Comments on: Nobel laureate occasionally hangs out on street corners, answering physics questions http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 19:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Agrippa http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1478397 Agrippa Mon, 16 Jul 2012 06:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1478397 He never wanted to call it that. He wanted to call it the goddamn particle because it was so damn hard to find. It was the publisher that said that was a no-go. He never wanted to call it that. He wanted to call it the goddamn particle because it was so damn hard to find. It was the publisher that said that was a no-go.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1476980 Antinous / Moderator Fri, 13 Jul 2012 20:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1476980 Really? I totally heard that he ate a baby. Really? I totally heard that he ate a baby.

]]> By: Adam Fields http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1476827 Adam Fields Fri, 13 Jul 2012 19:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1476827 I see your point. But it's still an entertaining and informative book, which maybe needs a better title for the reissue. I see your point. But it’s still an entertaining and informative book, which maybe needs a better title for the reissue.

]]> By: Tj LaFave http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1476402 Tj LaFave Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1476402  It was a bit mundane, but he answered it reasonably well considering it was somewhat outside his specialized field of expertise.  It was a bit mundane, but he answered it reasonably well considering it was somewhat outside his specialized field of expertise.

]]> By: Tj LaFave http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1476398 Tj LaFave Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1476398 ...and yet I'm told he hasn't the time to reply to emails about serious science.  …and yet I’m told he hasn’t the time to reply to emails about serious science. 

]]> By: Tj LaFave http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1476395 Tj LaFave Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1476395  I think most serious scientists are happy that the "God Particle" affiliation with the Higgs Boson is largely forgotten. For the general public, the affiliation is far too religious and over-simplifying.  I think most serious scientists are happy that the “God Particle” affiliation with the Higgs Boson is largely forgotten. For the general public, the affiliation is far too religious and over-simplifying.

]]> By: pKp http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1476253 pKp Fri, 13 Jul 2012 09:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1476253 You might want to peruse this site :  http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/ WARNING: timesink. Carries risks of lowered productivity, relationship strain and sleep deprivation. You might want to peruse this site : 
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/
WARNING: timesink. Carries risks of lowered productivity, relationship strain and sleep deprivation.

]]> By: Ian Brewer http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1476081 Ian Brewer Fri, 13 Jul 2012 04:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1476081 I know it appears simple, but I've never seen anything that addressed the issues. Sometimes, even scientists can overlook the simplest explanations.   I know it appears simple, but I’ve never seen anything that addressed the issues. Sometimes, even scientists can overlook the simplest explanations.  

]]> By: Boundegar http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1476027 Boundegar Fri, 13 Jul 2012 03:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1476027  I'm no cosmologist, but I'm willing to bet somebody already tried that idea and it didn't work.  Dark energy isn't a matter of faith - it's an ugly corner the data forced physics into.  I think most physicists would be happier if everything was Newtonian - but that damned data keeps misbehaving!  I’m no cosmologist, but I’m willing to bet somebody already tried that idea and it didn’t work.  Dark energy isn’t a matter of faith – it’s an ugly corner the data forced physics into.  I think most physicists would be happier if everything was Newtonian – but that damned data keeps misbehaving!

]]> By: picaflor http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475971 picaflor Fri, 13 Jul 2012 02:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475971 This is truly great. I wish people from a variety of professions did this. This is truly great.
I wish people from a variety of professions did this.

]]> By: Ian Brewer http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475959 Ian Brewer Fri, 13 Jul 2012 02:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475959 This is great. I'm but a layman, but I have a question I'm burning to ask a theoretical physicist: Is it possible that there is no dark energy, but rather the cause behind the accelerating expansion of the universe is that space time is flattening as the universe expands and gravitational warping of the fabric of space time weakens over distance? Could this acceleration eventually approach the speed of light and everything just become energy? I'd be interested if anyone wants to take a shot at those questions. This is great. I’m but a layman, but I have a question I’m burning to ask a theoretical physicist: Is it possible that there is no dark energy, but rather the cause behind the accelerating expansion of the universe is that space time is flattening as the universe expands and gravitational warping of the fabric of space time weakens over distance? Could this acceleration eventually approach the speed of light and everything just become energy? I’d be interested if anyone wants to take a shot at those questions.

]]> By: Calvin Jae http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475915 Calvin Jae Fri, 13 Jul 2012 01:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475915 Is it just me or did he seem less happy with the third question? Is it just me or did he seem less happy with the third question?

]]> By: malindrome http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475878 malindrome Fri, 13 Jul 2012 01:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475878 Le-on! You don't have to put out the red light Those days are over, you don't have to give your brains to the night Le-on! You don't have to wear that nice jacket tonight Walk the streets teaching physics You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right Le-on!
You don’t have to put out the red light
Those days are over, you don’t have to give your brains to the night
Le-on!
You don’t have to wear that nice jacket tonight
Walk the streets teaching physics
You don’t care if it’s wrong or if it’s right

]]> By: Paul Hufton http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475815 Paul Hufton Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475815 And that's why entropy is so damned weird. And that’s why entropy is so damned weird.

