Don Koks
Jul4-04, 08:39 AM
<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no,location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>\n============== Welcome! to the Physics Newsgroups =========\n\nThe sci.physics.* and alt.sci.physics.* newsgroups are forums devoted\nto the discussion of physics and physics-related topics.\n\nThe contributors to these newsgroups constitute a diverse group of\nlaypeople, students, engineers, and other professionals in addition\nto professional physicists. All are united by an interest in\nphysics, and all are welcome to contribute postings here.\n\nThe Physics Newsgroup FAQ is available from a number of Web sites\nfocused physics newsgroups have their own FAQs, which are regularly\nposted in the appropriate newsgroups. The Physics Newsgroup FAQ is\navailable only as a web document since it is too big and uses images\nand equations that cannot be transformed into text.\n\nSome of the newsgroups have their charter residing in the Faq\narchive. To read these, see\nwww.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~dkoks/Faq/Administrivia/newsgroups.html\n\n\n- Newsgroups for General Physics Discussions -\n\nsci.physics is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the discussion\nof mainstream physics (except relativity), news from the physics\ncommunity, and physics-related social issues.\n\nsci.physics.relativity is an open forum for discussions about the\ntheory of relativity, from elementary level to research level\ndiscussions, from dissemination of new theoretical ideas to\nspeculative attacks on the foundations of relativity. In\ngeneral, threads in this group should -not- be crossposted to\nsci.physics, unless they involve quantum physics or grand\nunification schemes that lie outside the topics suggested above.\nThe charter is held in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).\n\nalt.sci.physics.new-theories is an open forum for discussion of any\ntopics related to conventional or unconventional physics. In\nthis context, "unconventional physics" includes any ideas on\nphysical science, whether or not they are widely accepted by the\nmainstream physics community.\n\nsci.physics.research is a moderated newsgroup designed to offer an\nenvironment with less traffic and more opportunity for discussion\nof serious topics in physics among experts and beginners alike.\nThe charter for this group is in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for\nurl).\n\n- Specialized Physics Newsgroups -\n\nsci.physics.particle is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the\ndiscussion of all aspects of particle physics by people with all\nlevels of expertise. The charter for this group may be read in\nthe Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).\n\nsci.physics.accelerators is an unmoderated newsgroup for issues\nrelating to particle accelerators and the physics of beams.\nThe charter for this group is in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for\nurl).\n\nalt.sci.physics.acoustics is an unmoderated newsgroup for issues\nrelating to sound and acoustics. Its FAQ and a set of informal\nrules are held in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).\n\nsci.physics.cond-matter is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the\ndiscussion of the physics of condensed matter. The charter for\nthis group may be read in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).\n\nsci.physics.computational.fluid-dynamics is an unmoderated newsgroup\nfor discussion of computational fluid dynamics with a charter at\nthe Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).\n\nsci.physics.electromag is an unmoderated newsgroup with its own FAQ\ndedicated to the discussion of topics pertaining to\nelectromagnetics. The FAQ and charter are held in the Newsgroup\nFAQ (see above for url).\n\nsci.physics.fusion is an unmoderated newsgroup with its own FAQ\ndedicated to the discussion of nuclear fusion; refer to the\nNewsgroup FAQ (see above for url).\n\nsci.physics.plasma is a moderated newsgroup serving the plasma\nscience and technologies community. The charter for this group\nmay be read in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).\n\nalt.sci.physics has no known reason for existing, but it does.\n\n- Other Languages -\n\nde.sci.physik is the German language group for physics discussions.\n\nfj.sci.physics is the Japanese language group for physics\ndiscussions.\n\n\n========================= Posting Guidelines =======================\n\n- All Are Welcome -\n\nWe welcome contributions from newcomers, including questions at all\nlevels of expertise. However, we do ask that "newbies" always check\nthe FAQ (see the next section) -before- posting any questions,\nbecause experience has shown that chances are very good that a very\nsimilar question is answered there. (The word FAQ is, after all, an\nacronym for "Frequently Asked Questions".)