Hi Hedgie,

What can you tell me about mathematics and science (particularly
Physics) which relates to every day hands on experiences?

With my self-limiting understanding of physics (I WISH I had now
studied this at school, instead of listening to the "smart kids"
telling me how difficult it was to comprehend) what can you tell me
about physics? It has intrigued me since. I'm 42 Hedgie. Is it too
late to contemplate a course of some kind? Should I just rely on
people such as you to give me answers? Can you help me to learn? After
some thought on this, I believe that pulleys for example have a
multiplying and dividing affect. I'm picturing a block and tackle.
Please excuse my unlearned terminology. The way I see it, a pulley
will create maybe twice as much lifting power, but we need twice as
much rope or cable to do the job. Am I on the right track? What is the
ratio of weight/pulleys/length of cable? How do we calculate this with
a basic calculator in a shed environment?

I'm not a complete idiot. I can balance an aircraft for safe take-off,
cruise and landing within the specified limits. I was licensed to do
so for various aircraft types. I treated each departure as if my own
Mother was aboard. I never exceeded beyond one kilogram within the
limitations. The Load Control function has since changed and is now
done remotely, yet it does work (with my assistance of correction).
This of course is only a miniscule responsibility for a Captain of an
aircraft if my services are unavailible at his/her point of departure.

What I want is your easy speak understanding of all things logic
applied to that as described above, and/or your application of maths
and how it relates to day-to-day activities that us unleraned might
not even be aware.

Kind regards, Phil

---

Clarification of Question by silver777-ga on 04 Feb 2005 22:29 PST

Unlearned even!

Hi Phil

     Since this is the first 'for Hedgie' question I ever got -  and I
need rebound from two stars I just got for the finite/infinite
universe question
     http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=460093
I feel motivated to answer this well. 
I will even run this through a spell checker :-)
      
     The observation
" a pulley will create maybe twice as much lifting power,but we need
twice as much rope or cable to do the job "
  
  is certainly a  good entry point to physics. You divide the two and
get a constant. That constant here is energy - and if you understand
the concept of energy, you do understand a big chunk of physics. But
it was a journey for mankind to go from the simple experiments with
pulleys to the abstract principles we now have -- and it is journey
for every adept - be it a student, amateur or professional, who
decides explore that realm. It all  starts with collection of facts -
but one can  proceed to grasp some deep and productive and beautiful
mathematical models..
   
   I feel it is worth to start, and continue, at any age. I started
quite early - and I am still learning (and I am older then you :-) . I
am not sure about a course though. People learn differently, but I
would think more of a book or rather books. If you did look at my past
answers, when people asked how to 'get into it' (as this student did)
    http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=461654
    you know I do recommend Asimov (who was quite weak in math) but
had a great ability to make the adventures of discovery  come alive
(see NONFICTION General Science) in
  http://www.asimovonline.com/oldsite/asimov_catalogue.html
  
  Does the understanding of physics help in the 'everyday life' ?
   
   Well - it sometimes helps one to get and do a job - and  (which is
particularly useful for those who were born in troubled parts of the
world) even a job in different countries of this world. Physics, just
next to math, is a universal knowledge.
  
  It sometimes helps a citizen to cast his vote to promote sensible policies 
  http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=456343
  
  It sometimes helps one to get a handle on a practical issue
  http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=451450
  
  but one really does not applies that to everyday life too often; in
some sense - it is an esoteric knowledge - unless applied to teaching,
applied research, technology..
  
  Recently I enjoyed these books:
  
       http://www.2think.org/hii/wilson.shtml
        http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393317552/104-2847508-5235145
	
which are not about today's physics, not written by the physics ts,
but which in some sense foretell a way in which physics may be
evolving, following the path sketched by these early visionaries:
	
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Lotka.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin	

One day, perhaps, perhaps still in time, the understanding of complex
systems,  may help people not only to build a great machines, but also
decide how to use them wisely,  help us make to make better decisions
for our little planet..

   Please, feel free to post an RFC to direct this ramble to more concrete corner..

Hedgie

---

Request for Answer Clarification by silver777-ga on 05 Feb 2005 20:45 PST

Hi Hedgie,

Well done. You now have the 10 bucks. Enjoy a cheap wine and some cashews.

