Life, the universe, and everything.

[Bunkermagnet]

Perhaps the answer is "who cares, and what does it matter anyway". We will all be dead long before anything changes...including our grand children.

 

[Hobbit]

Seems like none of you guys know about the supreme law of the universe.
It's called the 2nd law of thermodynamics and explains why the universe starts with low entropy and moves to high entropy.
Stars will burn off all their fuel and even black holes will evaporate, leaving nothing but radiation.

If you find this boring then consider this.
The Earth weighs nearly 6 billion trillion metric tons and yet it is suspended in space.
If you can explain why, I'll give a like.
Clue: It was explained by one man in the first quarter of the last century..

Don’t you find the 4 laws restrictive in themselves, hence as more is learned another law is formulated? No doubt that when Carnot(?) wrote his initial paper, that was the defining tome but within 20+ years that was already expanded upon and another law formulated to ‘cover’ what Carnot missed. And so it continued through to the current 4th law - I wonder when the 5th law will appear?

But to question(argue) the laws in the real, not the metaphysical, I do wonder why systems are used to define the laws but does that really only happen in isolation. In the real world systems affect other systems, and because of that energy transfer from one system to another can’t achieve equilibrium because of the leakage into other systems.

Way more intelligent, focused scientists understand the laws far better than I do. However, with so many interdependencies and potential areas for energy leakage I do wonder if each law should come with a “but.” And as much as I enjoy a metaphysical debate around the fringes of the laws I’d rather just play bowls or golf.

 

[stefanovic]

I don't see where anybody has mentioned Einstein.
That was the guy who had problems filling in his tax returns and getting rescued at sea on numerous occasions.
There is a a limit to genius after all.
But he did explain that space is curved and why there is no such thing as a force of attraction called gravity.
Newton knew this but he couldn't explain why.

The Earth is actually in freefall, keeping its distance from the sun in the curvature of space by large objects.
It falls at a speed of about 60,000 mph relative to the sun which itself is in revolving around the galaxy in one of its spiral arms at a speed of 448,000 mph.
Which means we are all space travellers so hold tight and enjoy the ride.
To be fair we still can't quite explain 'gravity' because we don't yet have a theory of quantum gravity which can be tested.

 

[IanM]

I remember lower school physics. The teacher dropped a tennis ball to the floor.

Why does it fall downward, he asked.

Cos there's nothing underneath it Sir, came the reply.

Sometimes just knowing that much is sufficient!

 

[stefanovic]

Don’t you find the 4 laws restrictive in themselves, hence as more is learned another law is formulated? No doubt that when Carnot(?) wrote his initial paper, that was the defining tome but within 20+ years that was already expanded upon and another law formulated to ‘cover’ what Carnot missed. And so it continued through to the current 4th law - I wonder when the 5th law will appear?

But to question(argue) the laws in the real, not the metaphysical, I do wonder why systems are used to define the laws but does that really only happen in isolation. In the real world systems affect other systems, and because of that energy transfer from one system to another can’t achieve equilibrium because of the leakage into other systems.

Way more intelligent, focused scientists understand the laws far better than I do. However, with so many interdependencies and potential areas for energy leakage I do wonder if each law should come with a “but.” And as much as I enjoy a metaphysical debate around the fringes of the laws I’d rather just play bowls or golf.

Carnot is correct., but metaphysical means beyond physics and there are only the known laws of physics which number over 100.
Physicists have over the years tried to break the 2nd law of thermodynamics without success.
Another big player in its history is Boltzmann who provided a statistical formula.

If it is ever found to be flawed there is certain to be a revolution in physics.
In science everything can be falsified, so it's always work in progress.

 

[stefanovic]

I know this thread is dull and boring, and I'm about to make it even worse by asking why there are so many different life forms on our planet.
Since ancient times various philosophers have wondered about this, but their story takes too long.
So I'm only going to mention a few people here.

