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picturesofsky
Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 3072
Location: England
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 Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject: In the world of science XLXVIII: 13 nonsensical things |
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http://www.newscientist.com/special/13-more-things
I quite like articles like this. Generally cos they make scientists cross. Click the link above for full links to each article.
| Quote: | Strive as we might to make sense of the world, there are mysteries that still confound us.
Michael Brooks presents thirteen of the most perplexing. Cracking any one of them could yield profound truths.
1.
Axis of evil
Radiation left from the big bang is still glowing in the sky – in a mysterious and controversial pattern
2.
Dark flow
Something unseeable and far bigger than anything in the known universe is hauling a group of galaxies towards it at inexplicable speed
3.
Eocene hothouse
Tens of millions of years ago, the average temperature at the poles was 15 or 20 °C. Now let's talk about climate change
4.
Fly-by anomalies
Space probes using Earth's gravity to get a slingshot speed boost are moving faster than they should. Call in dark matter
5.
Hybrid life
The fusion of two distinct evolutionary lines is not supposed to work – but the seas are teeming with chimeras that prove it can
6.
Morgellons disease
Fatigue? Do you feel insects under your skin? Seen any strange fibres sprouting from your body? Then you've got a disease that's not supposed to exist
7.
The Bloop
During 1997, US undersea monitoring equipment heard a series of sounds far louder than any whale song. They were never heard again
8.
Antimatter mystery
The big bang should have created matter and antimatter in equal amounts – so why didn't the universe disappear in a puff of self-annihilation?
9.
The lithium problem
The universe only contains a third as much lithium as it's supposed to
10
MAGIC results
High-energy radiation from a gamma-ray burst reached Earth 4 minutes later than the lower-energy rays. That's not how Einstein said it would be
11.
The elusive monopole
Why do magnetic poles always come paired as north and south, never alone?
12.
Noise from the edge of the universe
Are dud signals from a gravitational wave detector evidence that the universe is a holographic projection?
13.
The nocebo effect
How a diagnosis of terminal illness can come true – even if it's wrong |
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Ironically, Halen's one of the few people here I wouldn't worry about terrifying my friends and family. In my head he ends every real life conversation stroking his chin and saying, "well yes, that sounds reasonable." |
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Sam
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 9182
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I quite like articles like this. Generally cos they make scientists cross. |
Dro is in fact frothing with anger over the notion that science does not know everything. |
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Usagi Miyamoto
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 2214
Location: wish you were here
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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He's not getting enough lithium.
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The reward for a good life is a good life. |
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picturesofsky
Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 3072
Location: England
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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By "scientists", I mean "annoying people on the internet"
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Ironically, Halen's one of the few people here I wouldn't worry about terrifying my friends and family. In my head he ends every real life conversation stroking his chin and saying, "well yes, that sounds reasonable." |
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WheelsOfConfusion
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 11871
Location: Unknown Kaddath
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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| picturesofsky wrote: | | By "scientists", I mean "annoying people on the internet" |
I've always found Dro's posts delightful, so I have absolutely no idea who you are talking about.
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picturesofsky
Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 3072
Location: England
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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I hate you all.
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Ironically, Halen's one of the few people here I wouldn't worry about terrifying my friends and family. In my head he ends every real life conversation stroking his chin and saying, "well yes, that sounds reasonable." |
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picturesofsky
Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 3072
Location: England
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Apart from Dro. Who is lovely.
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Ironically, Halen's one of the few people here I wouldn't worry about terrifying my friends and family. In my head he ends every real life conversation stroking his chin and saying, "well yes, that sounds reasonable." |
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Dro
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 3850
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Some of those unknowns seem a little weak. Putting "I've got threads coming out of my arm"-disease next to fundamental patterns of radiation being odd seems like a poor choice. *froth froth* |
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Idlethought
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 891
Location: Seattle, WHAAAAAA?!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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Putting the "I've got threads coming out from my arm" next to "everything we know about the universe is fundamentally wrong and we don't know how to fix it" seems like an even poorer choice.
Physics issues >>> all other issues
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"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration." ~Frank Herbert, Dune |
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Arc Tempest
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 4777
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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I was reading about Dark Flow a few days ago, it's fascinating and completely bewildering stuff.
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The older I get, the more certain I become of one thing. True and abiding cynicism is simply a form of cowardice. |
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Sam
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 9182
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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| i like how morgellons is controversial, but definitely not controversial enough for google ads to tell you that a cure with some silver or something is available right away! |
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Darqcyde
Joined: 11 Jul 2006
Posts: 10063
Location: A false vacuum abiding in ignorance.
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:37 am Post subject: |
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| Idlethought wrote: | Putting the "I've got threads coming out from my arm" next to "everything we know about the universe is fundamentally wrong and we don't know how to fix it" seems like an even poorer choice.
Physics issues >>> all other issues |
In some ways yes but in some ways no. After all, the only constant, unchanging fact in all of the entire scientific world is that any previous discovery and/or conclusion can be rendered null and void by future discoveries and/or conclusions.
Being able to say "We were wrong" is perhaps one of the most crucial elements of scientific progress.
Also, I'm drunk. 
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...if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there.
http://12ozlb.blogspot.com Now in book form: http://amzn.to/14E6OFy |
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nathan
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 6277
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:32 am Post subject: |
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Science reporting makes me cross. Totally responsible for destroying the public trust in scientific "experts."
Fuck you, Time magazine.
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All our final decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last. - Marky Mark Proust |
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Usagi Miyamoto
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 2214
Location: wish you were here
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 5:04 am Post subject: cribbed from Boing Boing |
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How Science Reporting Works
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The reward for a good life is a good life. |
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Sam
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 9182
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 6:29 am Post subject: |
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