I apologize, but I am not sure what you are asking. Can you please clarify?

[mankin2006]

"Bob and Alice" why them?

I know it's pretty random if I asked about this , but, why do physicists ( whenever they come up with a thought experiment that includes two or more individuals) use the names : Bob and Alice

Once you think about it, it seems to be eccentric that they used Bob and Alice repetitively

 

[Geezer]

I know it's pretty random if I asked about this , but, why do physicists ( whenever they come up with a thought experiment that includes two or more individuals) use the names : Bob and Alice

Once you think about it, it seems to be eccentric that they used Bob and Alice repetitively

They could just call people A and B, or any other combination of names. However, letting A=Alice and B=Bob makes it easy to remember which is which (e.g., whose frame of reference you're considering if you're doing Relativity). Plus, having one female and one male makes physics seem more egalitarian ;)

 

[scimad]

This question is easy to ask but difficult to answer.. May be A=Alice and B=Bob is right.

 

[Phrak]

They could just call people A and B, or any other combination of names. However, letting A=Alice and B=Bob makes it easy to remember which is which (e.g., whose frame of reference you're considering if you're doing Relativity). Plus, having one female and one male makes physics seem more egalitarian ;)

To get at the root motive, we'll really have to ask professor C=Clide.

 

[George Jones]

And where are Carol and Ted?

 

[Borek]

In Poland in brain teasers it is (was?) quite common to use made up names of Abacki, Babacki, Cabacki, Dabacki (you know, questions sounding like "blah, blah, blah, if Abacki is higher than the chess owner and Babacki has a mustache, on which floor does Dabacki live?") and so on - that's exactly the same, you assign an easy to remember name to a person.

 

[Pengwuino]

I remember a hilarious thread about this a couple of years back. Somewhere along the line someone said "it's 10x better than Observer 1 and Observer 2".

 

[Geezer]

And where are Carol and Ted?

When we're labeling things in physics, we often use "A" and "B" to distinguish two different sets of analogous parameters. Usually, we avoid labeling the sets x, y, z or 1,2,3 or i, j, k since these are typically reserved for labeling indices, basis vectors, and the like. So, when we're trying to come up with something easy to remember for labeling these sets, A and B seem like good first choices. And if we're trying to illustrate the lesson with a story about astronauts or flying spaghetti monsters hovering at the event horizon of a black hole or whatever, it just makes sense to name the person with set A a name that begins with A, and the person with set B something that begins with B.

And, yeah, if there's a third person involved, we'd probably stick with this convention, labeling his/her set "C" and giving that person a name that begins with C, like Clyde or Charlie or Clementine.

 

[Drakkith]

Alright look all! I'm tired of people getting all bent out of shape that my close friends Alice and Bob have a monopoly over demonstrating things! They had a try out for it and Alice's superb singing mixed with Bob's exceptional dance skills won the competition in the lightning round! It was fair and square!

 

[George Jones]

When we're labeling things in physics, we often use "A" and "B" to distinguish two different sets of analogous parameters. ...

Did you understand my reference?

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Actually, this is an improvement over the books that were used when I went to school. Well, scrolls acually. Anyway, back then girls never rolled balls down inclines neglecting friction, fired cannon balls in the absense of air resistance, or rode in windowless rocket ships. Good on Alice, you go girl.

 

[Geezer]

Actually, this is an improvement over the books that were used when I went to school. Well, scrolls acually. Anyway, back then girls never rolled balls down inclines neglecting friction, fired cannon balls in the absense of air resistance, or rode in windowless rocket ships. Good on Alice, you go girl.

\two thumbs up

 

[Redbelly98]

And where are Carol and Ted?

It's okay, George, I got it right away.

 

[Frankly]

I've also often wondered why good theories always have to be 'elegant'.

 

[lisab]

I've also often wondered why good theories always have to be 'elegant'.

Me too. I mean, it's nice when a theory is pretty, but the important thing is that its predictions are good.

 

[mankin2006]

I've also often wondered why good theories always have to be 'elegant'.

Me too. I mean, it's nice when a theory is pretty, but the important thing is that its predictions are good.

Hence it must be elegant, when think of something that is elegant say like a thread of silk, you see it as a smooth, undeterred, silver line - ever continuous, ever elegant. That's how good theories are, they are smooth and deterministic ; they could describe something that is beyond our comprehension with such grace and such straight forwardness; that is also why some physicists describe QM as ugly sometimes, because it cannot be certain what the value is, ITS FULL OF PROBABILITIES! therefore it cannot be elegant

 

[StevieTNZ]

I really think Alice and Bob should be replaced with the names Kurtis and Barry: Kurtis, after my seven year old half brother; and Barry, after the cat that comes to our house.

 

[FtlIsAwesome]

I remember a hilarious thread about this a couple of years back. Somewhere along the line someone said "it's 10x better than Observer 1 and Observer 2".

Tell me, tell me! What thread was it?

