Editing 675: Revolutionary
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | The comic contrasts brilliant revolutionary scientific thought with the simplistic arrogance of assuming one understands the current scientific theory enough to correct it | + | {{incomplete|Reading, learning, and understanding is much harder than presenting a simple theory.}} |
+ | The comic contrasts brilliant revolutionary scientific thought with the simplistic arrogance of assuming one understands the current scientific theory enough to correct it. The character with the goatee has a degree in {{w|philosophy}}, and perhaps has certain ideas of his own about how the world should fundamentally be described by physics. He has studied Einstein's {{w|theory of special relativity}} for less than an hour and thinks it is wrong, and that he has a better theory. When confronted about this, he considers the objection as based in {{w|dogma}}, and remains so confident that he wants to email the "president of physics". His ignorance of the field is emphasized by thinking that the entire field of physics has a president - although certain important organizations such as the {{w|American Physical Society}} do have presidents. | ||
[[Cueball]] concedes that it is possible for such a revolutionary idea to come from a relative outsider. One example is {{w|Albert Einstein}}'s own formulation of {{w|special relativity}}, which came while he was working at a patent office in Switzerland, although he did already have a Ph.D in physics. A {{w|thought experiment}} considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences. | [[Cueball]] concedes that it is possible for such a revolutionary idea to come from a relative outsider. One example is {{w|Albert Einstein}}'s own formulation of {{w|special relativity}}, which came while he was working at a patent office in Switzerland, although he did already have a Ph.D in physics. A {{w|thought experiment}} considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences. | ||
− | The "racecar on a train" idea alludes to thought experiments involving {{w|Frame_of_reference#Simple_example|frames of reference}}, which are important in relativity | + | The "racecar on a train" idea alludes to thought experiments involving {{w|Frame_of_reference#Simple_example|frames of reference}}, which are important in relativity. |
− | + | The title text compares two possible scenarios: | |
− | + | *That I have uncovered fundamental flaws in this field that no one in it has ever thought about (implying that decades of work by numerous physicists is fundamentally incorrect) | |
− | The title text | ||
− | *That decades of work by numerous physicists is fundamentally incorrect | ||
*That I need to read a little more | *That I need to read a little more | ||
− | + | Usually, when someone with little understanding of the subject (such as the philosopher) thinks that they have found a flaw, it takes only a little bit more reading to discover that the flaw is in fact completely explained already. The 'Hint: its the one which involves less work', points out that its far less work to read through the existing knowledge on the subject than re-derive it from first principles. | |
− | |||
− | |||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:Cueball: Yes, science is an open process in which a good idea can come from anybody. | :Cueball: Yes, science is an open process in which a good idea can come from anybody. | ||
− | :Cueball: Yes, widely-believed theories are | + | :Cueball: Yes, widely-believed theories are on occasion overturned by simple thought experiments. |
:Cueball: And yes, your philosophy degree equips you to ask interesting questions sometimes. | :Cueball: And yes, your philosophy degree equips you to ask interesting questions sometimes. |