That's the problem with treating 'infinity' as if it were a number (it's not). Literally, it means 'unmeasureable -- beyond limit'.
On Jan 6, 2013, at 7:36 AM, Mike Palij wrote: > One example that is used to represent Stevens' conception of a ratio > scale, that is, a constant interval scale with an absolute zero, is the > Kelvin temperature scale which, unlike the Fahrenheit and Celsius > scales, has a absolute zero point representing the coldest temperature > that can be achieved. > > But who knew that you could have "negative absolute" temperatures, > temperatures below absolute zero? But instead of being cold, these > temperature are hot, theoretically, hotter than infinity. > > These are strange ideas but experimentally confirmed ones. For > popular accounts of the research showing negative absolute temps, > here is one from HuffPost: > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/absolute-zero-record-setting-negative-temperature_n_2404666.html > To appreciate the weirdness associated with this research, consider > the following quote from the HuffPost article: > > |To comprehend the negative temperatures scientists have now devised, > |one might think of temperature as existing on a scale that is actually a > |loop, not linear. Positive temperatures make up one part of the loop, > |while negative temperatures make up the other part. When temperatures > |go either below zero or above infinity on the positive region of this scale, > |they end up in negative territory. > > Science Daily has the following article: > http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130104143516.htm > > And the Max Planck Institute where the research was done has provided > this press release: > http://www.mpq.mpg.de/cms/mpq/en/news/press/13_01_04.html > > The research was published in "Science" and the article can be accessed > here: > http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6115/52 > > Busy, busy, busy. > > -Mike Palij > New York University > [email protected] > > > > > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13438.3b5166ef147b143fedd04b1c4a64900b&n=T&l=tips&o=22713 > or send a blank email to > leave-22713-13438.3b5166ef147b143fedd04b1c4a649...@fsulist.frostburg.edu Paul Brandon Emeritus Professor of Psychology Minnesota State University, Mankato [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=22715 or send a blank email to leave-22715-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
