10-25-2010, 05:52 PM | #121 |
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The second law of thermodynamics is a probabilistic law though. It doesn't mean that perpetual motion machines are impossible by design, but only that a chance of any such machine being kept in motion by random movements of particles until the end of the Universe is so small it shouldn't be taken into account, ever. It's not impossible though.
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10-26-2010, 04:07 PM | #122 |
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Well, yes. But by the same token all the air molecules in the room could coincidentally move to the far side of the room, suffocating you. But nobody is going to worry about it.
The point is "Never say 'never', say 'highly unlikely' instead" |
10-26-2010, 04:44 PM | #123 |
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I have a button I bought at an sf convention which uses that phrase of air molecules simultaneously all moving to one side of the room. Don't remember the exact phrasing though.
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10-26-2010, 08:56 PM | #124 | |
Bah, humbug!
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Quote:
But I'm not going to try the experiment any time soon. The odds against its success are astronomical. |
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10-27-2010, 04:23 AM | #125 | |
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Quote:
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10-27-2010, 07:28 AM | #126 | |
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Quote:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/co...ity-checklist/ on a lighter note : http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/crackpot.html http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~siegel/quack.html Additional: How to be a good physicist: http://www.phys.uu.nl/~thooft/theorist.html How to be a bad physicist: http://www.phys.uu.nl/~thooft/theoristbad.html Enjoy! |
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10-27-2010, 09:29 AM | #127 | |
Bah, humbug!
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10-28-2010, 11:17 PM | #128 |
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The actual role of the Devil's Advocate was to argue against the canonization of a Saint.
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