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PeterDonis submitted a new PF Insights post
Why Won't You Look at My New Theory?
Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
Why Won't You Look at My New Theory?
Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
This is absolutely true. The scientific definition and use of a theory is vastly different than what a layman thinks. To many layman, theory means a "guess" which could have conceivably come by way of day dreaming. It's immensely frustrating.Dale said:Nonscientists tend to categorize theories as "right" or "wrong". So regardless of how many experiments confirm a theory, a single counterexample (of type B) makes it "wrong".
Dale said:A type A contradiction tells us that our simplifications have some limited domain of applicability. Even if the theory still applies, some previously neglected term is no longer negligible in this new domain.
This is what I meant by a previously neglected term. One where the existing theory already includes a term that we just neglected in our analysis because we incorrectly assumed that it was too small to matter. Such as the additional terms due to other planets in the moon example. Those terms are small but not always negligible.PeterDonis said:or a problem with the calculations based on the current theory
Is it wrong to say, if you are this interested in a subject, why are you not studying at an education institution which would have the resources you'd need?klotza said:So where should non-crazy people turn to, to get help?
ProfuselyQuarky said:It seems to me that the mentors are gushing over this article because they have to deal with crackpots first hand all the time
klotza said:suppose somebody is not crazy, but is also not in the physics community, but has read a lot and think they have come up with something new. How do they get people to read it, to help them figure out whether their idea is right or wrong?
Maybe Brian Greene?klotza said:So where should non-crazy people turn to, to get help?
klotza said:One thing I've wondered: suppose somebody is not crazy, but is also not in the physics community, but has read a lot and think they have come up with something new. How do they get people to read it, to help them figure out whether their idea is right or wrong? Pretty much every serious online physics community has rules against this. They can write up a paper and submit it to a journal, but the role of peer review isn't really to be a first-pass vet of peoples' ideas, and a person not in the field will likely have papers rejected pretty quickly. So where should non-crazy people turn to, to get help?
ogg said:Could you confirm that Newtonian Gravitation (with instantaneous interactions) is consistent (with classical physics ca 1890-1900).
ogg said:My impression is that "neo"Newtonian Gravity (finite speed of c & force) is quite consistent with the Solar System's orbital mechanics – is this right or wrong?
If you have something worth saying then it will not be just out of the blue. Einstein had a track record and so does anyone who can break new ground. If they haven't done the established stuff to a reasonable level then anything that they come up with is little better than monkeys and typewriters. If they introduce a 'glimmer' of something worth while then how will it ever be spotted amongst all the rubbish that they compete with? We just have to wait a bit for someone else to have the idea. It will happen.PeterDonis said:(Einstein, even though he had been out of academia for several years in 1905, had plenty of contacts that were disposed to take him seriously.)
Greg Bernhardt said:Is it wrong to say, if you are this interested in a subject, why are you not studying at an education institution which would have the resources you'd need?
ogg said:My impression is that "neo"Newtonian Gravity (finite speed of c & force) is quite consistent with the Solar System's orbital mechanics - is this right or wrong?
ogg said:I think that the OP confuses theory with model predictions using that theory.
ogg said:Epicycles comes to mind as an example where a theory's inconsistency with observation were "swept under the rug" by "just" adding more circles to the model.
ogg said:the idea of consistency is nebulous at best.
ogg said:how many (and which) of our theories are confirmed at an accuracy of 99.9999% ?
ogg said:could you provide a citation for Einstein's "poor" grades?
ogg said:the reason why this thread isn't philosophy? LOL:)
There is also the question: is there a need for a new theory in a specific area of research?klotza said:One thing I've wondered: suppose somebody is not crazy, but is also not in the physics community, but has read a lot and think they have come up with something new. How do they get people to read it, to help them figure out whether their idea is right or wrong? Pretty much every serious online physics community has rules against this. They can write up a paper and submit it to a journal, but the role of peer review isn't really to be a first-pass vet of peoples' ideas, and a person not in the field will likely have papers rejected pretty quickly. So where should non-crazy people turn to, to get help?
nasu said:There is also the question: is there a need for a new theory in a specific area of research?
nasu said:many times the person proposing new theories fail to explain what problem they claim to solve, even when specifically asked about it.
nasu said:I think that the answer to "Why nobody look at my new theory" should at least partially contain "because there is no need for it".
There is a huge difference between "think they have come up with something new" and actually coming up with something new and useful. We have the first type here frequently, but can you name any big discovery/theory coming from someone without a proper education or contact to scientists?klotza said:One thing I've wondered: suppose somebody is not crazy, but is also not in the physics community, but has read a lot and think they have come up with something new. How do they get people to read it, to help them figure out whether their idea is right or wrong? Pretty much every serious online physics community has rules against this. They can write up a paper and submit it to a journal, but the role of peer review isn't really to be a first-pass vet of peoples' ideas, and a person not in the field will likely have papers rejected pretty quickly. So where should non-crazy people turn to, to get help?
Maybe. But no one can expect to get to a good stage of understanding by superficial 'reading round' on the Internet and then submitting whacky ideas on discussion forums. There are alternatives to 'Institutions' but a Science Forum is certainly not sufficient.twiz_ said:This is a ridiculous question. There are so many reasons not to, all specific to different people.
Exactly. I have frequently made this point. Anyone who thinks that you can go it alone with Physics is probably just not aware of just how difficult and complex Physics is.mfb said:can you name any big discovery/theory coming from someone without a proper education or contact to scientists?
I think this is a spot on comparison. Yes, you can kick a ball around on your own, but would you expect the pro leagues to return your calls?sophiecentaur said:Would you expect to become a World Class Footballer from kicking a ball around on your own?
interesting reference:john baez said:ogg said:Could you confirm that Newtonian Gravitation (with instantaneous interactions) is consistent (with classical physics ca 1890-1900).
Yes. Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism are not consistent with pre-special-relativity ideas about how things should look in a moving frame of reference, but that's a separate matter. Newtonian gravitation is perfectly consistent with these ideas. In fact it's the best theory that uses these ideas.
ogg said:My impression is that "neo"Newtonian Gravity (finite speed of c & force) is quite consistent with the Solar System's orbital mechanics – is this right or wrong?
If you say the gravitational force moves at the speed of light and obeys a "delayed" force law, conservation of angular momentum breaks down. In other words, suppose each a particle is attracted to where it would see each other particle was, feeling an inverse square force. Then the particles are not attracted toward their current center of mass! This means angular momentum is not conserved. Orbits would spiral down.
This effect is big enough that we can be sure by now that's not how things work. Interestingly, in general relativity this effect does not occur, even though nothing can move faster than light!
For details see the physics FAQ: