Welcome 2005: Celebrating the Int'l Yr of Physics!

In summary, Shuzan said that if the short staff is not called a short staff then it is ignored and if it is called a short staff then it is the reality. He also mentioned the law of the excluded middle and how it can fail.
  • #1
Kea
859
0
Happy New Year - reply to Lubos

HAPPY 2005 EVERYBODY

Let us welcome the International Year of Physics! There is a
poster on the wall in the corridor here, saying "Help make 2005
another miraculous year".

Well, I don't know that I can do much - but one can try.

I've posted here, because it takes days for my posts to appear on Strings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Shuzan held out his short staff and said: "If you call this a
short staff, you oppose its reality. If you do not call it a
short staff, you ignore the fact. Now what do you wish to call
this?"
Zen koan

In classical (Boolean) logic the law of the excluded middle

[tex]U \vee \neg U = \textrm{true}[/tex]

holds. Consider the following examples of its failure.

1. The collection of subspaces of a Hilbert space [itex]\mathcal{H}[/itex] forms an algebra under intersection [itex]\wedge[/itex] and [itex]U \vee V[/itex] the smallest subspace containing both U and V. [itex]\neg[/itex] is the orthogonal complement (hence the need for inner product). False is the zero subspace and true is the full
space [itex]\mathcal{H}[/itex].

2. The open sets of the two dimensional sphere under the
operations of intersection and union, with [itex]\neg U[/itex] the
interior of the complement (it can't be the complement because
that's not an open set). False is the empty set, and true the
whole sphere.

This second example is interesting because it describes the two
sphere as a category (with an arrow between open sets when there
is an inclusion) which underlies the sheaf of germs of analytic
functions...anyway, think of it as the celestial sphere of an
observer in GR and it turns up in twistor theory.

One might also consider the axiom of choice. The 'local' version
of this also forces Booleanness on one's logic.

So we're going to have to be rather careful with which mathematics
we use if we want a description of the quantum world that is
sophisticated enough to describe decoherence, for instance.

As far as I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong, Lubos) String
theorists are quite keen on twistors at the moment, but they do
not address these questions.

Kea :cool:
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
I would have preferred your post to start and end in 'Happy 2005 everyone!'
:rofl:
 
  • #3
Sad, but true: A retarded greeting such as "Happy 2005! Einstein rawks! luv y'all" would have yielded much more meaning to me. :(
 
  • #4
Happy 2005 everyone!

Einstein RAWKS!

Luv y'all! ('specially our neice, recon :biggrin:)
 
  • #5
It won't be 2005 in the Pacific Time Zone for another 8 hours, but either way: Happy New Year, everyone!
 
  • #6
Happy New Year everyone!
Einstein meows!.

[he's my cat]
 
  • #7
Am I the only one who reset my watch to the exact time at 12:00?
 

1. What is the International Year of Physics?

The International Year of Physics (IYP) is a year-long celebration that was declared by the United Nations in 2005 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein's groundbreaking theories in physics. It aims to promote the importance of physics in our daily lives and to inspire interest in the subject among people of all ages.

2. Why is 2005 specifically chosen as the International Year of Physics?

2005 marks the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein's publication of his famous equation, E=mc², and three other groundbreaking papers that revolutionized the field of physics. This makes it a significant year to celebrate and honor the contributions of physics to our modern world.

3. How is the International Year of Physics celebrated?

The IYP is celebrated through various events and activities such as conferences, lectures, exhibitions, and educational programs. These events are organized by physics societies, educational institutions, and other organizations around the world to promote the understanding and appreciation of physics.

4. What is the goal of the International Year of Physics?

The main goal of the IYP is to raise awareness and promote interest in physics among the general public, especially young people. It also aims to highlight the importance of physics in addressing global challenges and to encourage international collaboration in scientific research.

5. How can I get involved in the International Year of Physics?

There are many ways to get involved in the IYP, such as attending events, participating in educational programs, and spreading awareness through social media. You can also support physics education and research by donating to organizations that promote these causes. Check with your local physics society or educational institution for more ways to get involved.

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