VARIOUS & SUNDRY 4

(20200731) Commented on the article:

"You Must Not ‘Do Your Own Research’ When It Comes To Science"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/you-must-not-do-39872538

IMHO:

"Argument from authority"/"appeal to authority" is a wellknown logical fallacy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority

When 2 sides of an argument/opinion is, expert(s) vs non-expert(s),
then, the expert(s) side is (of course) much more likely to be right!

But, we can never really/simply say "expert(s)/scientist(s) are always/absolutely right"!

Furthermore, even consensus (overwhelming majority) view of scientists may not always be right!
(Think about consensus on Newton Physics before Einstein, for example!)
(Consensus on String Theory being TOE (in recent past) could be another example?)

My point is, unfortunately, there are no simple/general rule/solution, in the real world, to always guide us to truth!
Each argument (difference of opinion) is a special case to decide/solve!

(20200728) Commented on the article:

"Could We Achieve Interstellar Travel Using Only Known Physics?"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/could-we-achieve-39796282

Another option (IMHO), would be a spaceprobe that uses onboard laser arrays, to generate (tiny but continuous) thrust!
(Since photons carryaway momentum, any photon/light source in space would act like a thruster!)

The electricity needed could be generated using a RTG:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

Actually (IMHO), the radiactive decay materials (used to power RTGs) themselves, could be used as thrusters (by putting them inside (metal) containers, shaped like rocket nozzle)!
(Since they are continuously generating photons and/or alpha/beta particles which carryaway momentum!)

(20200725) Commented on the article:

"Ask Ethan: What Would A Scientist Ask An Oracle?"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/ask-ethan-what-39691806

On the question # 1:

Some people still may think "Why humanity needs fusion power? Why not just use solar & wind power etc?"

IMHO, humanity definitely/absolutely needs fusion power, because it could really take humanity to a whole new level (which cannot ever be done using solar & wind power etc)!

For example, titanium is an extremely durable & strong & light material & Earth has plenty of it, but AFAIK, it requires so much electricity to mine/process!
Imagine, if we had so much (clean) electricity, we could build all kinds of land/air/sea vehicles, buildings, roads, even whole cities from titanium!

Imagine, we could build a global permanent water pipeline network (& do seawater desalinization) & provide plenty water to everywhere on Earth (for agriculture & forests etc)!

& no doubt, many new techs would become reality, once we have enough electricity power for them!
(For example, consider how computers & internet are used in many ways today, which were pretty much unimaginable to their inventors!)

On the question # 2:

IMHO, humanity needs a World Government that could quickly/effectively resolve any/all international issues!

The UN, for example, seems to be unable to solve all international issues because of its inadequate voting system!
(All countries have equal voting power + some countries have power to override all decisions!)

But, turning UN to a World Government seems nearly impossible to me, mainly because of lack of a known suitable/fair voting system!
For example, giving all countries equal voting power, obviously would be unfair, but giving more voting power based on population, area, size of military, size of economy etc. would also be not a good idea! (Since we would not really want a global population and/or military power race etc!)

A bit more on what could be achieved, w/if massive amounts of (clean) electricity provided by fusion tech:

Imagine, very tall poles w/ very powerful infrared heater lamps (etc) on top!
Imagine, using many of them in cities/towns to turn winters to springs/summers!
And/or, using many of them in agricultural fields to grow any hot climate (even tropical) crops/trees, even in coldest places on Earth!

(20200723) Commented on the article (but NOT approved/appeared):

"How the Bits of Quantum Gravity Can Buzz"
https://www.quantamagazine.org/gravitons-revealed-in-the-noise-of-gravitational-waves-20200723

IMHO, gravity can be still quantum (but) w/o requiring existence of any new elementary particle!
For example, what if, spacetime is a superfluid (macro—scale emergent property), created by gas—like dynamics of virtual particles of quantum vacuum (at micro—scale)?
& so, what if, gravitational fields are just higher density/pressure regions of spacetime superfluid?

& if so then, realize, gravitons could still exist, but only as quasiparticles (& so, NOT as fundamental particles)!

General Relativity definitely seems to be fully compatible w/ superfluid spacetime view/possibility:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_solution

&, also, existence of virtual particles of quantum vacuum is well-known/proven!

(Please nobody respond to my comments! Thanx!)

(20200802) IMHO, the main reasons for progress of (theoretical) physics towards TOE being stuck:

1: All existing TOE candidate theories are fundamentally flawed & (so) failed!