 

[Chi Meson]

I use a workbook that goes over the other line, trying to use as many names as possible. One problem has "Andy, Mandy, Candy, and Randy"; another investigates the fish tank of Xiao Li; there's a pole-vault problem featuring Sergei Bubka; and the sky-diver Branco. After a while, you start missing Alice and Bob.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Back during my school exams in the UK there was a massive drive for political correctness. Therefore all exam questions would feature a boys name, a girls name and an ethnic name.

"George, Stacey and Rajij went to the park..."

 

[Null_]

[PLAIN]http://online.physics.uiuc.edu/courses/phys223/spring05/quantum.gif

 

[BobG]

I use a workbook that goes over the other line, trying to use as many names as possible. One problem has "Andy, Mandy, Candy, and Randy"; another investigates the fish tank of Xiao Li; there's a pole-vault problem featuring Sergei Bubka; and the sky-diver Branco. After a while, you start missing Alice and Bob.

Okay, I understand who most of these people are, but who the heck is skydiver Branco?

I would have gone with skydiver "Dummy" Mahan. He presents a lot more opportunities for physics scenarios. http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Fred_(Dummy)_Mahan real name was Frederico Mesa, but his boxing name of Fred Mahan gave him better opportunities as a boxer in the late 20's. His nickname came from the fact that he was deaf and dumb. He fought for the welterweight championship a couple of times, but lost both fights. Along the way, someone had suggested that the pressure change created by skydiving might cure his deafness... and the couple times he tried it, it seemed to give him hearing for very short periods after the jump.

Which led to one of the worst hype events in sports history. Mahan would parachute from an airplane to cure his deafness with a bevy of reporters to record the miraculous event, which should get him into the news and increase the interest in his upcoming boxing match.

Unfortunately, the parachute failed to open.

 

[BobG]

I also think there should be at least one physics problem involving Ted throwing softballs from a 700 ft high skyscraper. (Ted Stepien threw softballs from a skyscraper he owned to celebrate buying the Cleveland Cavliers. Unfortunately, he failed to account for the wind and the softballs blew off course, smashing a car windshield, fracturing a man's cheek, and fracturing a woman's wrist. The ensuing panic resulted in numerous other minor injuries. The incident inspired one of the greatest TV episodes in history - the WKRP Thanksgiving episode).

Plus, there should be a physics problem involving soccer referee Nicole and 100,000 angry mirror wielding fans in an alternate history where Nicole actually has Liu Ling retake her penalty shot when goalkeeper Briana comes off her line early to make a save, denying the fans the opportunity to see Brandi rip her shirt off (i.e. - a replay of Arthur Clarke's short story "A Slight Case of Sunstroke").

 

[lisab]

Okay, I understand who most of these people are, but who the heck is skydiver Branco?

I would have gone with skydiver "Dummy" Mahan. He presents a lot more opportunities for physics scenarios. http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Fred_(Dummy)_Mahan real name was Frederico Mesa, but his boxing name of Fred Mahan gave him better opportunities as a boxer in the late 20's. His nickname came from the fact that he was deaf and dumb. He fought for the welterweight championship a couple of times, but lost both fights. Along the way, someone had suggested that the pressure change created by skydiving might cure his deafness... and the couple times he tried it, it seemed to give him hearing for very short periods after the jump.

Which led to one of the worst hype events in sports history. Mahan would parachute from an airplane to cure his deafness with a bevy of reporters to record the miraculous event, which should get him into the news and increase the interest in his upcoming boxing match.

Unfortunately, the parachute failed to open.

Wow, he must have gone ballistic.

 

[Chi Meson]

Wow, he must have gone ballistic.

I see what you did there.

 

[lisab]

I see what you did there.

 

[rhody]

Wow, he must have gone ballistic.

Lisa,

As in terminal velocity ballistic ? hehe...

Rhody... sh.., now, where is that damn rip chord !

 

[mankin2006]

Okay, I understand who most of these people are, but who the heck is skydiver Branco?

I would have gone with skydiver "Dummy" Mahan. He presents a lot more opportunities for physics scenarios. http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Fred_(Dummy)_Mahan real name was Frederico Mesa, but his boxing name of Fred Mahan gave him better opportunities as a boxer in the late 20's. His nickname came from the fact that he was deaf and dumb. He fought for the welterweight championship a couple of times, but lost both fights. Along the way, someone had suggested that the pressure change created by skydiving might cure his deafness... and the couple times he tried it, it seemed to give him hearing for very short periods after the jump.

Which led to one of the worst hype events in sports history. Mahan would parachute from an airplane to cure his deafness with a bevy of reporters to record the miraculous event, which should get him into the news and increase the interest in his upcoming boxing match.

Unfortunately, the parachute failed to open.

Oh man, that's got to hurt

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Oh man, that's got to hurt

But easy to do. The only hard part is the ground when you come right down to it.

\copyright 3970 BCE, Cain Adamson.

Cain was a very funny guy. In the words of Abel Adamson, "He slays me."

 

[turbo]

But easy to do. The only hard part is the ground when you come right down to it.

Jimmy, you are volcano-bait for sure!