\n\n"Wild and crazy ideas" are also acceptable in the appropriate\nnewsgroups, (alt.sci.physics.new-theories and sci.physics.relativity)\nbut please be sure to check the available FAQs before posting to\navoid the embarrassment of posting something based on a VCM (very\ncommon misconception).\n\n\n- Crossposting is Discouraged -\n\nCross-posting from one physics newsgroup to another newsgroup is, in\ngeneral, strongly discouraged. It is almost always best to post a\nquestion in the one group which seems best suited rather than\ncross-posting it to several groups.\n\nIf you respond to a message which is cross-posted to irrelevant\ngroups, please remove the other groups from the Newsgroup line in the\nheader of your response, or use the Followup line in the header to\ndirect further followups to just one or two groups. Cross-posting is\n-sometimes- acceptable if it is limited to at most two or three other\nnewsgroups, in each of which the topic is clearly acceptable and is\nnot considered overly speculative.\n\nFor example, discussions about black holes and cosmology can be\ncross-posted to sci.astro, but discussion of faster-than-light travel\nor the twin paradox should be posted only to sci.physics.relativity.\nLikewise, theories intended to topple the Standard Model should be\nposted only to alt.sci.physics.new-theories.\n\n\n- Newsgroups Devoted to Speculative Physics -\n\nPlease note that sci.physics is -not- considered an appropriate forum\nfor the discussion of unconventional physics.\n\nThe newsgroup specifically dedicated to the discussion of\n"alternative" physics is alt.sci.physics.new-theories, and is the\nappropriate forum for discussion of physics ideas which are not\nwidely accepted by the physics community. The charter for\nsci.physics.relativity also allows for speculative subjects.\n\n\n- Posting Netiquette -\n\nIf you are replying to another post, please be sure to cut out all\nirrelevant text, and to make every effort to ensure that it is clear\nwho said what. It may be advisable to lurk here for a while to see\nhow experienced posters accomplish this. Realise too that if another\nposter has placed\n\nX-No-archive: yes\n\nas the first line of their message, then it means that they are\ninstructing well-behaved retrieval engines not to archive the text.\nSo please do likewise: don\'t copy their message into yours.\n\nWhile many people post through Google at http://groups.google.com, be\naware that Google only archives messages: it doesn\'t display messages\nmarked as above for no archiving.\n\nThe most effective posts are concise, clearly expressed, and focus on\na very specific point. It is always a good idea to re-read what you\nhave written (and to employ a spell-checker!) -before- posting your\nmessage. It is also wise to make sure that your subject line\nconcisely and accurately describes the content of the message.\n\nDon\'t post textbook problems in the hope that someone will do your\nhomework for you. Do your own homework; it\'s good for you. On the\nother hand, questions, even about elementary physics, are always\nwelcome. So if you want to discuss the physics which is relevant to\nyour homework, feel free to do so. Be warned that you may still have\nplenty of work to do, trying to figure out which of the many answers\nyou get are correct.\n\nYour postings will be read by thousands of people so it is worth\ntaking a minute to read it back and check the spelling, grammar and\npunctuation before posting. If your browser has the capability,\npreviewing your post to check how it would actually look online is a\nwise precaution.\n\n- No Flames, Please! -\n\nBe prepared for heated discussion. People have strong opinions about\nthe issues, and discussions can get a little "loud" at times. Don\'t\ntake it personally if someone seems to always jump all over\neverything you say. Everyone was jumping all over everybody long\nbefore you got there! You can keep the discussion at a low boil by\ntrying to stick to the facts. Clearly separate facts from\nopinion--don\'t let people think you are confusing your opinions with\nscientific truth. And keep the focus of discussion on the ideas, not\nthe people who post them.\n\nTolerate everyone. People of many different points of view, and\nwidely varying educational backgrounds from around the world\nparticipate in these newsgroups. Respect for others will be returned\nin kind. Personal criticism is usually not welcome.\n\nFinally, it is important to always bear in mind that some behavior is\ndecidedly -unwelcome- at any time in this newsgroup, including:\n\n* spamming of any kind,\n* cross-posting to large numbers of unrelated newsgroups,\n* posting on wildly irrelevant topics,\n* repeated postings of identical messages,\n* abusive flaming.\n\nBottom line: if you wouldn\'t say it in front of your mother or your\nboss, please don\'t say it here.