Recent content by bostonnew

Or will we always find them with our telescopes well before they hit us? Could something wipe us out tomorrow?

Ok, thanks. What if we leave aside galactic mergers for the moment. Do stars ever collide within galaxies as part of the normal way galaxies evolve? Under what kind of circumstances can this happen?

Will some of the stars of the Milky Way crash into those of Andromeda if these galaxies merge? What are the odds? How large a share of the stars will this happen to? Thanks

For example if the pulsar is rotating with a fourth of the speed of light? Or more generally, what effect does the rotation of an object have when it comes to landing on it? Thanks

Hi all, Does someone have a sense of how much of mathematical discoveries eventually are used in applied science? How long does it typically take for a math paper to be published for it to have an impact on our daily lives? Do you know of examples of important mathematical discoveries...

Hi all, Can someone please explain to me how/when to properly use the terms quantum mechanics, quantum theory, and quantum physics? They aren't exactly interchangeable are they? Thanks,

Hi all, I've spent some time studying the different interpretations of quantum mechanics and have come to the conclusions that none of them really make sense to me. Which made me think that that in itself actually makes sense as I'm just an African ape whose brain certainly didn't evolve in...

These answers are quite helpful. I'm very curious as I don't know much about this field. Do mathematicians think differently than scientists about what constitutes a good discovery?

Hmmm... Ok, so the consensus (if any) seems to be that he's referring to complexity when he says that things look designed. But honestly that doesn't make any sense to me. To me, a high degree of complexity would mean exactly that it is very unlikely to be designed. Which is more complex...

Hi all, Can someone help me understand how mathematical discoveries are evaluated? If a new finding is made, how do you know if it's significant or not? What differentiates the content of the prestigious journals from others? I can understand that solving problems that have been unsolved...

Why do biologists talk about "appearence of design"? Hi all, It's really puzzling to me that various biologists say that nature appear to be designed. I'm not sure if you guys have seen the same quotes, but here's one: "Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance...

Because of the uncertainty principle.

I agree it's a matter of definition. Certainly the electron doesn't exist in the same way as laypeople would say that a rock exists. With quantum theory it just becomes very unclear what we mean by existence. But my point is more practical than anything. To my understanding, all theoretical...

I agree, I'm not complaining at all. I cherish it just as much as my free will:-)

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone is aware of any theories in physics that don't rest on the assumption that matter exists. I've heard a few theorists (both particle physicists, string theorists, and mathematicians) describe how it becomes very hard (if not impossible) to describe what an...