4 ms·

if radiation propagate, there are movement. Imagine if even particle generation and radiation propagation stops.

by lucio 12y ago

wyager 12y ago
Your premise doesn't make any sense. Those things cannot possibly occur. It is generally not useful to consider the consequence of falsehoods.
- dllthomas 12y ago
  It is often useful to consider the consequence falsehoods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_experiment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_experiment I think this one runs some risk of begging the question, though, so unless we make it significantly more precise we're unlikely to get anything useful out of it.
  - wyager 12y ago
    Thought experiments generally consider the consequence of something that could be true.
    - dllthomas 12y ago
      I don't think that's true, depending partly on how we define "could", but we're getting off into the weeds. In this case, we're trying to understand aspects of the laws of physics; getting at the consequences if they differed subtly could be tremendously useful - akin to a proof by contradiction.
      - wyager 12y ago
        > getting at the consequences if they differed subtly could be tremendously useful Sure, but that doesn't describe "What if radiation and quantum noise stopped moving?". That's just a dumb question. We can't really derive anything interesting from its consideration. It's along the lines of "What if you dropped a rock and it didn't fall?" What if?
        dllthomas 12y ago
        If you dropped a rock and it didn't fall, you could infer that probably either you are outside an appreciable gravitational field or there's some force counteracting the gravitational field you're in. In any event, I agree that the question is not likely to be useful, but as I said I think that is because it subtly begs the question in a way that isn't likely to be clear without it being stated quite a bit more formally. "That's just a dumb question." While "there are no dumb questions" is an overstatement, I think your tone throughout this has been unnecessarily hostile (not toward me, mind you). You could have done more to educate, you chose to abuse, and in a way that stepped into inaccuracy to boot.
        wyager 12y ago
        >If you dropped a rock and it didn't fall, you could infer that probably either you are outside an appreciable gravitational field or there's some force counteracting the gravitational field you're in. Perhaps my example was not appropriate, because I described something that could happen (which is what might allow us to have a useful thought experiment). I couldn't think of anything to match the irrelevance or off-basedness of the radiation-stopping question. >You could have done more to educate, you chose to abuse "Abuse" is quite hyperbolic in this situation. And you're right, I could have done more to educate, but I also don't have infinite time to give helpful and constructive corrections to every stupid comment on the internet. Sometimes you just make it clear that the comment is stupid, so no one else accidentally takes it as reasonable, and leave.
        dllthomas 12y ago
        '"Abuse" is quite hyperbolic in this situation.' I certainly didn't mean it in its strongest sense. "I also don't have infinite time to give helpful and constructive corrections to every stupid comment on the internet." But you have time to give poor responses. I suggest you reorganize your time. "Sometimes you just make it clear that the comment is stupid, so no one else accidentally takes it as reasonable, and leave." I don't think that's what it tells people. You didn't explain, in a useful way, why it was unreasonable. So all people know is 1) someone on the internet thinks this comment sucks (which is almost tautological), and 2) comments are more likely to be met with negativity than assistance (which is harmful to our community).

if radiation propagate, there are movement. Imagine if even particle generation and radiation propagation stops.

by lucio 12y ago

if radiation propagate, there are movement. Imagine if even particle generation and radiation propagation stops.

Your premise doesn't make any sense. Those things cannot possibly occur. It is generally not useful to consider the consequence of falsehoods.

dllthomas 12y ago
It is often useful to consider the consequence falsehoods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_experiment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_experiment I think this one runs some risk of begging the question, though, so unless we make it significantly more precise we're unlikely to get anything useful out of it.
- wyager 12y ago
  Thought experiments generally consider the consequence of something that could be true.
  - dllthomas 12y ago
    I don't think that's true, depending partly on how we define "could", but we're getting off into the weeds. In this case, we're trying to understand aspects of the laws of physics; getting at the consequences if they differed subtly could be tremendously useful - akin to a proof by contradiction.
    - wyager 12y ago
      > getting at the consequences if they differed subtly could be tremendously useful Sure, but that doesn't describe "What if radiation and quantum noise stopped moving?". That's just a dumb question. We can't really derive anything interesting from its consideration. It's along the lines of "What if you dropped a rock and it didn't fall?" What if?
      - dllthomas 12y ago
        If you dropped a rock and it didn't fall, you could infer that probably either you are outside an appreciable gravitational field or there's some force counteracting the gravitational field you're in. In any event, I agree that the question is not likely to be useful, but as I said I think that is because it subtly begs the question in a way that isn't likely to be clear without it being stated quite a bit more formally. "That's just a dumb question." While "there are no dumb questions" is an overstatement, I think your tone throughout this has been unnecessarily hostile (not toward me, mind you). You could have done more to educate, you chose to abuse, and in a way that stepped into inaccuracy to boot.
        wyager 12y ago
        >If you dropped a rock and it didn't fall, you could infer that probably either you are outside an appreciable gravitational field or there's some force counteracting the gravitational field you're in. Perhaps my example was not appropriate, because I described something that could happen (which is what might allow us to have a useful thought experiment). I couldn't think of anything to match the irrelevance or off-basedness of the radiation-stopping question. >You could have done more to educate, you chose to abuse "Abuse" is quite hyperbolic in this situation. And you're right, I could have done more to educate, but I also don't have infinite time to give helpful and constructive corrections to every stupid comment on the internet. Sometimes you just make it clear that the comment is stupid, so no one else accidentally takes it as reasonable, and leave.
        dllthomas 12y ago
        '"Abuse" is quite hyperbolic in this situation.' I certainly didn't mean it in its strongest sense. "I also don't have infinite time to give helpful and constructive corrections to every stupid comment on the internet." But you have time to give poor responses. I suggest you reorganize your time. "Sometimes you just make it clear that the comment is stupid, so no one else accidentally takes it as reasonable, and leave." I don't think that's what it tells people. You didn't explain, in a useful way, why it was unreasonable. So all people know is 1) someone on the internet thinks this comment sucks (which is almost tautological), and 2) comments are more likely to be met with negativity than assistance (which is harmful to our community).