\n\nIf you respond to a message which is cross-posted to irrelevant\ngroups, please remove the other groups from the Newsgroup line in the\nheader of your response, or use the Followup line in the header to\ndirect further followups to just one or two groups. Cross-posting is\n-sometimes- acceptable if it is limited to at most two or three other\nnewsgroups, in each of which the topic is clearly acceptable and is\nnot considered overly speculative. For example, discussions about\nblack holes and cosmology can be cross-posted to sci.astro, but\ndiscussion of faster-than-light travel or the twin paradox should be\nposted only to sci.physics.relativity.\n\n\n=========== The Physics Newsgroup FAQ and Where to Find It =======\n\nThe Physics Newsgroup FAQ is available at a number of web sites. You\ncan obtain the FAQ at\n\nAustralia:\nhttp://hermes.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~dkoks/Faq\n\nCanada:\nhttp://www.stillmoving.ca/physics/usenetFAQ.php\n\nGermany:\nhttp://www.desy.de/pub/www/projects/Physics\n\nNetherlands:\nhttp://www.xs4all.nl/~johanw/PhysFAQ\n\nTaiwan:\nhttp://www.phys.ncku.edu.tw/mirrors/physicsfaq\n\nUSA:\nhttp://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics\nhttp://scope.joemirando.net/faqs\nhttp://www.obscure.org/physics-faq\nhttp://www.edu-observatory.org/physics-faq\n\nThe current editor of the Physics Newsgroup FAQ is Don Koks, who may\nbe reached by email at\n\ndkoks@remove.this.physics.adelaide.edu.au\n\nNote that I use spam-deleting software, so if an email to me receives\nno reply in a few days, please try sending it again with no html.\n\n\n=========================== Related FAQs ===========================\n\nThere are many other places where you may find answers to your\nquestions. This is a partial list of other FAQs and answer archives\nthat are related to physics. A more complete list may be found in\nthe Physics Newsgroup FAQ.\n\nFrequently Asked Questions in Astronomy\nhttp://sciastro.astronomy.net\n\nAsk the Astronomer\nhttp://itss.raytheon.com/cafe/qadir/qanda.html#top\n\nRelativity on the World Wide Web\nhttp://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/relativity.html\n\nalt.sci.physics.acoustics FAQ\nhttp://www.campanellaacoustics.com/faq.htm#basic\n\nSci/chem FAQ\nhttp://isc.faqs.org/faqs/sci/chem-faq\n\nSpace\nhttp://www.faqs.org/faqs/space\n\n======================= This Welcome Message =======================\n\nThis welcome message will be reposted in the some sci.physics.*\nnewsgroups every month, and will be occasionally updated by the\nwelcome editor. Currently, the welcome editor is the same as the\neditor of the Physics Newsgroup FAQ, Don Koks.\n\nWe hope that you will find your participation in these groups to be\nenjoyable, informative, and productive!\n\n====================================================================\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form"> View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>============== Welcome! to the Physics Newsgroups =========
The sci.physics.* and alt.sci.physics.* newsgroups are forums devoted
to the discussion of physics and physics-related topics.
The contributors to these newsgroups constitute a diverse group of
laypeople, students, engineers, and other professionals in addition
to professional physicists. All are united by an interest in
physics, and all are welcome to contribute postings here.
The Physics Newsgroup FAQ is available from a number of Web sites
focused physics newsgroups have their own FAQs, which are regularly
posted in the appropriate newsgroups. The Physics Newsgroup FAQ is
available only as a web document since it is too big and uses images
and equations that cannot be transformed into text.
Some of the newsgroups have their charter residing in the Faq
archive. To read these, see
www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~dkoks/Faq/Administrivia/newsgroups.html
- Newsgroups for General Physics Discussions -
sci.physics is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the discussion
of mainstream physics (except relativity), news from the physics
community, and physics-related social issues.
sci.physics.relativity is an open forum for discussions about the
theory of relativity, from elementary level to research level
discussions, from dissemination of new theoretical ideas to
speculative attacks on the foundations of relativity. In
general, threads in this group should -not- be crossposted to
sci.physics, unless they involve quantum physics or grand
unification schemes that lie outside the topics suggested above.
The charter is held in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
alt.sci.physics.new-theories is an open forum for discussion of any
topics related to conventional or unconventional physics. In
this context, "unconventional physics" includes any ideas on
physical science, whether or not they are widely accepted by the
mainstream physics community.
sci.physics.research is a moderated newsgroup designed to offer an
environment with less traffic and more opportunity for discussion
of serious topics in physics among experts and beginners alike.
The charter for this group is in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for
url).
- Specialized Physics Newsgroups -
sci.physics.particle is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the
discussion of all aspects of particle physics by people with all
levels of expertise. The charter for this group may be read in
the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.accelerators is an unmoderated newsgroup for issues
relating to particle accelerators and the physics of beams.
The charter for this group is in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for
url).
alt.sci.physics.acoustics is an unmoderated newsgroup for issues
relating to sound and acoustics. Its FAQ and a set of informal
rules are held in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.cond-matter is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the
discussion of the physics of condensed matter. The charter for
this group may be read in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.computational.fluid-dynamics is an unmoderated newsgroup
for discussion of computational fluid dynamics with a charter at
the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.electromag is an unmoderated newsgroup with its own FAQ
dedicated to the discussion of topics pertaining to
electromagnetics. The FAQ and charter are held in the Newsgroup
FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.fusion is an unmoderated newsgroup with its own FAQ
dedicated to the discussion of nuclear fusion; refer to the
Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.plasma is a moderated newsgroup serving the plasma
science and technologies community. The charter for this group
may be read in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
alt.sci.physics has no known reason for existing, but it does.
- Other Languages -
de.sci.physik is the German language group for physics discussions.
fj.sci.physics is the Japanese language group for physics
discussions.
========================= Posting Guidelines =======================
- All Are Welcome -
We welcome contributions from newcomers, including questions at all
levels of expertise. However, we do ask that "newbies" always check
the FAQ (see the next section) -before- posting any questions,
because experience has shown that chances are very good that a very
similar question is answered there. (The word FAQ is, after all, an
acronym for "Frequently Asked Questions".)
"Wild and crazy ideas" are also acceptable in the appropriate
newsgroups, (alt.sci.physics.new-theories and sci.physics.relativity)
but please be sure to check the available FAQs before posting to
avoid the embarrassment of posting something based on a VCM (very
common misconception).
- Crossposting is Discouraged -
Cross-posting from one physics newsgroup to another newsgroup is, in
general, strongly discouraged. It is almost always best to post a
question in the one group which seems best suited rather than
cross-posting it to several groups.
If you respond to a message which is cross-posted to irrelevant
groups, please remove the other groups from the Newsgroup line in the
header of your response, or use the Followup line in the header to
direct further followups to just one or two groups. Cross-posting is
-sometimes- acceptable if it is limited to at most two or three other
newsgroups, in each of which the topic is clearly acceptable and is
not considered overly speculative.
For example, discussions about black holes and cosmology can be
cross-posted to sci.astro, but discussion of faster-than-light travel
or the twin paradox should be posted only to sci.physics.relativity.
Likewise, theories intended to topple the Standard Model should be
posted only to alt.sci.physics.new-theories.
- Newsgroups Devoted to Speculative Physics -
Please note that sci.physics is -not- considered an appropriate forum
for the discussion of unconventional physics.
The newsgroup specifically dedicated to the discussion of
"alternative" physics is alt.sci.physics.new-theories, and is the
appropriate forum for discussion of physics ideas which are not
widely accepted by the physics community. The charter for
sci.physics.relativity also allows for speculative subjects.
- Posting Netiquette -
If you are replying to another post, please be sure to cut out all
irrelevant text, and to make every effort to ensure that it is clear
who said what. It may be advisable to lurk here for a while to see
how experienced posters accomplish this. Realise too that if another
poster has placed
X-No-archive: yes
as the first line of their message, then it means that they are
instructing well-behaved retrieval engines not to archive the text.
So please do likewise: don't copy their message into yours.
While many people post through Google at http://groups.google.com, be
aware that Google only archives messages: it doesn't display messages
marked as above for no archiving.
The most effective posts are concise, clearly expressed, and focus on
a very specific point. It is always a good idea to re-read what you
have written (and to employ a spell-checker!) -before- posting your
message. It is also wise to make sure that your subject line
concisely and accurately describes the content of the message.
Don't post textbook problems in the hope that someone will do your
homework for you. Do your own homework; it's good for you. On the
other hand, questions, even about elementary physics, are always
welcome. So if you want to discuss the physics which is relevant to
your homework, feel free to do so. Be warned that you may still have
plenty of work to do, trying to figure out which of the many answers
you get are correct.
Your postings will be read by thousands of people so it is worth
taking a minute to read it back and check the spelling, grammar and
punctuation before posting. If your browser has the capability,
previewing your post to check how it would actually look online is a
wise precaution.
