The Elegant Universe

[nikita69]

The Elegant Universe: Eleven dimensions, parallel universes, and a world made out of strings. It's not science fiction, it's string theory. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/)

Next to Artificial Intelligence Neurophysics, this topic has always interested me and frankly I don't know where to start from. What amazes me is do humans Invent or Discover these milestones? Were they a reality waiting to be discovered/solved or simply the human mind was intelligent enough to Invent this?

Hopefully u find this interesting and we would start a discussion about it.

EDIT: Visit the live chat occuring today at the Washington Post site (http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/03/auto_sp_tv_gates102903.htm)

EDIT: They changed the chat location since it ended to Washington Post site (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2570-2003Oct22.html)

[Neo 721]

Yeah i have often wondered that it possible that along the course of human evoloution certain occurences are certain to happen as part of someones destiny for example the theroy's and inventions that are marked as being the most significant, for example the theroy of evolution, the ability to make fire, the discovery of gravity, the theroy of 11 dimensions, leaving earths atmosphere ect. Through this it could be possible to theroyise that maybe the human brain is not inteligent enough to be able acomplish such tasks and there by fate could be the reason it all happens along the timeline meaing the future of the universe could have already have been decided.

PS: dont get too exited about reciveing an abundence of responses most people havent exepted the fact that the earth is round yet.

[Barbarossa]

Originally posted by Neo 721@29 October 2003 - 22:55

PS: dont get too exited about reciveing an abundence of responses most people havent exepted the fact that the earth is round yet.
The Earth's not round, it's ovoid.

As to the rest of it, I'm content to admit it's way over my head.

:blink:

[muchspl2]

so many things were just now trying to grasp, like negative gravity, thats right anti-gravity, and dark matter is another stumper
I'll be recording the pbs show when it comes on, I love stuff like that

[Will_518]

Well, a lot of ppl before us asked the same questions. There is two main views:

one says mthematics and scientific theories are merely an inventions of us human beings to use the world around us to our advantage; Taken out of the context they are in, they are meaningless. Which is kind of true, we say one apple plus one apple equals two apples, but in a world without apples (and all other objects) would 1+1 astill equal two?

So, we discovered nukes because it's an more effective way of killing each other, not because it's inevitable. Of course, with this view, the guy who's trying to prove x^3 + y^3 doesn't equal z^3, when x, y, z are all integers is just purely a wierdo. (give this one a try if you want, if you do crack it, you are a very clever guy, or a wierdo)

The other says pretty much the opposite, i can't be bothered to type any more, so, if you want, just read that Greek guy called Aristurtle's works, and plato.

The earth is round???!!!! When did they discover that?

[Will_518]

Oh, btw, i don't believe in fate. The idea that it's already certain that i may never win the lotto is just too scary for me.

Oh, but that german dude Kant or count or kurnt (stupid german name, how do you spell it), he does sort of believe in that when it comes to knowledge.

[Neo 721]

I was making a quick point but if anyone thought it was a sphere it is not iam not sure of the name of it not it is fatter around the poles.

[Will_518]

sphere?! why do they have to call a ball a sphere? Do those sick people who invented these word get their kicks from inventing weird words, so when you spell it wrong they can laugh at you?

And could some please tell me how you spell that german dude's name. His called something like Emma Uel Kunt. How do you spell it?