In that case, you're stuck with me! :shy:
That might get fun :tongue2:
Hmmm, I don't think I want to live in your civilization then
I don't know what you two are worried about; both of you possess the skills I require.
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?
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.
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.
Certainly yes, building a supercollider first thing humans get will be a suicide equivalent. Food and shelter are more important.
Sharp minds for what? Are you saying that establishing a human civilization on an alien planet starts with theoretical physics? Surely you're joking.
stay alive. you will want to know how to make clay pots, weave baskets, flintknap, hunt, fish, garden, and build. the first year could be a mad dash to get and store food and water, stay warm and dry. it could take a couple of years just to get some leisure time to create greater things.
I think the assumption would be that we established that the planet could support a human civilization before we started to colonize it.
[STRIKE]Sharp minds for what? Surely you're joking! Why wouldn't you want your citizens to be intelligent?[/STRIKE]
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 be physicists? Can't we also have intelligent engineers, biologists, chemists and health professionals? The Feynman lectures are directed mostly toward physics students, are they not? It would seem that establishing the infrastructure of a civilization requires engineers of all kinds, biologists 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.
Or you could stay home. That's what I would do.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.
We'd have to ask Kevin to clarify "chosen."
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.