2: Nobody in (theoretical) physics community/academia really has any new promising idea(s)!

3: All new ideas from outside (theoretical) physics community/academia (regardless of any being really promising or not), seem to be absolutely/completely disregarded/ignored/overlooked!
(Even though 1 & 2 absolutely/definitely require/warrant being a little humble & do/try "crowd sourcing"!)

(Instead, (theoretical) physics community/academia seem to be acting like (depending on person), "the problem is just missing new data" or "TOE is a problem impossible to solve ("if/since we cannot solve it then it means nobody else could ever do it either")"!)

(Some people may think "the real problem is the broken academic system"!
IMHO, that cannot be the real reason for why progress of (theoretical) physics towards TOE being stuck! Because, similar problems/wrongdoings really exist in all academic fields! They (obviously/evidently) cause inefficiency/slowdown of progress, but are NOT really showstoppers! & so, solving/fixing those problems would NOT really help!)

(Some people may think "the real solution is time; we just need to wait until a new promising idea/theory appears within (theoretical) physics community/academia"!
IMHO, "just patiently waiting", would happen by itself anyway/regardless! But, on the other hand, (theoretical) physicists actively doing/trying "CROWD SOURCING" would NOT happen by itself!
(Which, IMHO, is the real solution & there is really nothing to lose for any/ALL (theoretical) physicists actively doing/trying "CROWD SOURCING"!)

(& by the way, I am myself keep trying to provide new promising ideas (to work on), to whole/global (theoretical) physics community/academia, for many years, but so far w/o any luck!)

(20200811) Commented on the article:

"What To Do, Scientifically, When Everyone Is Wrong"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-to-do-when-40332545

"For centuries, those who studied the heavens were obsessed with the idea that things which occurred on Earth were flawed, but that the heavens were perfect. Mathematically perfect objects — like circles and regular polygons — belonged in the heavens, and that was the full story."

IMHO, "tradition" of (physicists) trying to explain our physical reality/universe, using ideal geometric objects/structures, still continues, unfortunately! (& prevents progress; just like before!)

For example, believing in physical existence of 0-dimensional (& infinite density) points (singularities)!

Or, believing in physical existence of 1-dimensional strings (or ring singularities)!

Or, believing in physical existence of continuous (infinite resolution) fields!

(20200812) Commented on the article:

"A Spacetime Surprise: Time Isn’t Just Another Dimension"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/spacetime-time-40369778

"He never bothered about mathematics at all."

A quote from Richard Feynman: "If all mathematics disappeared today, physics would be set back exactly one week."

I think both Newton & Einstein first started w/ finding new physical equivalence principles & next they considered the physical consequences of them thru thought experiments!
The mathematical expressions/equations were actually found/created much later!

Today, on the other hand, it seems (at least to me) physicists think "physics is all about math & so new discoveries can only be made by playing w/ equations & if there is no equation(s) for any new idea then that idea is absolutely worthless/meaningless"!

(20200812) IMHO, progress of (theoretical) physics towards GUT/TOE is stuck, because all commonly known GUT/TOE candidate theories are fundamentally flawed!

For example, String Theory is based on the idea/assumption that all particles (even spacetime) is made of 1-dimensional (0 thickness) strings! & that is really its fundamental flaw (IMHO): it is all based on assuming actual physical existence of some ideal/perfect geometric objects!

IMHO, no ideal/perfect geometric objects, like for example, 0-dimensional (0 size!) points, or 1-dimensional (0 width!) lines/curves/circles, or 2-dimensional (0 thickness!) planes/sheets/surfaces etc, are really/actually/physically exist (nor can ever be exist), in our reality/universe! (& neither truly continuous (infinite resolution!) fields etc!)

(Physical theories based on continuous fields can be still correct (at macro scales) but only approximately (like General Relativity & Fluid Dynamics, for example)!)

& so, IMHO, all GUT/TOE candidate theories, which are assuming/requiring actual physical existence of any ideal/perfect geometric object(s), are fundamentally flawed & so are absolutely failed (already)!

(20200814) According to Special Relativity, when movement speed of an(y) object in space is 0, then its movement speed in time dimension is c (& vice versa)! (& movement speed of an(y) object in spacetime is always c!) Meaning/implying normal (max) flow speed of time (for an(y) object) is actually speed of light! (& so NOT really "1 second per second"!)

