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That is exactly the point of the story. Gravity works the same way everywhere in this universe (this includes non-earth locations). But instead of applying comm
by rincewind 17y ago
That is exactly the point of the story. Gravity works the same way everywhere in this universe (this includes non-earth locations). But instead of applying common sense, the TA made up a fact about the Moon.
Maybe there is some kind of cognitive bias in the heads of some that makes them think Earth is different from the rest of the universe because we happen to live here.
But that the TA did not apply Occams Razor to this problem seems weird; since he knew Descartes' philosophy, he should not have held this aristotelian world view.
snarkier:
Why not? Most people can probably get through life just fine telling other people nonsense about how gravity works at non-earth locations.
- electromagnetic 17y agoGravity works exactly the same throughout the entire universe, however from our pathetically small perspective on the matter the differences are quite literally astronomical. On a different planet, you'll be able to jump 100 feet into the air, fall the equivalent of about 1,000 feet and not get hurt. Most people can't grasp why, simply because their brains don't compute the monumental scale of things.
- silentOpen 17y agoGravity probably works exactly the same throughout the entire universe.
- electromagnetic 17y agoWell that depends entirely on which theory of gravity you believe in. I personally like the whole anti-theory about gravity being produced by vacuums, because when you argue it against someone unknowlegable it makes pseudo-sense. However anyone with any clue of physics knows this is the easiest debunked theory in the world. I mean vacuum tube factories would have exploded in anti-gravity force.
- vinutheraj 17y agoThat's true, as Feynman put it, you are never absolutely sure of anything in the physical world, everything is reasonably correct by some probability and it's this kind of thinking that is hard to achieve for a normal person, but absolutely essential for a scientist. That's why I am an agnostic, I am not entirely sure of the existence of God, but I am reasonably sure that he/she doesn't exist!