h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

@ post 13



Julian Barbour, who claims time is an illusion.


.. I'm not aware of his theories regarding lunchtime...

Thank you!

B

Nernst's equation however is shocking

I find Newton's Laws Of Orbital Motion to be oddly moving.

B

Since the topic has drifted, I present to you a physics joke:

Heisenberg is driving along the motorway, and a police car comes up behind him, lights flashing. He pulls over and the policeman walks up to his window. After looking at his licence, the policeman says, "Do you know how fast you were going, Mr. Heisenberg?"
Heisenberg responds, "I know exactly how fast I was going... but I have no idea where I am!"

Oh, and I will add that the entire field of cryogenics left me cold.

Two cats are sliding down a roof. Which one hits the ground first?

The one with the smallest mew.

B

That one did actually raise a small titter there B

What about Planck? (spelling?)

I know his work, but how was he cool?

Beats me! Anything involving quantum anything has got to at least have a cool element! Got a new one though: Schrodinger. And his cat. Was he a physicist?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Schrödinger


Well he looked like a cross between Harold Lloyd and Norman Tebbitt and had two wives whilst getting some of his students pregnant apparently.

Does that make him cool?

To get anyone pregnant whilst suffering such a handicap in the looks department is cool! Plus he opposed the Nazis, so that can't be bad!

I always knew the punchline to the Heisenberg gag as:

"Do you know how fast you were going sir?"
"No idea at all, but do know exactly where I am."

Which makes more sense as an answer if he was speeding.

SoRB

surely Tesla gets cool points for having a glam/sleeze rock band named after him?

OOOooo, good band too! A blast from the past that one.

Tesla was also played by David Bowie in 'The Prestige'...hmmm...yup...that was actually cool.

Hmmm, but Tesla isn´t really cool by the definition given at the beginning. He´s a great physicist and inventor, but I wouldn´t say he is any cooler than other scientists. I bet Tesla was not popular in high school.

Well, the girls thought he was cool...

http://www.lyricstime.com/omd-tesla-girls-lyrics.html

Other science-related pop tunes:

Einstein A-go-go (Landscape)
She Blinded Me With Science (Thomas Dolby, feat. Magnus Pyke)
and of course the entire output of We Are Scientists.

Any more?

RF

I nominate Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. He developed the degree to which accurate observations of the stars and planets, aided by his ability to remove his nose (a golden substitute for the real one he lost in a duel) to better align his eye with the eyepiece of his telescope. Given 5% of Danish GNP per year, he became famous for his lavish parties, featuring automated statues, and a clairvoyant dwarf named Jepp. Sadly, these came to an end, following the death of his pet elk, after it got p*ssed and fell down the stairs of one of the turrets of Tycho's castle.

M

I am amazed no-one has mentioned Dr Brian May. Uber-cool.

OK, he is the geekiest rock star alive but we are talking physicists who are geeks by definition.

Name me one other physicist who has played 'God Save The Queen' on their home-made guitar atop Buck House live to millions of people?

M'lud, I rest my case.