Vipers Weekly Quiz: Newton, Schrodinger, Hawking

[Viper]

Ok here goes...
Where was Sir Issac Newton born?

Which animal did Schrödinger lock in a box full of radioactive waste?

What was the name of the first book that Hawking published?

 

[Dj Sneaky Whiskers]

a) Some Village, Englandshire, England.

b) He didn't actually lock any animal in a box full o' radioactive waste did he?

c) I believe that would be "Bzzzt Whirrrr! Buy-my-book buy-my-book, and any other pro-duct I hap-pen to en-dorse on Teeee Veeee. Boy-o- boy, the great new taste of physics flavour coke is so re-fresh-ing, I feel like I could con-quer the se-crets of the univerrse now. I rec-com-mend You buysome, after...buy-ing my book. I-yam-best-I-yam-best. Foorrrd make such gud carz, I feel like I could con-quer the se-cretz of the univerrrse in one. Juzt like Iii feel when I eat Kayyy Efff Seee chicken, which I doo Fre-kwent-leee. Buy the book all-reddy now. Bleeep bleep kaboing!"

It remains my favourite of his, the subtle combination of describing physics to the masses and advertising representing his best talents.

 

[Viper]

Question 2
Whats this

 

[FZ+]

A few billion photons of mixed frequency hitting my retina?

 

[C0mmie]

#2: As I recall it wasn't radioactive waste but a small sample of a radiocative material and some kind of a poison that would kill the cat putting it in a state of simultaneously being alive and dead.

 

[quantumdude]

Originally posted by Viper
Ok here goes...
Where was Sir Issac Newton born?

Earth.

Which animal did Schrödinger lock in a box full of radioactive waste?

His wife.

What was the name of the first book that Hawking published?

Who is 'Hawkings'?

 

[C0mmie]

for #3 I'm going to guess "A brief history of time," but I don't really like Hawking as a writer. His book are too oriented towards the general public and are not serious enough for me. I think most people at this forum would agree with me.

 

[LogicalAtheist]

C0mmie - I think hawkins does that on purpose. He often talks about getting the general public to be at least a bit knowledgeable on science.

If they're to simple for you, then thanks for being ALREADY in the scientific community!

 

[Dj Sneaky Whiskers]

Originally posted by C0mmie
His book are too oriented towards the general public and are not serious enough for me. I think most people at this forum would agree with me.

I seem to recall most, if not all, of the introduction to 'A Brief History of Time' was dedicated to how it was a book intended for the layman, including an explanation stating that equations and mathematical laws would not be quoted in full where they were not necessary to giving a general description of what he was trying to explain in the main text.

I think, however, his books are intended to be completely serious within that context, I have yet to interpret them as a romantic comedy...although I'm not denying that they could be.

Also, since the poll shows that around 50% of the people using physicspost are K-12 students, I doubt most will agree with you. Unless of course they're that intolerable kind of high school kid who believes, given that they can differentiate 1/x, that the rest of all scientific knowledge in the world will be easily within their grasp within a year or two. The thing is that Hawking typically writes about a breadth of big subjects, to offer a full mathematical 'serious' treatment would require a multi volume edition with some pretty nasty maths to snag even the most knowledgeable of students in there. Such books already exist, having a market in undergraduates and graduates, so there'd be little point in rewriting them.

 

[dav2008]

Originally posted by Tom
Earth.



His wife.



Who is 'Hawkings'?

Good answers, good answers!:)

 

[C0mmie]

Dj Sneaky Whiskers:
I have no problem with the book being "intended for the layman." Personally, I have not read the book so I was surprized to hear that.

On the other hand, what's with the attack on high school students in your post? I am a sophomore in high school, and I by no means believe that the entire scientific knowledge will be within my grasp. But I much prefer "The Elegant Universe" and "Quantum Reality" to Hawking's books.

 

[Dj Sneaky Whiskers]

Originally posted by C0mmie
for #3 I'm going to guess "A brief history of time," but I don't really like Hawking as a writer. His book are too oriented towards the general public and are not serious enough for me. I think most people at this forum would agree with me.

Hang on, there you say you don't like his books and don't think they're serious enough for you, and in your reply you're saying that you have no problem with them being intended for laymen, and, in any case, you've never read any of them anyway. I posted to say that Hawking intended those books for the general public, and stated that in his book, and so your call for agreement was redundant.

I wasn't attacking high school students in general, I merely took a playful swipe at a certain type of high school student. Namely those who learn maybe an extra bit about the Calculus at school, perhaps have a basic working knowledge of quarks, and enter University with a certain swagger and the casual assumption that great things lay ahead of them. Look out for them in the computer labs of the University you end up going to, for that is where they dwell, usually updating their website list of jokes involving imaginary numbers and posting details of their next dungeons and dragons tournament.

It makes me shudder just to think about it.

 

[C0mmie]

Sorry if I sounded self contradictory. I read a significant portion of, I believe it was "A Brief History of Time," and didn't really like it. What I meant by "not having a problem with it" was that I don't think its a bad book, its just not one that I like.