Great one-liners from PF members

[Keith_McClary]

Proof by personal incredulity does not count. $-$ @jbriggs444

Poisson thought that he had found a flaw when he argued that a consequence of Fresnel's theory was that there would exist an on-axis bright spot in the shadow of a circular obstacle, where there should be complete darkness according to the particle theory of light. Since the Arago spot is not easily observed in everyday situations, Poisson interpreted it as an absurd result and that it should disprove Fresnel's theory.

 

[PeterDonis]

I think your interpretation would be better described as "shut up during calculation, but talk a lot when get bored by calculation".

 

[sysprog]

Thanks so much Mark44. It works My program compiles. $-$ @yungman (creds also to @Mark44)

 

[sysprog]

And $1^1 . 2^2 . 3^3 . 4^4 . 5^5$ is the number of seconds in 1,000 days. $-$ @fresh_42

 

[sysprog]

I do not see any wisdom in teaching physics without math. That's like study of literature without language. $-$ @anorlunda

 

[anorlunda]

I think many PF regulars have said this one in their own words. I found @phinds and @sophiecentaur said it, but there are many more. I'll paraphrase.

Thinking outside the box is admirable, but only after you learn what is inside the box.

I like it so much because it expresses PF's mission statement. We are here to help people learn what is inside the box.

 

[phinds]

I think many PF regulars have said this one in their own words. I found @phinds and @sophiecentaur said it, but there are many more.

fresh_42 beat you to it in post #2

 

[Astronuc]

I think many PF regulars have said this one in their own words. I found @phinds and @sophiecentaur said it, but there are many more. I'll paraphrase.

Thinking outside the box is admirable, but only after you learn what is inside the box.

I like it so much because it expresses PF's mission statement. We are here to help people learn what is inside the box.

Outside the box, one still needs to be on solid ground.

 

[fresh_42]

Outside the box, one still needs to be on solid ground.

Nice one!

 

[sysprog]

If you owe the bank $5000, you have a problem. If you owe the bank $5,000,000, the bank has a problem. $-$ Vanadium 50

 

[Demystifier]

Anyway the Noether theorem proves that there is no ether

 

[sysprog]

That Noether pun reminded me obliquely of a nun-punning but wry one-liner reply on a police forum to a kid who was asking about probable cause $-$ "probable cause = you probably did it".

 

[sysprog]

How can you determine if a fan is better at blowing or sucking?

If it's made in China, it probably sucks.

 

[sysprog]

A gladius in the guts doesn't bother me but stubbed pinkie toes are no laughing matter. $-$ @cybernetichero

 

[epenguin]

Orange Reindeer, someone had to do it.

 

[Astronuc]

stats is like a bikini, it's the bits you don't see you want to know about.

One statement in a paragraph. Nevertheless, one line I could relate to during high school and university.

 

[bhobba]

One statement in a paragraph. Nevertheless, one line I could relate to during high school and university.

And recently found to be so true with regard to Covid. I got 'conned'.

See: https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-c...the-primary-analysis-of-phase-iii-trials.html

Then read: https://healthcareworkersaustralia.com/2021/02/11/backing-up-our-gains/

The original article based, on a linked Lancet preprint, was in fact a post-hoc analysis looking for evidence that what the UK did - namely vaccinate once as many as possible and in 12 weeks do the second vaccination. That is experimental design bias. What is needed is a separately designed trial, which I believe is being done.

Thanks
Bill

 

[berkeman]

I just ran across this by @jim hardy from back in 2014 in a thread in the EE forum. It seems equally applicable in 2021...

In these helter-skelter times it is good to have reminders of from whence we came.
Like a good mariner who hones his skill at steering by a periodic look at his wake.