- No Flames, Please! -
Be prepared for heated discussion. People have strong opinions about
the issues, and discussions can get a little "loud" at times. Don't
take it personally if someone seems to always jump all over
everything you say. Everyone was jumping all over everybody long
before you got there! You can keep the discussion at a low boil by
trying to stick to the facts. Clearly separate facts from
opinion--don't let people think you are confusing your opinions with
scientific truth. And keep the focus of discussion on the ideas, not
the people who post them.
Tolerate everyone. People of many different points of view, and
widely varying educational backgrounds from around the world
participate in these newsgroups. Respect for others will be returned
in kind. Personal criticism is usually not welcome.
Finally, it is important to always bear in mind that some behavior is
decidedly -unwelcome- at any time in this newsgroup, including:
* spamming of any kind,
* cross-posting to large numbers of unrelated newsgroups,
* posting on wildly irrelevant topics,
* repeated postings of identical messages,
* abusive flaming.
Bottom line: if you wouldn't say it in front of your mother or your
boss, please don't say it here.
If you respond to a message which is cross-posted to irrelevant
groups, please remove the other groups from the Newsgroup line in the
header of your response, or use the Followup line in the header to
direct further followups to just one or two groups. Cross-posting is
-sometimes- acceptable if it is limited to at most two or three other
newsgroups, in each of which the topic is clearly acceptable and is
not considered overly speculative. For example, discussions about
black holes and cosmology can be cross-posted to sci.astro, but
discussion of faster-than-light travel or the twin paradox should be
posted only to sci.physics.relativity.
=========== The Physics Newsgroup FAQ and Where to Find It =======
The Physics Newsgroup FAQ is available at a number of web sites. You
can obtain the FAQ at
Australia:
http://hermes.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~dkoks/Faq
Canada:
http://www.stillmoving.ca/physics/usenetFAQ.php
Germany:
http://www.desy.de/pub/www/projects/Physics
Netherlands:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~johanw/PhysFAQ
Taiwan:
http://www.phys.ncku.edu.tw/mirrors/physicsfaq
USA:
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics
http://scope.joemirando.net/faqs
http://www.obscure.org/physics-faq
http://www.edu-observatory.org/physics-faq
The current editor of the Physics Newsgroup FAQ is Don Koks, who may
be reached by email at
dkoks@remove.this.physics.adelaide.edu.au
Note that I use spam-deleting software, so if an email to me receives
no reply in a few days, please try sending it again with no html.
=========================== Related FAQs ===========================
There are many other places where you may find answers to your
questions. This is a partial list of other FAQs and answer archives
that are related to physics. A more complete list may be found in
the Physics Newsgroup FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions in Astronomy
http://sciastro.astronomy.net
Ask the Astronomer
http://itss.raytheon.com/cafe/qadir/qanda.html#top
Relativity on the World Wide Web
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/relativity.html
alt.sci.physics.acoustics FAQ
http://www.campanellaacoustics.com/faq.htm#basic
Sci/chem FAQ
http://isc.faqs.org/faqs/sci/chem-faq
Space
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/space
======================= This Welcome Message =======================
This welcome message will be reposted in the some sci.physics.*
newsgroups every month, and will be occasionally updated by the
welcome editor. Currently, the welcome editor is the same as the
editor of the Physics Newsgroup FAQ, Don Koks.
We hope that you will find your participation in these groups to be
enjoyable, informative, and productive!
====================================================================
The sci.physics.* and alt.sci.physics.* newsgroups are forums devoted
to the discussion of physics and physics-related topics.
The contributors to these newsgroups constitute a diverse group of
laypeople, students, engineers, and other professionals in addition
to professional physicists. All are united by an interest in
physics, and all are welcome to contribute postings here.
The Physics Newsgroup FAQ is available from a number of Web sites
focused physics newsgroups have their own FAQs, which are regularly
posted in the appropriate newsgroups. The Physics Newsgroup FAQ is
available only as a web document since it is too big and uses images
and equations that cannot be transformed into text.
