Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the proposal to name the unit of momentum after Emmy Noether, potentially as the "noether" or "emmynoether." Participants explore the implications of this naming, including its cultural significance, potential acceptance within the scientific community, and the broader context of gender representation in scientific nomenclature.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
- Meta-discussion
Main Points Raised
- Some participants express support for naming the unit after Noether, emphasizing the importance of recognizing women in science.
- Others question the practicality and necessity of creating a new unit, suggesting it may serve more as a symbolic gesture than a functional addition to scientific nomenclature.
- There are concerns about whether the proposed unit would gain acceptance as an official SI unit, with some indicating it would likely remain a US-only designation.
- Participants discuss the implications of naming conventions, including the potential for confusion and the precedent it sets for other units.
- Some argue that Noether's contributions, while significant, do not align with the traditional criteria for naming physical units, leading to a debate over her classification as a physicist or mathematician.
- Several comments reflect on historical figures and their contributions, questioning the distinction between physicists and mathematicians in the context of naming units.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the unit should be named after Noether, with multiple competing views on the appropriateness and implications of such a decision remaining unresolved.
Contextual Notes
Some participants highlight the limitations of the proposal, including its dependence on cultural perceptions and the lack of a formal process for introducing new units into the SI system.
Who May Find This Useful
This discussion may be of interest to those involved in scientific nomenclature, gender representation in science, and the history of physics and mathematics.