 

[sysprog]

It may take a really long time but through persistent effort you will succeed or decide to become a manager so you can boss other people into finding the bug. $-$ @jedishrfu

 

[bhobba]

It may take a really long time but through persistent effort you will succeed or decide to become a manager so you can boss other people into finding the bug. $-$ @jedishrfu

The trouble is 'human' skills, which you may or may not be perceived to have, come into making the move into management. I am, by some (not all - it varied), considered weak in those areas. I rose very quickly to team leader level where I could boss others into finding the bug, but took the view of if my staff were having trouble to go through it with them as a 'learning' moment, and did the really 'hard' stuff myself based on my judgement of what my staff was ready to tackle. Or simply it was so easy assigning it to a member of my team was not worth the management effort of the 'paperwork' involved or simply after speaking to a 'user' it needed to be done 'fast'. Those that wanted to rise even higher than team leader made sure they allocated 'finding the bug' to their staff and concentrated on management. Guess who never made it above team leader level, and who went further up the hierarchy? I was 'miffed' about it at the time, but now I just laugh about it as just how hierarchies work. I also know of some that were technically weak and took a long time to become a team leader. After that they rose through the heirachy very quickly, becoming very senior.

Thanks
Bill

 

[strangerep]

Guess who never made it above team leader level, and who went further up the hierarchy? I was 'miffed' about it at the time, but now I just laugh about it as just how hierarchies work. I also know of some that were technically weak and took a long time to become a team leader. After that they rose through the heirachy very quickly, becoming very senior.

The technically superior people should leave and become independent contractors. But company management will never tell their good people about this important little fact of life.

 

[bhobba]

The technically superior people should leave and become independent contractors. But company management will never tell their good people about this important little fact of life.

Correct. But there is a downside. If you work for the government like I did, you also lost a lot of benefits including very generous superannuation. Admittedly you had to pay for it - it worked out before tax about 1/3 of my wage because it was taken out of your after tax income. But I was able to retire early and am on a good income. Nowadays there is no government super (except for legacy employees) - but you must pay into a private super fund you nominate and, it is about 16%, but is taken out of your before tax income. That is the minimum - you can elect to pay more if you like. I know people who pay 30% or more. When I worked I paid 50% tax so it is about the same that actually went into super. Interestingly the government actuary figured out who was better off - those in the old super scheme, or the new one. Not only did you pay more because you had to pay tax on the contributions, but to add insult to injury, the actuary found you got more when you retired - the reason being when you retire your income from the superfund you chose is tax advantaged - I have to pay full tax. Rather annoying. But in typical government fashion they can't even get that right:
https://the-riotact.com/hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-at-stake-in-aps-super-battle/404889

I am a risk averse type as far as jobs go - I do not mind being paid less as long as I had a safe, secure job. Of course many people suggested contracting - but it was not my thing. Besides I lived a pretty 'austere' lifestyle not requiring much money anyway.

Thanks
Bill

 

[sysprog]

You mean this doesn't work on Windows?

You have obviously mistaken Windows for an OS that works.

 

[Ibix]

90 dimensions suffices

No comment.

 

[berkeman]

It has been called "word salad" but that is insulting to salad.

 

[Vanadium 50]

it's not homework it's an assignment

How can you argue with logic like that?

 

[strangerep]

I know, I nearly choked on my cup of tea!

(Context omitted as an act of mercy.)

 

[berkeman]

(Context omitted as an act of mercy.)

 

[jrmichler]

That suggests you are so far behind, that you think you are first.

This was in response to:

I won't be able to tell you everything you say you need. Because I fear that someone might steal my ideas.

 

[pinball1970]

OP:Does having a good memory mean you have a high IQ?

Vanadium50: No, it means you have a good memory.

 

[jack action]

Option E: You won't affect the original files by doing rm -rf /run/timeshift/backup. [...]

If you don't have a reliable backup or clean underwear on hand I recommend instead a variant on Option B: [...]

 

[Tom.G]

...most motion is proper motion, parallax is not hugely smaller.

by @Vanadium 50 in https://www.physicsforums.com/posts/6466546

 

[Vanadium 50]

Badly constructed buildings become projectiles in a storm. - @hutchphd

 

[Vanadium 50]

HutchPhD should get the likes. He said it. Besides, I already have my 8000.