(20200815) Stock Exchange Problem:
Stock Exchanges of ALL countries are often the/a main source of economic crisis!
(Often by (foreign) investment funds/speculators periodically keep doing pump & dump manipulations on naive investors of the general public!)
Solution options maybe:
Permanently banning shorting!
Permanently banning (foreign) investment funds/speculators, which/who are doing/done pump & dump!
Always forcing long(er) term investment (for all investors)!
(So, any stocks/shares (bought) cannot be sold back, before 1/3/6 day(s)/week(s)/month(s)/year(s)!)
(Waiting time durations/limits maybe set differently, based on company (of stock) size/value and/or investment size/value, for example!)

(20200820) Commented on the article:

"The Mathematical Structure of Particle Collisions Comes Into View"
https://www.quantamagazine.org/new-particle-collision-math-may-offer-quantum-clues-20200820/

Here some ideas which can help even more, IMHO, for understanding quantum particles & their interactions:

Imagine that, our whole reality is actually a quantum computer & rules of QM are actually its operating/computation rules!
(& this is actually the only true/correct interpretation/meaning of QM!)

& realize, that would also imply/mean, each quantum particle is actually a set of quantum computer state registers/variables (to make computations w/)!

For example, realize, both electric charge & rest mass of each elementary particle could be just a qutrit (in that particle) that can have one of 3 values: +1, 0, -1.

& so, realize, what needs to be done is, to determine how many qutrits each elementary particle has & how exactly they are used in computations, by our reality quantum computer!

(Please nobody respond to my comments! Thanx!)

(20200824) Commented on the article:

"Yes, The First Humans On Mars Should Consider Becoming Cave-Dwellers"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/yes-first-humans-40792400

IMHO, first base attempt should definitely be on the moon (for many good reasons), instead of Mars!

& IMHO, a (straight) half-tunnel would be way better than trying to find & use any lava tube (& also for many good reasons)!
For example, it could be bored & sealed w/ an airlock & filled w/ air (by remote control robots) before the arrival of the crew!
& going in & out (while carrying equipment), anytime, would be really easy; quite unlike any lava tube!

& once such tech is made working, then more such tunnel bases can be constructed around/nearby, again & again, as many as wanted/needed!

(20200825) Commented again on the same article:

I think another really important tech still needs to be developed (for a permanent Moon/Mars base) is a tech that can recycle air! (Which filters CO2 from air & converts it back to O2 (using only electricity)!)

& there seems to be some experimental new techs which could help for that someday:

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/moxie/

https://newatlas.com/carbon-capture-co2-into-coal/58637/

(Afterwards (& since there is already space tech for recycling water), astronauts in a Moon/Mars base would only need food (which already can easily last for a long time)!)

(20200829) Commented on the article:

"Black hole 'hair' could be detected using ripples in space-time"
https://www.livescience.com/black-hole-hair-gravitational-waves.html

IMHO, there cannot be such objects as singularities (0 size & infinite density) in the real universe!
Everything should/must be made of particles (including black holes)!
& if black holes should/must be made of particles, then there is only 1 realistic possibility: Planck particle! (No other real/theoretical particle can be a realistic possibility, because it should/must be a particle that is itself (like) a tiny black hole! (For example, consider how a neutron star is really like a giant neutron, because it is made of neutrons!))

From Wikipedia:
"A Planck particle, or planckion, named after physicist Max Planck, is a hypothetical particle defined as a tiny black hole whose Compton wavelength is equal to its Schwarzschild radius. Its mass is thus approximately the Planck mass, and its Compton wavelength and Schwarzschild radius are about the Planck length."

Of course, the huge questions is how this idea can be proven or disproven?!

Maybe gravitational waves are discrete in units of Planck mass/energy?
(& if so then someday it maybe possible to detect this, when sensitivity/resolution of GW detectors are good enough!)

(20200831) Commented again on the same article: 

"But that particle is just a variant of singularity as far as I can see"

Imagine, if we did not know what neutron stars are made of & neutrons were just theoretical particles & someone like you were saying (against suggestion of neutron stars maybe made of neutrons) "but that particle is just a variant of a neutron star"!!!

& you should have said "But that particle is just a variant of Black Hole as far as I can see"!!!
Because, how is that exactly, a Planck PARTICLE is a singularity???
Or must have a singularity???
We certainly do not have any evidence that real Black Holes contain singularities!!! Why should a Planck PARTICLE must have a singularity???

