Author Archives: The Physicist

Q: How is matter created? Can we create new matter and would that be useful?

Physicist: This was an interesting back-and-forth, so the original questions are italicized. What was the energy at the start of the universe and how did it create matter? If the question is “how much?” or “where did it come from?”, … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Astronomy, Engineering, Particle Physics, Physics | 149 Comments

Q: Is it possible to create an “almanac” of human behavior that predicts everything a person will do?

The original question was: “Furthermore, you say, science will teach men (although in my opinion a superfluity) that they have not, in fact, and never have had, either will or fancy, and are no more than a sort of piano … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Biology, Entropy/Information, Machine Learning & A.I., Paranoia, Philosophical | 10 Comments

Q: How hot can a greenhouse get?

Physicist: A greenhouse is a little like a “light pump” that works because of the picky transparency of glass. The hotter something is, the shorter the wavelength of the light it radiates (it glows bluer).  The heat you feel from … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Engineering, Physics | 10 Comments

Q: Is π the same in every universe?

Mathematician: That depends on what you mean by “universe.”  Here’s a framing: A circle of radius R centered at a point P is the set of all points in the plane with distance R from P.  The diameter D of … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Mathematician, -- By the Physicist, Geometry, Math, Philosophical | 27 Comments

Q: If the universe gets split in the Many Worlds Interpretation, then why aren’t all probabilities 50/50? Does stuff get spread thinner and thinner with each split?

The original question from “A” was: I’m reading Sean Carroll’s book Something Deeply Hidden, which is entirely about Many Worlds, and I’m following along for the most part, but there’s something I still don’t understand. […] Carroll considers an example … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Paranoia, Philosophical, Physics, Quantum Theory, Skepticism | 12 Comments

Q: Asteroid mining. Why?

Physicist: Why bother going out to mine asteroids?  Why not stay home?  The answer is a little grim.  Consider Easter Island, or Iceland, or England; each are isolated places that were once covered in vast forests with abundant animal life … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Astronomy, Engineering, Physics | 18 Comments