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How I swapped my ivory tower for the world of science fiction

nature.com

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Re: How I swapped my ivory tower for the world of science fiction

#81
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes and no. The photographer needs a nice photo, she needs the article to sell books and not get traped again in the ivory tower. Eveyone is happy. It's part of the job. Like politician using a suit and smiling. (Aparently smiling people with suits don't steal or start random wars.) I looked at the equations, they look correct but so unrelated that made me chuckle. I imagine she was chuckling while writing them. I'm…

Anyone recognize all the equations? I only recognize a few specifically and can sort of guess the general area of some of the rest. From left to right then top to bottom: 1. No idea. Based on the E sub λ, the use of Planck's and Boltzmann's constants, and the e^(hc/λkt)-1 I'd guess its the energy of something at wavelength λ and temperature t. I don't recall ever seeing energy have a factor of 1/λ^5 before college wa…

I pasted the photo into ChatGPT. Here's what it came up with.

The whiteboard contains several famous physics equations. Here are the ones I can identify:

1. *Einstein's field equations (General Relativity):* \[ E = \frac{8\pi G}{3} \left( \rho + \frac{\Lambda}{8\pi G} \right) \] \[ R_{\mu\nu} - \frac{1}{2} R g_{\mu\nu} + \Lambda g_{\mu\nu} = \frac{8 \pi G}{c^4} T_{\mu\nu} \]

2. *Planck's law:* \[ E = h\nu \] \[ E = \frac{hc}{\lambda} \]

3. *Schrödinger equation (Quantum Mechanics):* \[ i\hbar \frac{\partial \psi}{\partial t} = \hat{H} \psi \]

4. *Lagrangian mechanics:* \[ L = T - V \] where \( T \) is kinetic energy and \( V \) is potential energy.

5. *Newton's law of universal gravitation:* \[ F = G\frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} \]

6. *Friedmann equations (Cosmology):* \[ \left(\frac{\dot{a}}{a}\right)^2 = \frac{8\pi G}{3} \rho - \frac{k}{a^2} \]

7. *Coulomb's law:* \[ F = k_e \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2} \]

8. *Boltzmann's entropy formula:* \[ S = k_B \ln \Omega \]

9. *Maxwell's equations (Electromagnetism):* \[ \nabla \cdot \mathbf{E} = \frac{\rho}{\epsilon_0} \] \[ \nabla \times \mathbf{B} - \mu_0 \epsilon_0 \frac{\partial \mathbf{E}}{\partial t} = \mu_0 \mathbf{J} \]

10. *The cosmological equation:* \[ \ddot{a} = -\frac{4 \pi G}{3} (\rho + 3p) a + \frac{\Lambda}{3} a \]

11. *Thermodynamic identity:* \[ dU = TdS - PdV \]

This collection of equations spans various domains of physics, including quantum mechanics, general relativity, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and cosmology.

Re: How I swapped my ivory tower for the world of science fiction

#82
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The US system is a mini-monarchy Think what you like about the effectiveness of the US system, but it's not a monarchy in any way, shape, or form. A monarchy requires power (or at least a position that's supposed to have power, as most modern monarchies are really just figureheads) to be inherited. Sure, once in a while US presidents get to that position partly because of family connections (FDR, GWB), but that's no…

What I think is irrelevant, I'm not even USAian, I paraphrased an opinion held by the anti-Federalist founders held during the (US) constitutional debates. Clearly these were crazy people far divorced from reality as we know it modern times: During the ratification debates, Antifederalists charged that the President would become an elected monarch, that cabals would develop to ensure his reelection, and that the pres…

I'm not sure what your point is here. The US President is not a monarch, and even if some antifederalists used the term "elected monarch", they were obviously using it as a sort of hyperbole, rather than the normal and accepted definition of the word "monarch". Even if he somehow managed to subvert the normal checks and balances and use his power to turn himself into a dictator, that doesn't make him a monarch. Franco, Hitler, Mussolini, and Hussein were dictators too, but they were never monarchs. Monarchy is an institution where the head of state is an inherited position; anything that doesn't meet this definition is not a monarchy.

Re: How I swapped my ivory tower for the world of science fiction

#83
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I think is irrelevant, I'm not even USAian, I paraphrased an opinion held by the anti-Federalist founders held during the (US) constitutional debates. Clearly these were crazy people far divorced from reality as we know it modern times: During the ratification debates, Antifederalists charged that the President would become an elected monarch, that cabals would develop to ensure his reelection, and that the pres…

I'm not sure what your point is here. The US President is not a monarch, and even if some antifederalists used the term "elected monarch", they were obviously using it as a sort of hyperbole, rather than the normal and accepted definition of the word "monarch". Even if he somehow managed to subvert the normal checks and balances and use his power to turn himself into a dictator, that doesn't make him a monarch. Franc…

You're so hung up on the heredity angle you've missed the complaint inherent in the point being made during the drawing up of the US Constitution and implicit in my use of the phrase mini-Monarch .. states in which supreme authority is vested in an individual ruler and veer towards succession being tightly controlled.

Re: How I swapped my ivory tower for the world of science fiction

#84
post #81
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anyone recognize all the equations? I only recognize a few specifically and can sort of guess the general area of some of the rest. From left to right then top to bottom: 1. No idea. Based on the E sub λ, the use of Planck's and Boltzmann's constants, and the e^(hc/λkt)-1 I'd guess its the energy of something at wavelength λ and temperature t. I don't recall ever seeing energy have a factor of 1/λ^5 before college wa…

I pasted the photo into ChatGPT. Here's what it came up with. The whiteboard contains several famous physics equations. Here are the ones I can identify: 1. *Einstein's field equations (General Relativity):* \[ E = \frac{8\pi G}{3} \left( \rho + \frac{\Lambda}{8\pi G} \right) \] \[ R_{\mu\nu} - \frac{1}{2} R g_{\mu\nu} + \Lambda g_{\mu\nu} = \frac{8 \pi G}{c^4} T_{\mu\nu} \] 2. *Planck's law:* \[ E = h\nu \] \[ E = \…

It's interesting and amazing that most of those results by ChapGPT are completely wrong.

The only ones that got right are 5 and 6 that are 10 and 11 in the GP numbering. 5->10 was an easy one. 6->11 was one of the equations we coudn't identify, but ChatGPT got correctly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedmann_equations

Re: How I swapped my ivory tower for the world of science fiction

#85
post #61
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's reductive to say it's political. Trek at its best asks philosophical questions and explores the arguments. At its worst there's the "warp travel causes pollution, let's implement a speed limit" episode. Sure, you can reduce the Cardassians to being bad mid century Europeans. But you can also think of them as ruthlessly following the standards of utilitarianism. (Also bad) Saying it's just politics is laz…

I guess it depends on the episode, and I do prefer when it's more abstract, but when do you think it's political if indirectly advocating for example gay rights or environmental protections isn't?

I wouldn't say it's about any particular issue. It's whether they have an interesting dialectic or whether issues are painted as right versus wrong with little room for interpretation.
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