Scientists: Nature's Fundamental Laws May Be Changing

ScienceLive via Fox News ^ | July 13, 2006 | Michael Schirber

[EternalVigilance]

Translated as “we have no idea what we’re talking about, and no matter how much we massage the data, our fancy computers can’t even spit out something that makes it seem like we know what we’re talking about.” Back to the drawing board...

[Political Junkie Too]

The universe was much simpler back when Pi was only 3.13.

-PJ

[dr_lew]

... it gets no better than Edwin Abbott Abbott’s “Flatland”.

I beg to differ! Cf. AK Dewdney's THE PLANIVERSE, which is "along the same lines". This affected my mind.

[SAJ]

First Three Laws of Computing:

1. Constants aren't.
2. Help doesn't.
3. Variables don't, or at least not in the way you want them to.

[Smokin' Joe]

But the only constant is change.

[djf]

I have personally conjectured this many times in the past, and routinely take a pounding from a few of the egghead wannabees around here.

In fact Newtons gravitational constant itself is measured in centimeters cubed per gram. Per second squared.

The first part is the inverse of the density. The second part, per second squared, tells us it is an acceleration.

The last couple years I have been intrigued by the idea that momentum itself is a stand alone fundamental physical measurable property. In other words, momentum can exist without there being any mass. Sounds goofy, I know, but there are some equations you can look at and the only way to make them consistent over all frames of reference is to have a stand-alone momentum quantity.

[uglybiker]

No problem. Just run it through a climate model. Then it’ll say whatever they want it to. :^P

[SunkenCiv]

Nice! Thanks for posting that and adding the keyword.

[grey_whiskers]

Thanks for the correction. I should really be getting ready to leave now. (< 5 hrs sleep!)

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

But the only constant is change.

"We are the change...uh, um...we have been waiting for."

Do you realize that this means -- Obama really is the Messiah! /Daily Kos>

Cheers!

[sig226]

The biggest problem if that happens is where do you get a spare?

[Smokin' Joe]

Do you realize that this means -- Obama really is the Messiah! /Daily Kos>

Ummm. Duuude. That, like, changed, duuude.

/burnout

[valkyry1]

Science has Determined that Nature’s Fundamental Laws May Not Be Constant, but there are two Absolutes in Darwininsm that never change. One being the God of Natural Selection by Random Mutation, and the other that apes dropped out of the trees and became Man (or man is just an advanced ape).

Regards,

[MHGinTN]

Will this one do?

[js1138]

So much for “fine tuning.”

[MHGinTN]

Now that is a really astonishing leap into absurdity! If the ‘constants’ are changing yet radioactive decay seems to be a consistent rate, don’t you see how that could actually be even more of ‘fine tuning’? Of course you can’t, you’re so nailed to your preconceived notions that there is no sliver of opening for anything different.

[MHGinTN]

I personally like this one better

but this one is also very nice

[grey_whiskers]

So much for “fine tuning.” ???

Related to anthropic principle?

[js1138]

If physical constants change without ripping the universe apart, then fine tuning is bogus.

The fact that the changes are in the sixth decimal place indicates that radiometric dating is valid. The error bars in dating techniques are several percent, for any single sample.