tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post3536229306685807138..comments2024-03-28T17:13:01.117+10:00Comments on Condensed concepts: What are the ten most remarkable scientific ideas?Ross H. McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950455939572097456noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-33330329265808077552014-04-30T22:53:16.120+10:002014-04-30T22:53:16.120+10:00Your number 4 has my strong support.
Also, the un...Your number 4 has my strong support.<br /><br />Also, the universe obeys universal laws that can be described using simple mathematics.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-66877810258194386172014-04-30T02:15:24.370+10:002014-04-30T02:15:24.370+10:001. The speed of light is a constant in all inertia...1. The speed of light is a constant in all inertial frames<br /><br />2. All fundamental particles come in only two known types - bosons and fermionsGautam Menonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13380130705745922128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-66420525803384833512014-04-29T19:32:56.195+10:002014-04-29T19:32:56.195+10:00I am not quite sure about point 3 for the followin...I am not quite sure about point 3 for the following reasons: <br /><br />1) Firstly, fine-tuning of the fundamental constants is only one of three explanations for the constancy and fineness of the fundamental constants; the other two being the multiverse, and Wheeler's it-from-bit. (The multiverse is not testable but so aren't many aspects of quantum mechanics.) <br /><br />2) Moreover, although recent experiments suggests temporal constancy of the fundamental constants, I am not sure if this is resolved. For example, as you suggest in point 9, without evolution as an explanation for speciation almost everything about life would seem fine-tuned. It is not clear to me that the universe did not evolve from similar simple rules; this is somewhat along the lines of the it-from-bit theory, where --- because information is assumed to be an innate property of the universe --- we shouldn't be surprised if information content keeps increasing (If so, why is information an innate property? That might still be counted as remarkable, of course.)<br /><br />3) Finally it seems to me that a case for fine-tuning is almost always made in absolute terms; it could be that the constants (some of them at least) are tuned only relative to each other, which then indeed does not require fine-tuning. For example Weinberg makes the point about one of the resonance energy-levels of carbon-12 that are required for its abundant production, one of the oft-cited arguments for fine-tuning: he says that if measured with respect to carbon's ground state, then it is indeed a 1% fine-tuning; but if measured, as he argues should be, with respect to beryllium's energy levels (for fusion with helium), the tuning is only within 20%, which is not very fine.<br /><br />About point 2, given our current theories, I agree. It seems to me that time entering our major theories like quantum mechanics or general relativity not in quite the same way as space, is a sign of this (unless string theory suggests an emergent time from AdS/CFT correspondence?). As a non-expert, I am already a bit wary about stretching these points!<br /><br />And on a general note, I think most remarkable facts are only so because of the order in which we discover the laws: I believe Witten says somewhere* that he can conceive of an alternate planet where string theory is formulated before quantum mechanics, and even before classical mechanics.<br /><br />*Sorry to name-drop without the reference!Vipinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17332111746990936509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-82373868929812347182014-04-29T17:49:52.434+10:002014-04-29T17:49:52.434+10:00I would come up with the following top few:
0. Th...I would come up with the following top few:<br /><br />0. There is no centre in the universe and physical laws are the same everywhere;<br /><br />1. Space-time is relative and can be curved;<br /><br />2. Velocity and position can not be simultaneously measured with absolute certainty, even in principle;<br /><br />3. Vacuum is not empty;<br /><br />4. Universe is expanding;S.Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14981363200876054628noreply@blogger.com