Has Physics Made World-Changing Advances in the Last Decade?

[kcballer21]

Alright, I need some help. I have an English professor who claims that "religion has evolved immensely in the last 10 years, far more than physics." Now, "evolved" is a vague term but it's obvious to me that he is not impressed with physics. He simply doesn't understand how much physics can actually explain and will make possible in the future. What I need is some examples of advances in Physics in the last 10 years so I can show him that just because he is a 60 year old English professor, that doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about.

Thanks

 

[chroot]

What's the point of arguing with a 60 year old english professor? And why did he choose to compare religion to physics in the first place?

- Warren

 

[jeff]

Tell him we've discovered a way to manipulate energy which guarantees immortality, but only to those under 60.

 

[marcus]

The flu virus has evolved far more than Physics

Warrensaid
"What's the point of arguing with a 60 year old english professor?"

The point can depend to a considerable degree on which 60 year old english professor. Some of them are intelligent.

Originally posted by kcballer21
I have an English professor who claims that "religion has evolved immensely in the last 10 years, far more than physics." Now, "evolved" is a vague term...

"Evolved" may not necessarily be a vague term if one is thinking of natural selection. E.g. bacteria evolve immunity to antibiotics and insect pests evolve immunity to insecticides along fairly clear lines.

Over the past 1000 years religions have tended to evolve mechanisms for repressing women and keeping them preoccupied with bearing and raising children because those religions with a high birth rate tend to grow.

Religions with a low birth rate tend to die out. Therefore in religions which are reproductively successful one tends to see (other things being equal) religious law and custom that keeps women focussed on being mothers and not on distracting things like having careers and being priests and getting education and stuff like that.

EVOLUTION IS NOT NECESSARILY what one might affably and casually refer to as A GOOD THING

Your 60 year old prof may be an idiot or he may not be.
You have not given a clear description of the problem.
From what you say he could very well be a boring airhead or
he might be a good teacher trying to get you to think about
cliches like the "progress of science" and about what it
means to evolve----the word is used in an interesting variety
of different ways.

What I need is some examples of advances in Physics in the last 10 years so I can show him ...[that he doesn't know]... what he's talking about.

I am not convinced that this is what you need.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by kcballer21
I have an English professor who claims that "religion has evolved immensely in the last 10 years, far more than physics."

What he has done here is made what
is called in Logic, "a bald
assertion".

In addition, as Chroot pointed
out, he has neglected to explain
by what means it is possible to
measure "evolution" in Religion
or Physics such that the relative
progress could be compared.

Worst of all, he hasn't explained
what he means by the word "Relig-
ion."

Is he implying that evolution in
Religion is a good thing? Is he,
himself, a member of any parti-
cular religion? This is important
since it would necessarily color
everything he said on the subject.
This bald assertion carries with
it the distinct aroma of an
agenda.

What is the name of this English
class? Does this issue of evo-
lution in Religion vs evolution in
physics tie in? Does this man know
the difference between a coordina-
ing conjunction and a conjunctive
adverb? In other words; can he
accurately parse a sentence? Is
this a Philosophy class masquer-
ading as an English class? In
other words, does he seem more
interested in playing with ideas
than he is in fostering the stud-
ent's appreciation of the English
language?

For advances in physics look to
astrophysics. Recently collected
evidence suggests that not only
is the expansion of the universe
not slowing down, it is
acceleraing. In addition,
there are two threads on the board
now concerning the issue of how
recent observations of sound
coming from a black hole have
people exited.

-zooby

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by kcballer21
What I need is some examples of advances in Physics in the last 10 years so I can show him that just because he is a 60 year old English professor, that doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about.

Thanks

You typed that message on a computer and posted it on the internet, right...?

 

[thed]

Originally posted by kcballer21
Alright, I need some help. I have an English professor who claims that "religion has evolved immensely in the last 10 years, far more than physics."

This sounds like a topic for debate more than a bald assertion. Your Prof should be fully cognizant with the idea of providing evidence to back an argument. Where is the evidence that Religion[1] has evolved, that needs defining first anyway. Then get them to provide examples of this. I'd be looking for things like acceptance of Women in the Priesthood, acceptance of hithertofore unaccetable lifestyles such as Homosexuals. You get the idea.

As Zooby points out, there have been massive advances in Astrophysics recently. How about the discovery of the Top Quark, advances in superstring theories, slowing light to meters per second confirming QM effects, creation of anti-Hydrogen ...

[1]Which religion, Catholicism, Protestantism, Lutheran, Wesleyan, Baptist, Mormon, Hinduism, Islam (Sunni or Shi'ia), Buddhism (numerous variations), Shintoism ...

 

[clicky]

quote:
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What I need is some examples of advances in Physics in the last 10 years so I can show him ...[that he doesn't know]... what he's talking about.

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



Here are two examples which will blowup his classic mind.


Wolfram, S. A New Kind of Science - Wolfram Media, Inc., 2002.

Savov, E. Theory of Interaction - Geones Books, 2002.

 

[kcballer21]

I appreciate the advice.

 

[Chi Meson]

This might be jumping the topic, but would advances in technology be considered advances in physics? Computers for example, have not benefitted from new theory, so much as figuring out how to apply the theories on a smaller and smaller scale. The people who do this work have been trained in physics. Call them engineers, but aren't engineers just physicists who get paid better? (don't answer).

Other areas: The proof of Bose-Einstein condensate. Old theory, but refined physics? Isn't this "evolution"?

Then there's the success in extremely high indeces of refration; substance that "trap" light. (google: "quantum coherence").

I'm hoping the English professor isn't one of those who have decided to belittle that which he does not understand. It's such a cop out. Maybe he is trying to spark debate, but his premise is not supportable, as was already stated; how can you put a value on an evolutionary step?

FUrthermore, I'd say that the bifuraction, splitting, factionalisation, etc. is devolution. Things are more chaotic these days. THere are about a dozen sects of "mormons" already, for example. Yer Professor should not be allowed to let this lay there.

 

[anilrapire]

"the proof of the Bose-Einstein Condensate"

Has that been explained? When? How?? I'm exited.

 

[clicky]

more than what he bargains for

quote:
-----------------------
Alright, I need some help. I have an English professor who claims that "religion has evolved immensely in the last 10 years, far more than physics." Now, "evolved" is a vague term but it's obvious to me that he is not impressed with physics.
------------------------------------
What your professor means is that the fundamental understanding of nature has not evolved for the past 10 years. Here at this point he is quite right.

You may show him the books I mentioned my earlier post and tell us his response, particularly to the complete picture of "firework universe" made of one self-reproducing multiscale 3D-spiral interaction, proposed by Eugene Savov.

Ask you professor "Have you heard about the 3D-spiral code of nature"
and suggest him to google the net for Eugene Savov. I am sure that he will find much more than what he bargains for.

 

[chroot]

Originally posted by clicky
You may show him the books I mentioned my earlier post and tell us his response, particularly to the complete picture of "firework universe" made of one self-reproducing multiscale 3D-spiral interaction, proposed by Eugene Savov.

Stop posting this Eugene Savov crap all over the Physics forum. If you'd like to discuss it, the appropriate place is the Theory Development forum.

- Warren

 

[AndersHermansson]

Religion evolve? Bah. I'd say it's being _forced_, because no-one would accept it if it wasn't modernized.