For the 5 stars, please reference physics in relation to what I asked
in my fourth paragraph. " .. logic applied to that as above .. "
referring to aircraft. That is, in particular how and why the forces
of air pressure act upon a wing to create lift. Please reference
differing wing shapes, in particular the wing tip gates. e.g. A
737-700/800 with upturned wing tips will "trick" the wing into
"believing" that it is longer than it is, due to the compression of
air about the upper surface of the wing. Refer to negative air bleed
and turbulence over and about the standard wing tip if you can find
such reference. If not, please don't spend too much time on this. You
are at 4.5 stars already!!!! For our general discussion you might like
to compare upturned wing tips to that of an eagle. Also, the MAC (Mean
Aerodynamic Chord) of different shaped wings with the same surface
area. Funny how science and technology immitates nature. I liken the
helicopter to a dragonfly.

Whatever else you can suggest/discuss will be fine. I appreciate your
references so far. Again, well done.

Phil

---

Clarification of Answer by hedgie-ga on 06 Feb 2005 05:04 PST

Phil,
    This is getting too complex for me. I could handle the negative air bleed,
 but the apparent diappearance and reappearance of old probono spooks me.
 These are not even re-incarnations - but what ...  re-handle-ations???

I assumed that he perished in a duel, or perhaps is sitting in
Paraquan jail - failing to register as blood donor.  And here is goes again.

I do not wish him any harm, but I did not miss comments like this one
---------------
Subject: Re: Why 2 + 2 = 4 always ? 
 From: probonopublico-ga on 19 Apr 2004 11:16 PDT 
 An aquation, Hedgie?
Surely you mean aquestrian ... Something to do with horses??
-------------------------------------------
which are better handled by a search engine: 
like this: aquation ? Did you mean: equation

Perhaps I should explain, that when I said (in answer id=460093)
..It is even worse with general public, which has same atitude to this
question as adolescents ...
I was not thinking of public in general, certainly not about our
esteemed customers. I was referring to 'explanations' proposed in the
comments to that question, at most to general silly comments like " I
do not know anything about that -- but I had this goofy idea that ..."
which confuse GA with a newsgroup. Sometime, what comes across as
arrogance is simply a clumsy English, and (unfortunately) often an
attempted joke is interpreted as a bad English :-) when everything,
grammar and spelling is not standard. Please do
not that I mean 'standard' not 'perfect' - as those are not a same thing.

What I like about GA is the global discourse, a stream of (semi)consciousness,
less idle, less filled with flames and ego games than a newsgroup, due
to moderators vigilance and token payments --discourse and commentary
on global culture which may be a fleeting thought in Global Brain ...
http://www.peterussell.com/index2.html
 Participation gives me chance to wonder about statements like "pardon
me if you are a foreigner..." (in id=460093 rating), as already
contemplated in
http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,0_0140025146,00.html
and womder if improved search algortihm will ever replace researchers,
and if that would be a good or bad thing ...

I hope I did not loose decimal fractions of my 4.5 stripes with this
clarification .

Hedgie

---

Clarification of Answer by hedgie-ga on 06 Feb 2005 05:07 PST

Correction of a typo

Please do not that..

should be

Please do note,  that..

---

Request for Answer Clarification by silver777-ga on 06 Feb 2005 16:04 PST

Hedgie,

Have you viewed Andy's further response to question #460093?

Phil

---

Clarification of Answer by hedgie-ga on 06 Feb 2005 20:59 PST

Phil
         Thanks for the note re: further response to question #460093?

I just went back to add a comment.
In my view you did fulfill your obligations. It turned out my answer 
was less succinct then I expected. May I should have stopped at "NO"? :-)
Thanks for facilitation the additional exchange with Andy.

Hedgie

---

Request for Answer Clarification by silver777-ga on 06 Feb 2005 21:55 PST

Hedgie,

My pleasure. However, I was still correct. The answer to the question
was NO. My bet was that there would be no succinct answer beyond
theories.

A little open to interpretation perhaps. 

All the best, Phil

---

Clarification of Answer by hedgie-ga on 07 Feb 2005 07:56 PST

Hmmmm mm,
 This may be an issue about which reasonable people could disagree.
 Way I understand Andy's post is this:

Question:
Have astronomers, astrophysicists, cosmologists, and general
physicists decided definitely whether the universe is infinite or
finite?
there was also some BTW sharing:
Also, what I don't understand ...