 

[pinball1970]

Robert Friz said

In my opinion, it is advantageous for physics and physicists to speculate on what some would call unsupportable or too-far-out concepts or theories.Vandium 50 replied
It is not. What you are writing is not even physics. It is a meaningless jumble of words in search of a rational thought.
It has been called "word salad" but that is insulting to salad.

(This is two lines but both are worthy of note)

 

[pinball1970]

A new poster was asking about psychotronic devices that could put sounds, words and and even thoughts in peoples minds.

@Baluncore replied.

All indications are explained by psychosis in the patient.
Some victims are helped by lining their hat with tin foil.

 

[pinball1970]

Back drop.

A poster was trying to give a mathematical proof but was struggling quite a bit. Mentors had given him pointers including Vanadium who suggested quite a few times he need to construct a plan.

The poster replied with yet more mathematical statements getting no nearer a solution.Vanadium 50 replied

That's not a plan. A plan explains how the process will work. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. Your plan is similar to (but not as good as) a plan to drive from Rome to Paris: "Drive out of Rome. Drive on various streets until I bump into Paris."

The driving plan is better because it at least states that it's random luck that this plan is counting on.

 

[fresh_42]

That's not a plan. A plan explains how the process will work. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. Your plan is similar to (but not as good as) a plan to drive from Rome to Paris: "Drive out of Rome. Drive on various streets until I bump into Paris."

We will never know whether this was a subtlety by @Vanadium 50 or pure luck, that he had chosen the direction Rome $\longrightarrow$ Paris and not the other way around. If it was Paris $\longrightarrow$ Rome, then the plan would had been a perfect one, because all roads lead to Rome.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Got it in one.

 

[pinball1970]

MikeeMiracle said:
Thoughts?

Backdrop. The thoughts Mikee M was interested in was a pop sci video (which to be fair he acknowledged as pop sci) on possibility of multiple big bangs. Unfortunately he just posted the yt video 13 minutes long and said 'thoughts.'

@Vanadium 50 replied:

(First one liner)

1. 'Do you want to summarize the video? I mean, if it's not worth your time to summarize it, why is it worth our time to watch it?'

(Second)

2. 'It is possible that a random Youtube video is an excellent presentation of science to non-experts. It is also possible one will find a nugget of gold in a sewage treatment facility.'

Before you ask, I am not following him. I am just starting to see patterns.

 

[fresh_42]

Only social scientists have real social life. Physicists manage with half-life. Botanists are barely vegetating. Chemists are bonding among themselves.

Perfect answer to a not so perfect question!

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Proficiency spoils when it is no longer maintained nor pushed to further development.

 

[berkeman]

Using my mentor supermediocrepowers for good, I read the post you deleted, and honestly it looked fine to me.

 

[Tom.G]

by @Benjies in the 'Introduction' thread.
https://www.physicsforums.com/posts/6511448

How did you find PF? Google, as I literally looked up "forum to nerd out about science"

(Gee, one would think we're getting infamous)

 

[PeroK]

by @Benjies in the 'Introduction' thread.
https://www.physicsforums.com/posts/6511448

To "nerd out" is new to me. But, as the US linguistics professor said "one can verb any noun".

 

[Ibix]

To "nerd out" is new to me. But, as the US linguistics professor said "one can verb any noun".

Verbing weirds language, according to Calvin and Hobbes.

 

[fresh_42]

To "nerd out" is new to me. But, as the US linguistics professor said "one can verb any noun".

Or as I expert it: One can noun.

One being regular verb: to noun, nouned, nouned, and one irregular: to expert, export, expart.

 

[kuruman]

Or as I expert it: One can noun.

One being regular verb: to noun, nouned, nouned, and one irregular: to expert, export, expart.

Can is also regular: can, canned, canned.

 

[Benjies]

I was actually referring to the noun, a candy.

Re-reading my original post and seeing this does absolutely nothing to rectify the grammar of my post, I hold to this out of spite.

 

[fresh_42]

All Gods believe in mathematics.