(20200829) Commented on the article:

"Could the universe collapse into a singularity? New study explains how."
https://www.livescience.com/cyclical-universe-explained-string-theory.html

IMHO, the progress of theoretical physics towards TOE is STUCK today because of physically unrealistic theories like String Theory!

Hint: There cannot be any ideal/perfect geometric objects like 0-dimensional points (0 size & infinite density singularities) or 1-dimensional (0 width) strings, in the real physical universe!!!

(20200901) Commented on the article:

"The 4 Lessons Every (Good) Scientist Must Learn"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/4-lessons-every-41097442

WELL SAID Ethan!!!

IMHO, theoretical physics is like a horse race!
Only 1 horse would win & most people would turn out to be wrong on their choices/bets! :-)

IMHO, progress of theoretical physics towards TOE is stuck today, because all commonly known/proposed TOE candidate theories, like String Theory & Loop Quantum Gravity, are fundamentally flawed & so FAILED!

But, all the theoretical physicists who worked on these ideas (maybe for their whole careers) absolutely should/must NOT take it as a personal failure!
As long as any theory still seems promising, of course, it must be kept studied/researched!
But, it is also very important to never lose objectivity & recognize when a theory is not getting anywhere, no matter how much work is done & for how long, or worse, keeps losing!

So, what needs to be done?

IMHO, theoretical physicists should/must stop wasting time on failed theories & start searching/considering (truly) new ideas/approaches!

(20200903) Commented on the article:

"Is consciousness continuous or discrete? Maybe it's both, argue researchers"
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-09-consciousness-discrete.html

IMHO, human brain is actually a quantum computer!
For example, think about how every moment, we are actually instantly making a choice of thought, among (surely) an astronomical number of different options/possibilities; just like a quantum computer instantly finds a solution among countless options/possibilities!
(This also implies consciousness should/must be discrete; NOT continuous!)

Furthermore, IMHO, mind is brain machinery controlled & commanded by free will (like computer hardware controlled & commanded by software)
& life is cell/body machinery controlled & commanded by free will!
(& that is why, for example, identical twins & even identical cells have different character/personality/behavior!)

(& IMHO, there is really nothing in laws of physics that can create/explain free will! & so IMHO, neither true AI nor true AL will be ever created by humanity!)

(20200904) Commented on the article:

"Particle physicists hash out long-term strategy for Europe"
https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/PT.3.4566

IMHO, the only true/worthy next level frontier/target for particle physics is Planck scale!

But, reaching there using current accelerator/collider tech requires an accelerator/collider w/ size of our galaxy!
So, is it absolutely impossible?

IMHO, it is actually quite possible, but it requires a whole new accelerator/collider tech!

Realize that, increasing collision energy of an accelerator/collider can be done in 2 ways:
1: Increase size of the accelerator/collider (which is the conventional way/thinking)!
2: Increase mass of the objects those the accelerator/collider accelerates/collides!

Imagine, an accelerator/collider that accelerates/collides 2 tiny (iron) sphere/rod objects (each w/ 1/2 Planck mass) each time (after making them reach relativistic speeds first)! (Instead of accelerating/colliding (countless) particles or ions etc!)

Its main goal would be, to create a Planck particle (which IMHO what Black Holes are made of & quite probably the last missing particle of Standard Model):

From Wikipedia:

"A Planck particle, or planckion, named after physicist Max Planck, is a hypothetical particle defined as a tiny black hole whose Compton wavelength is equal to its Schwarzschild radius. Its mass is thus approximately the Planck mass, and its Compton wavelength and Schwarzschild radius are about the Planck length."

(20200904) Commented on the article:

"Quantum Reality"
https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=11978

“how our classical reality emerges from a fundamental quantum theory”

This is a topic I really think I can provide useful guidance/direction to any interested theoretical physicists:

The problem is how GR emerges from QM!
Which is actually, how spacetime emerges from quantum vacuum!

First realize, GR is fully compatible w/ spacetime being a (super)fluid:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_solution

Then, realize, the problem actually is, how spacetime superfluid (at macro-scale) created by GAS-like dynamics of virtual particles of quantum vacuum (at micro-scale)!
(As an (much simpler) analogy, think about how air (gas) creates atmosphere/weather (fluid)!)

(Of course, the main goal would be to express these ideas mathematically, to create a new theory of quantum-gravity (which is beyond me)!)