The answer to the question was NO. It is succinct and factual. No theories here.

There is lot of theories about that he does not understand - but that was
not part of the question. It was just musing.

However, your bet was offered to him, and he did not pick up the challenge --
-- so there is no issue here. We can still ask him what the question
was.  He may know. Quite possibly I did not  understand his question.
(That would explain his latest offer of 3 stars  :-)
We may ask him - but frankly I consider this id=441496 more interesting.
I was wondering recently (getting ready to deal with taxes :-(   ) what
would happen if Lincon would let the South cecede. Recalling the blue/red
map, Bush would win presidency in Confederacy and Kerry in the North, slavery
would eventually be abolished anyway, and everybody would be happier.
US would not have these nervewracking 50%-50% elections, which are so
confusing to people in Europe.

But if UK would really invade, it may bring some benefits. Looks like UK
tax system is much more simple than the US system. May be UK
authorities woud allow Americans just to buy some stamps for important
documents, pay excise tax on tea and would abolish all those 200 000
pages of the US tax code. That slogan, 'No taxation without
representation' sounded well, but the results, the practical
implementation -that was not so great.

Well answered with further reference to publications and other
discussions on the topic. The time and energy spent in answering
proved the dollars and rating were well earnt.

Phil, 

Sorry but at 42, you are now far too old to learn Math & Science even
though you have really pushed the boat out by lashing out $10.

I still can't believe it.

What next?

Mike

Subject: Re: english earl about 1900 initals C M
From: politicalguru-ga on 24 Apr 2004 04:15 PDT 	 

huh? Miko = Bryan?

My! Anne-Marie, what a sharp eyed young lady you are. Now we know that
after setting the two of us together as combatants and disappearing
with the gate money, our promoter now reappears as a nine ball coronet
running a 4-1-9 scam. What a leopard!!  And to think that after
suddenly withdrawing his ?Heaven? question and disappearing, he had us
all wondering if he had suddenly become unwell and was getting a few
?I?m sorry?s? in before the final curtain. I think that we should both
go to a café and buy each other a few drinks while we discuss
arranging a duel between our mutual alias and the Grim Reaper. What do
you say?

Phil, you could always ask me, but that would be like the partially
sighted leading the blind. If you want to learn science stuff and
don?t want to do a course and on the same principle that the cheapest
way to buy technology is two generations old, then why not go to the
second hand department of your local University book shop just after
the end of term time and see what you can pick up cheaply?

Norman

 (The genuine and original but sometimes stepping behind the curtain
to reappear as the incredible Capitaine Formidable).

Hi,

Bryan .... 

Yes you are dreaming. Please wake up as your services are required. I
want to see the old Probo back. I'm sure others would agree.

Do share your motivation of cloak and dagger sculduggery. I trust that
no one has created offence to cause you to resort to this veil of
intrigue. I do hope that you are well. You had outwitted the likes of
I, even though the writing style reminded me of a friend here with
whom I had conversed. I mistakenly dismissed that thought as nothing
other than a similarity of intelligence and demographics.

Well done. You win. If you would like me to close the other topic I
had set up for your and our enjoyment as the head honcho there, please
say so. I apologise if I had made an assumption in fun that you did
not want to persue.


Anne-Marie ....

I viewed your reference to M = B. At first I thought it was someone
else posting comment to another question by mistake. The timing might
have been coincidental. But having looked further at the usage of
words, separated paragraphs, correct spelling and grammar, and general
style, I do believe that you are correct. 'Twas a good game he played.
A pity that he may not realise how well liked the old Probo was. Then
again, I should wait for his response, if ever offered again from and
as Bryan.

Oh that's right .. they're just words on a screen aren't they? Silly me.

Phil

Hiya Norman,

I neither duel nor deal with people hiding behind masks...........
but the pub would be fine!!

Anne-Marie

Hi Anne-Marie,

I have been telling everyone for almost two months now, that Capitaine
Formidable is already dead; however as his living representative on
earth, I would be pleased to have a drink with you anytime.

Norman

And who else would have the ability to be able to actually disagree with himself?

None other than ..

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=441496