]]> By: Kludgegrrl http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475807 Kludgegrrl Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475807 Back when I was an undergraduate in the 80's Dr Lederman taught a "physics for poets" class at the U of Chicago (which required all students to take three terms of physical science, among many other things).  How angry was my boyfriend, a physics major, that I go to have him as a prof!  Allegedly, Dr Lederman would *only* teach undergraduates who were not physics majors, because it was a more interesting challenge.   At any rate, he was an excellent teacher and it was a wonderful class. I wonder if he still teaches that class? Back when I was an undergraduate in the 80′s Dr Lederman taught a “physics for poets” class at the U of Chicago (which required all students to take three terms of physical science, among many other things).  How angry was my boyfriend, a physics major, that I go to have him as a prof!  Allegedly, Dr Lederman would *only* teach undergraduates who were not physics majors, because it was a more interesting challenge.   At any rate, he was an excellent teacher and it was a wonderful class.

I wonder if he still teaches that class?

]]> By: Dan Shapiro http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475777 Dan Shapiro Thu, 12 Jul 2012 23:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475777 I spent a summer at Fermilab in high school, and one day snuck out of the program and tracked down Dr. Lederman in his office.  The door was closed, and I tentatively asked a woman sitting outside if  the professor might be available for just a quick autograph.  She stared at me for a second, stood up, and yelled, "LEEEEOOON!"  Then she sat down and told me, "I think he's in the can." The nobel-prize-winning physicist emerged from said can a moment later.  He gave me a big smile and shook my hand.  I asked him for an autograph, and he said, in a voice with what I took to be a thick foreign accent, "I'm very sorry I can't speak with you right now."  He scribbled his name on the paper, and continued, "I just got back from the dentist and my mouth hurts like a motherfucker."  At least I think that's what he said, as there was clearly a lot of novocain involved. Big smile, another handshake, and a great reminder that heroes can be nice normal human beings too. I spent a summer at Fermilab in high school, and one day snuck out of the program and tracked down Dr. Lederman in his office.  The door was closed, and I tentatively asked a woman sitting outside if  the professor might be available for just a quick autograph.  She stared at me for a second, stood up, and yelled, “LEEEEOOON!”  Then she sat down and told me, “I think he’s in the can.”
The nobel-prize-winning physicist emerged from said can a moment later.  He gave me a big smile and shook my hand.  I asked him for an autograph, and he said, in a voice with what I took to be a thick foreign accent, “I’m very sorry I can’t speak with you right now.”  He scribbled his name on the paper, and continued, “I just got back from the dentist and my mouth hurts like a motherfucker.”  At least I think that’s what he said, as there was clearly a lot of novocain involved.
Big smile, another handshake, and a great reminder that heroes can be nice normal human beings too.

]]> By: humanresource http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475766 humanresource Thu, 12 Jul 2012 23:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475766 Fantastic. This reminds me of one of my favourite random encounters. While on an extended road trip through country Australia, my girlfriend and I met a Ukrainian nuclear physicist and his family who were three years into their own road trip. While talking about his work on particle accelerators, under the warm starry sky, I had the chance to ask all the physics questions that bug a non-scientist.  At one point, I asked him "There are particles whose behaviour can only be explained if you assume they move backwards through time, is that right?", and he replied that this is true, so I asked him "Well, does that mean they ARE moving backwards through time?" and I'll never forget his reply. "Of course they are! Everything in physics is symmetrical! Haven't you noticed?". Fantastic. This reminds me of one of my favourite random encounters. While on an extended road trip through country Australia, my girlfriend and I met a Ukrainian nuclear physicist and his family who were three years into their own road trip. While talking about his work on particle accelerators, under the warm starry sky, I had the chance to ask all the physics questions that bug a non-scientist. 

At one point, I asked him “There are particles whose behaviour can only be explained if you assume they move backwards through time, is that right?”, and he replied that this is true, so I asked him “Well, does that mean they ARE moving backwards through time?” and I’ll never forget his reply.
“Of course they are! Everything in physics is symmetrical! Haven’t you noticed?”.

]]> By: Adam Fields http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475752 Adam Fields Thu, 12 Jul 2012 23:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475752 It is worth noting that Leon Lederman is also the author of (and coiner of the phrase?) "The God Particle", which seems to have been nearly universally forgotten in the recent coverage of the Higgs Boson. http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Particle-Universe-Question/dp/0618711686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342134096&sr=8-1&keywords=the+god+particle It is worth noting that Leon Lederman is also the author of (and coiner of the phrase?) “The God Particle”, which seems to have been nearly universally forgotten in the recent coverage of the Higgs Boson.

http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Particle-Universe-Question/dp/0618711686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342134096&sr=8-1&keywords=the+god+particle

]]> By: nvlady http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/nobel-laureate-occasionally-ha.html#comment-1475748 nvlady Thu, 12 Jul 2012 23:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=170895#comment-1475748 What a wonderful public service! What a wonderful public service!

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