Erasmus Darwin, when not advancing the industrial revolution (he founded the Lunar Society) was a keen zoologist and botanist.
In his back garden in Lichfield and while possibly tending to his herb garden, it occurred to him there might be unseen filaments which underpin all life.

Fast forward to the next century and his grandson Charles from nearby Shrewsbury also started to develop an interest in natural history and geology.
After his return from a round the world trip, the story goes he was pacing up and down his garden path when the reason for the variety and complexity of life was all down to natural selection.
This is like a very long version of artificial selection. He was helped in this idea by correspondence with another Englishman called Alfred Wallace.

Fast forward to the last century, and a female doing science at a time it was frowned upon.
Rosalind Franklin messing around with X Ray Crystallography brought up an image of the actual filament of life which she recognised as a double helix.
She was never given the proper credit until recently, because Crick, Watson and other males took all the credit at the time.
Thanks to her, in all the history of this planet the secret of life was found in England and within my very own lifetime.

The structure of DNA: How Dr Rosalind Franklin contributed to the story of life | Feature from King's College London

 

[stefanovic]

Now we're at the winter solstice it's as good a time as any to contemplate the meaning of life.
With the sun seemingly being swallowed by the forces of darkness, past generations feared the worst.
When the danger passed a few days later it was a time for a party.
I think life means many things to different people.

So for the golfer it might be to break the course record.
For mathematicians the number 42 is as good an answer as any.
For chemists it could be to hydrogenate carbon dioxide.
For quantum physicists there is no meaning of life because we live in dice-world of probability.
For biologists it'a all about getting your genes into a future generation.

16 years ago I was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The meaning of life for me is, well, life itself.

 

[Crow]

There isn't a meaning to life, that's where everyone goes wrong.

 

[stefanovic]

There isn't a meaning to life, that's where everyone goes wrong.

Apart from quantum physicists then.
Did you read the full post #47 ?
It is correct because of the nature of life in relation to the quantum uncertainty principle.
It means there is no absolute time, place or motion.
No past, no present, no future.
All depends upon how sub atomic particles behave.

The probability of life beginning cannot be calculated.
Even your existence depended upon your parents meeting, and back down any number of generations of similar events.
The paradox here is that events don't actually happen.
The best answer we have is what's known as the Many World's Interpretation of quantum physics.
It's led physicists to question if anything actually exists.

 

[bobmac]

It is impossible to know both exactly where I am and exactly where I'm going. This idea, known as Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, has been a key part of studying the quantum realm for almost a decade – but now I'm even more certain about my uncertainty.

 

[Fade and Die]

Apart from quantum physicists then.
Did you read the full post #47 ?
It is correct because of the nature of life in relation to the quantum uncertainty principle.
It means there is no absolute time, place or motion.
No past, no present, no future.
All depends upon how sub atomic particles behave.

The probability of life beginning cannot be calculated.
Even your existence depended upon your parents meeting, and back down any number of generations of similar events.
The paradox here is that events don't actually happen.
The best answer we have is what's known as the Many World's Interpretation of quantum physics.
It's led physicists to question if anything actually exists.

Easily proved by the statement “I think, therefore I am”

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Is it time to wake up yet?

 

[rulefan]

Easily proved by the statement “I think, therefore I am”

But the problem is that many/most believe "I am, therefore I think"

 

[stefanovic]

It is impossible to know both exactly where I am and exactly where I'm going. This idea, known as Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, has been a key part of studying the quantum realm for almost a decade – but now I'm even more certain about my uncertainty.

Easy way to understand this is when Heisenberg was pulled over by a cop for speeding.
Asked if he knew what speed he was doing, he replied: No, officer. That's because I know exactly where I am.

In the quantum, you can't measure both speed and position with accuracy. Only one or the other. The act of measurement influences the result.
2 people standing together and looking at the moon will see 2 diferent moons.

Richard Feynmann quote: “I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.