Some of the newsgroups have their charter residing in the Faq
archive. To read these, see
www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~dkoks/Faq/Administrivia/newsgroups.html
- Newsgroups for General Physics Discussions -
sci.physics is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the discussion
of mainstream physics (except relativity), news from the physics
community, and physics-related social issues.
sci.physics.relativity is an open forum for discussions about the
theory of relativity, from elementary level to research level
discussions, from dissemination of new theoretical ideas to
speculative attacks on the foundations of relativity. In
general, threads in this group should -not- be crossposted to
sci.physics, unless they involve quantum physics or grand
unification schemes that lie outside the topics suggested above.
The charter is held in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
alt.sci.physics.new-theories is an open forum for discussion of any
topics related to conventional or unconventional physics. In
this context, "unconventional physics" includes any ideas on
physical science, whether or not they are widely accepted by the
mainstream physics community.
sci.physics.research is a moderated newsgroup designed to offer an
environment with less traffic and more opportunity for discussion
of serious topics in physics among experts and beginners alike.
The charter for this group is in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for
url).
- Specialized Physics Newsgroups -
sci.physics.particle is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the
discussion of all aspects of particle physics by people with all
levels of expertise. The charter for this group may be read in
the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.accelerators is an unmoderated newsgroup for issues
relating to particle accelerators and the physics of beams.
The charter for this group is in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for
url).
alt.sci.physics.acoustics is an unmoderated newsgroup for issues
relating to sound and acoustics. Its FAQ and a set of informal
rules are held in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.cond-matter is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated to the
discussion of the physics of condensed matter. The charter for
this group may be read in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.computational.fluid-dynamics is an unmoderated newsgroup
for discussion of computational fluid dynamics with a charter at
the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.electromag is an unmoderated newsgroup with its own FAQ
dedicated to the discussion of topics pertaining to
electromagnetics. The FAQ and charter are held in the Newsgroup
FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.fusion is an unmoderated newsgroup with its own FAQ
dedicated to the discussion of nuclear fusion; refer to the
Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
sci.physics.plasma is a moderated newsgroup serving the plasma
science and technologies community. The charter for this group
may be read in the Newsgroup FAQ (see above for url).
alt.sci.physics has no known reason for existing, but it does.
- Other Languages -
de.sci.physik is the German language group for physics discussions.
fj.sci.physics is the Japanese language group for physics
discussions.
========================= Posting Guidelines =======================
- All Are Welcome -
We welcome contributions from newcomers, including questions at all
levels of expertise. However, we do ask that "newbies" always check
the FAQ (see the next section) -before- posting any questions,
because experience has shown that chances are very good that a very
similar question is answered there. (The word FAQ is, after all, an
acronym for "Frequently Asked Questions".)
"Wild and crazy ideas" are also acceptable in the appropriate
newsgroups, (alt.sci.physics.new-theories and sci.physics.relativity)
but please be sure to check the available FAQs before posting to
avoid the embarrassment of posting something based on a VCM (very
common misconception).
- Crossposting is Discouraged -
Cross-posting from one physics newsgroup to another newsgroup is, in
general, strongly discouraged. It is almost always best to post a
question in the one group which seems best suited rather than
cross-posting it to several groups.
If you respond to a message which is cross-posted to irrelevant
groups, please remove the other groups from the Newsgroup line in the
header of your response, or use the Followup line in the header to
direct further followups to just one or two groups. Cross-posting is
-sometimes- acceptable if it is limited to at most two or three other
newsgroups, in each of which the topic is clearly acceptable and is
not considered overly speculative.
For example, discussions about black holes and cosmology can be
cross-posted to sci.astro, but discussion of faster-than-light travel
or the twin paradox should be posted only to sci.physics.relativity.
Likewise, theories intended to topple the Standard Model should be
posted only to alt.sci.physics.new-theories.
- Newsgroups Devoted to Speculative Physics -
Please note that sci.physics is -not- considered an appropriate forum
for the discussion of unconventional physics.
The newsgroup specifically dedicated to the discussion of
"alternative" physics is alt.sci.physics.new-theories, and is the
appropriate forum for discussion of physics ideas which are not
widely accepted by the physics community. The charter for
sci.physics.relativity also allows for speculative subjects.
- Posting Netiquette -
If you are replying to another post, please be sure to cut out all
irrelevant text, and to make every effort to ensure that it is clear
who said what. It may be advisable to lurk here for a while to see
how experienced posters accomplish this. Realise too that if another
poster has placed
X-No-archive: yes
as the first line of their message, then it means that they are
instructing well-behaved retrieval engines not to archive the text.
So please do likewise: don't copy their message into yours.
