7 ms·

This is awesome, but did they really need to use "supernatural"? There's an explanation for the strength using the laws of physics (or, dare I say, Nature) ergo

This is awesome, but did they really need to use "supernatural"? There's an explanation for the strength using the laws of physics (or, dare I say, Nature) ergo it is not "supernatural"

deleted 3y ago
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mym1990 3y ago
If the outcome is stronger than what would be found in nature, I would find this to be "supernatural". Of course the term could get watered down as anything manipulated and altered by human or machine could be deemed supernatural I guess.
- thfuran 3y ago
  But elemental titanium doesn't occur in nature in the first place, so the straining of terminology seems ill-founded unless we want to call my titanium spoon supernatural as well.
  - blagie 3y ago
    I do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO0pcWxcROI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO0pcWxcROI
  - Brian_K_White 3y ago
    It does occur in nature. Every chunk of it that exists, is currently existing in nature. The fact that usually, on earth, it's always in some compound and we have to extract it by some process is irrelevant. That does not make distilled titanium "supernatural", merely organized. We took some mixed stuff and seperated it into unmixed stuff. A pile of graded pebbles all the same size is not spernatural.
    - thfuran 3y ago
      >That does not make distilled titanium "supernatural", merely organized Supernaturally organized and supernaturally spoon-shaped if we're to accept the parent's terminology. Which, you'll note, I have not suggested we should do.
  - mym1990 3y ago
    Right, my mistake, the definition of supernatural I would like to take is actually referring to the strength of the material, and not the material itself. In my original comment I made a reference to both of those things, but side by side the definitions are confusing.
- CyberDildonics 3y ago
  In your real life then, would you tell someone to their face that an aluminum can is "supernaturally" strong?
  - mym1990 3y ago
    I do not see myself doing that in a conversation, on a scale of 0-100 my involvement in material science is 0, however I could see a scientist somewhere having that conversation.
    - CyberDildonics 3y ago
      supernatural: attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernatural https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernatural 1: of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe especially : of or relating to God or a god, demigod, spirit, or devil 2: departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature If we put this all together, you think scientists are saying to each other that aluminum cans are beyond scientific understanding and they transcend the observable universe. Do I have all this right? Do you think maybe you misunderstood what supernatural means?
- anigbrowl 3y ago
  We already have 'artificial' for this.
  - mym1990 3y ago
    Artificial strength does almost nothing to progress my understanding of what the strength level is, supernatural strength gives me a sense that whatever was made is very, very, very strong.
    - thfuran 3y ago
      “Incredible” or “exceptional” does that without implying that the cause is magical or otherwise outside of the domain of science.
- Brian_K_White 3y ago
  It IS found in nature. They fabricated them and they actually exist. Existing in reality in the universe by whatever means, is existing in nature. Supernatural is imaginary. Aside from that, even taking the layman idea of "natural" meaning merely not artificial, the structures are literally based on structures found in "nature" in the first place, as in both organic fractal structures and inorganic things like volcanic foams.
  - mym1990 3y ago
    I think supernatural is describing strength, not the pattern itself. A water lily that has a similar lattice structure does not have supernatural strength. Supernatural is imaginary in the way many concepts of language are imaginary, they simply convey ideas. You could explain to me in detailed technical terms what the discovery was, but you would probably lose me 4 words in because I am not in that field. I see my error in my comment though...my idea of supernatural as something that is much stronger than what is typically found in nature vs my idea of supernatural as something that is found in nature but has been modified. Those two understandings are at odds with each other and confusing.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]

This is awesome, but did they really need to use "supernatural"? There's an explanation for the strength using the laws of physics (or, dare I say, Nature) ergo it is not "supernatural"

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

mym1990 3y ago

If the outcome is stronger than what would be found in nature, I would find this to be "supernatural". Of course the term could get watered down as anything manipulated and altered by human or machine could be deemed supernatural I guess.

thfuran 3y ago
But elemental titanium doesn't occur in nature in the first place, so the straining of terminology seems ill-founded unless we want to call my titanium spoon supernatural as well.
- blagie 3y ago
  I do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO0pcWxcROI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO0pcWxcROI
- Brian_K_White 3y ago
  It does occur in nature. Every chunk of it that exists, is currently existing in nature. The fact that usually, on earth, it's always in some compound and we have to extract it by some process is irrelevant. That does not make distilled titanium "supernatural", merely organized. We took some mixed stuff and seperated it into unmixed stuff. A pile of graded pebbles all the same size is not spernatural.
  - thfuran 3y ago
    >That does not make distilled titanium "supernatural", merely organized Supernaturally organized and supernaturally spoon-shaped if we're to accept the parent's terminology. Which, you'll note, I have not suggested we should do.
- mym1990 3y ago
  Right, my mistake, the definition of supernatural I would like to take is actually referring to the strength of the material, and not the material itself. In my original comment I made a reference to both of those things, but side by side the definitions are confusing.
CyberDildonics 3y ago
In your real life then, would you tell someone to their face that an aluminum can is "supernaturally" strong?
- mym1990 3y ago
  I do not see myself doing that in a conversation, on a scale of 0-100 my involvement in material science is 0, however I could see a scientist somewhere having that conversation.
  - CyberDildonics 3y ago
    supernatural: attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernatural https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernatural 1: of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe especially : of or relating to God or a god, demigod, spirit, or devil 2: departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature If we put this all together, you think scientists are saying to each other that aluminum cans are beyond scientific understanding and they transcend the observable universe. Do I have all this right? Do you think maybe you misunderstood what supernatural means?
anigbrowl 3y ago
We already have 'artificial' for this.
- mym1990 3y ago
  Artificial strength does almost nothing to progress my understanding of what the strength level is, supernatural strength gives me a sense that whatever was made is very, very, very strong.
  - thfuran 3y ago
    “Incredible” or “exceptional” does that without implying that the cause is magical or otherwise outside of the domain of science.
Brian_K_White 3y ago
It IS found in nature. They fabricated them and they actually exist. Existing in reality in the universe by whatever means, is existing in nature. Supernatural is imaginary. Aside from that, even taking the layman idea of "natural" meaning merely not artificial, the structures are literally based on structures found in "nature" in the first place, as in both organic fractal structures and inorganic things like volcanic foams.
- mym1990 3y ago
  I think supernatural is describing strength, not the pattern itself. A water lily that has a similar lattice structure does not have supernatural strength. Supernatural is imaginary in the way many concepts of language are imaginary, they simply convey ideas. You could explain to me in detailed technical terms what the discovery was, but you would probably lose me 4 words in because I am not in that field. I see my error in my comment though...my idea of supernatural as something that is much stronger than what is typically found in nature vs my idea of supernatural as something that is found in nature but has been modified. Those two understandings are at odds with each other and confusing.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]