently of gravity, both sides of the scale are equally affected.
Only if the moon is directly overhead.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Carfentanil is LD50 at 0.05mg. Don't be Bill Gates, 640KB is not enough for everyone and the 8th decimal of the pound is a lethal dose of Carfentanil.
Wait no this doesn't make sense. It's not an 8th decimal of a pound, it's an 8th decimal of what you're measuring . If you're measuring out a pound of Carfentanil you might be off by 0.05mg, but if you're measuring a dose you'll actually take, you won't.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
An Eight-ball is an eighth of an ounce, and it's still one of the most popular ways of asking for coke. It's not really dying out as much as you say.
Okay grandpa.