- #26
I like Serena
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Hmmm, I don't think I want to live in your civilization then
In that case, you're stuck with me! :shy:
Hmmm, I don't think I want to live in your civilization then
In that case, you're stuck with me! :shy:
Hmmm, I don't think I want to live in your civilization then![]()
In that case, you're stuck with me! :shy:
I'm suprised it took 12 replies to say the Feynman lectures. That's one book that i will definitely take.
To develop sharp minds!If you were going to start a new human civilization on a presumably habitable planet, why would you start with a set of lectures on theoretical physics?
I wouldn't take any books. Our books are written based on our experiences on the planet earth bit useless to live on other planet.
I would just let the cultural evolution take care of everything.
I wouldn't take any books. Our books are written based on our experiences on the planet earth bit useless to live on other planet.
I would just let the cultural evolution take care of everything.
If the planet was habitable, sources regarding engineering, biology, chemistry, medicine, etc would be useful, not to mention human legal and cultural references. However, theoretical physics might be delayed a bit. I don't think the first project would be to build a supercollider.
To develop sharp minds!
Certainly yes, building a supercollider first thing humans get will be a suicide equivalent. Food and shelter are more important.
It is an interesting question if our present engineering, medicine, and chemistry technologies will be of any use when we don't have any raw materials or processing tools. Would people go search for raw materials hoping that they can build modern tools and structures or they will be more worried if they are going to stay alive?
Certainly yes, building a supercollider first thing humans get will be a suicide equivalent. Food and shelter are more important.
It is an interesting question if our present engineering, medicine, and chemistry technologies will be of any use when we don't have any raw materials or processing tools. Would people go search for raw materials hoping that they can build modern tools and structures or they will be more worried if they are going to stay alive?
Sharp minds for what?
Are you saying that establishing a human civilization on an alien planet starts with theoretical physics? ...
Sharp minds for what? Surely you're joking! Why wouldn't you want your citizens to be intelligent?
No, I'm not. And I don't intend to start with Volume 3. I also don't understand why you've limited the series to being purely theoretical. A large chunk of the first volume deals with many basic concepts of science and engineering.
Yes, I would want the first wave of settlers to be intelligent. Does that mean they should all be physicists? Can't we also have intelligent engineers, biologists, chemists and health professionals? The Feynman lectures is directed toward physics students, is it not? I would seem that establishing the infrastructure of a civilization requires engineers of all kinds, biologists and to help develop a food supply, chemists to help transform planetary resources to materials humans need to live comfortably and health care professionals to provide their necessary services. What would be the role of the physicist in the early stages of colonization? I certainly do think they would play a role in a more developed civilization.
I don't have any biology, chemistry, or medical books on my bookshelf. I have physics, math, and literature.
Edit: I do agree that the areas you've mentioned would be important, but we are limited to taking what is on our bookshelves at the moment. Perhaps the aliens could lend a hand with additional resources.![]()
Or you could stay home. That's what I would do.
If there were only three books to be taken, I would rather take three with empty pages than one on logical thinking/scientific methods :tongue2:. So that people can write their daily to daily observations on those papers which will be more useful.To develop sharp minds!
We don't know whether they will be useless, so it wouldn't hurt to take them. If you end up not needing them, then you've lost nothing. Also, I'd argue that logical thinking and the scientific method would be useful no matter where you ended up.