While many people post through Google at http://groups.google.com, be
aware that Google only archives messages: it doesn't display messages
marked as above for no archiving.
The most effective posts are concise, clearly expressed, and focus on
a very specific point. It is always a good idea to re-read what you
have written (and to employ a spell-checker!) -before- posting your
message. It is also wise to make sure that your subject line
concisely and accurately describes the content of the message.
Don't post textbook problems in the hope that someone will do your
homework for you. Do your own homework; it's good for you. On the
other hand, questions, even about elementary physics, are always
welcome. So if you want to discuss the physics which is relevant to
your homework, feel free to do so. Be warned that you may still have
plenty of work to do, trying to figure out which of the many answers
you get are correct.
Your postings will be read by thousands of people so it is worth
taking a minute to read it back and check the spelling, grammar and
punctuation before posting. If your browser has the capability,
previewing your post to check how it would actually look online is a
wise precaution.
- No Flames, Please! -
Be prepared for heated discussion. People have strong opinions about
the issues, and discussions can get a little "loud" at times. Don't
take it personally if someone seems to always jump all over
everything you say. Everyone was jumping all over everybody long
before you got there! You can keep the discussion at a low boil by
trying to stick to the facts. Clearly separate facts from
opinion--don't let people think you are confusing your opinions with
scientific truth. And keep the focus of discussion on the ideas, not
the people who post them.
Tolerate everyone. People of many different points of view, and
widely varying educational backgrounds from around the world
participate in these newsgroups. Respect for others will be returned
in kind. Personal criticism is usually not welcome.
Finally, it is important to always bear in mind that some behavior is
decidedly -unwelcome- at any time in this newsgroup, including:
* spamming of any kind,
* cross-posting to large numbers of unrelated newsgroups,
* posting on wildly irrelevant topics,
* repeated postings of identical messages,
* abusive flaming.
Bottom line: if you wouldn't say it in front of your mother or your
boss, please don't say it here.
If you respond to a message which is cross-posted to irrelevant
groups, please remove the other groups from the Newsgroup line in the
header of your response, or use the Followup line in the header to
direct further followups to just one or two groups. Cross-posting is
-sometimes- acceptable if it is limited to at most two or three other
newsgroups, in each of which the topic is clearly acceptable and is
not considered overly speculative. For example, discussions about
black holes and cosmology can be cross-posted to sci.astro, but
discussion of faster-than-light travel or the twin paradox should be
posted only to sci.physics.relativity.
=========== The Physics Newsgroup FAQ and Where to Find It =======
The Physics Newsgroup FAQ is available at a number of web sites. You
can obtain the FAQ at
Australia:
http://hermes.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~dkoks/Faq
Canada:
http://www.stillmoving.ca/physics/usenetFAQ.php
Germany:
http://www.desy.de/pub/www/projects/Physics
Netherlands:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~johanw/PhysFAQ
Taiwan:
http://www.phys.ncku.edu.tw/mirrors/physicsfaq
USA:
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics
http://scope.joemirando.net/faqs
http://www.obscure.org/physics-faq
http://www.edu-observatory.org/physics-faq
The current editor of the Physics Newsgroup FAQ is Don Koks, who may
be reached by email at
dkoks@remove.this.physics.adelaide.edu.au
Note that I use spam-deleting software, so if an email to me receives
no reply in a few days, please try sending it again with no html.
=========================== Related FAQs ===========================
There are many other places where you may find answers to your
questions. This is a partial list of other FAQs and answer archives
that are related to physics. A more complete list may be found in
the Physics Newsgroup FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions in Astronomy
http://sciastro.astronomy.net
Ask the Astronomer
http://itss.raytheon.com/cafe/qadir/qanda.html#top
Relativity on the World Wide Web
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/relativity.html
alt.sci.physics.acoustics FAQ
http://www.campanellaacoustics.com/faq.htm#basic
Sci/chem FAQ
http://isc.faqs.org/faqs/sci/chem-faq
Space
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/space
======================= This Welcome Message =======================
This welcome message will be reposted in the some sci.physics.*
newsgroups every month, and will be occasionally updated by the
welcome editor. Currently, the welcome editor is the same as the
editor of the Physics Newsgroup FAQ, Don Koks.
We hope that you will find your participation in these groups to be
enjoyable, informative, and productive!
====================================================================