On Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 11:12:58 PM UTC-5, Alan Grayson wrote: > > > > On Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 10:01:19 PM UTC-6, Philip Thrift wrote: >> >> >> >> On Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 5:55:36 PM UTC-5, Bruce wrote: >>> >>> >>> I came across a good article that is apposite to the discussion in this >>> thread. Arnold Neumaier has an article on virtual particles at: >>> >>> https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/vacuum-fluctuation-myth/ >>> >>> where he looks at the origin of much of the common mythology surrounding >>> the idea of vacuum fluctuations and virtual particles. People should read >>> this and take the lessons to heart -- all of this mythology arose from >>> well-meaning, but ultimately mis-guided, attempts to explain the mysteries >>> of quantum mechanics to lay people. The result was enduring confusion, that >>> now affects even professional physicists. >>> >>> Bruce >>> >> >> >> >> Very interesting fellow. Interesting article. I was intrigued reading the >> link there to his biography of himself being math to applied math ending up >> in computing and dabbling in physics. Sounded like me! >> >> Then >> >> Two years after my Ph.D., my formerly atheistic world view changed and I >> became a Christian. I got convinced that there is a very powerful God >> <http://www.mat.univie.ac.at/~neum/sciandf/eng/arms.html> who created >> the Universe, who controls what appears to us as chance, and who is >> interested in each of us individually. I understood (with Galilei, and >> later Newton and Maxwell) that God had written the book of nature in the >> language of mathematics. As a result of these insights, one of my life >> goals became to understand all the important applications of mathematics in >> other fields of science, engineering, and ordinary life. It is a challenge >> that keeps me learning all my life. >> >> >> https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/interview-mathematician-physicist-arnold-neumaier/ >> >> @philipthrift >> > > Are you suggesting, maybe tongue in cheek, that his analysis of virtual > particles is suspect because he believes in a very powerful God? Do you > believe in such a God? AG >
I've always been an atheistic materialist. I don't know if his "denial" of virtual particles is influenced by his theology or not, but this I know: *One physicist says there are Xs. Another physicist says there are no Xs. One or both is BSing. Probably both.* The luxury (or fun) of math and even applied math is it doesn't matter if whether you think of the entities of a theory being fictional or not. It is useful or it isn't. (In pure math, useful doesn't quite matter as in applied math.) @philipthrift -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/50150d09-c09d-4cca-880e-b09b86fb6b5b%40googlegroups.com.
