Recent content by Jagella

  1. J

    What is the proposed scale for rating mathematical acumen?

    That's obviously correct; my scale is very subjective and is merely an exercise in gauging mathematical ability in a crude fashion. I think it might superficially satisfy our curiosity about how mathematicians compare to each other. I enjoy making such ordered lists that rank my opinion about...
  2. J

    What is the proposed scale for rating mathematical acumen?

    ...was Bo Derek really a 10? I'd say that a mathematician's thinking involves trying to find solutions to problems involving quantity, shape, size, and order. Yes, and the right place is often an environment that is conducive to mathematical research. We should wonder how many people may...
  3. J

    What is the proposed scale for rating mathematical acumen?

    How good or bad are we at math? Mathematical ability obviously varies from one person to another. I propose a scale in which a zero is the inability to add 2 + 2, 5 is the ability to successfully complete college-level math courses, and a 10 describes the ability to come up with mathematical...
  4. J

    Can we predict human decisions with absolute certainty?

    I think this theory may be correct. It does seem that human behavior is “hard wired” and that free will is an illusion. Why, for instance, is antisocial behavior so common? If people could really choose what actions to take, then why would people choose to be cruel or unjust? I think I'll...
  5. J

    Can we predict human decisions with absolute certainty?

    Depending on what you might mean by “prophecy,” it may or may not be possible. We can all make plans that we fulfill, and we can make some good guesses. Extrapolation in some cases may also work very well in predicting the future. Astronomers can very accurately predict where some celestial body...
  6. J

    Heat Transfer and Scientific Reasoning

    Of course I understand that most educational institutions teach the basics first and then move on to more advanced topics. I've found that the opposite approach can be very effective. For instance, I'm currently studying a physics text backwards. I study a chapter and then move on to the...
  7. J

    Heat Transfer and Scientific Reasoning

    Hi Harry: I'm glad you brought up this issue because I'm wondering if some of the basic physics taught in the physics curriculum at universities is “fully developed.” Has all the work been done on the physics of sound, optics, motion, force, and of course heat transfer and thermodynamics? I...
  8. J

    Heat Transfer and Scientific Reasoning

    I think you misunderstand what I said. I didn't mean that I would discover something new about heat transfer; I meant that I might discover something new about something that is not yet well understood. What inspired my posting my initial comments is my recently learning about how Einstein...
  9. J

    Heat Transfer and Scientific Reasoning

    I don't believe merely reversing the directions of the molecules' motions can restore the initial state. In my rationale, the magnitude of each molecule's energy comes into play more than the direction of motion. To restore the initial state, the energy levels of the molecules would need to be...
  10. J

    Heat Transfer and Scientific Reasoning

    Thanks for the advice and the link, but I'll need to read it later. At this point I'm more concerned with basic reasoning than with research. I could have looked up the answer to why heat transfers from hot to cold easily enough, but I'm trying to come up with the answers myself. That way I hope...
  11. J

    Heat Transfer and Scientific Reasoning

    A "hot" molecule is a molecule that has a higher energy level than other molecules it comes into contact with. I was a bit vague in using that term, and I'm glad you asked for a clarification. Jagella
  12. J

    Heat Transfer and Scientific Reasoning

    And thank you for the response. It's interesting that you should ask about what I meant by “overcome” and how to visualize it. I had some problem there, too, and I realize that to say that one energy level overcomes another, lesser energy level is a bit vague. I used my drawing software to...
  13. J

    Heat Transfer and Scientific Reasoning

    Hello, friends: I just got done studying a chapter in a physics text that explains how heat transfers from higher-temperature objects to lower-temperature objects. Unfortunately, that chapter said little about why heat transfers from higher-temperature objects to lower-temperature objects, so...
  14. J

    The Heisenberg Uncertainty of Bowling Balls

    That's true, but I think it's fair to say that “approximation” in the context of trying to apply the uncertainty principle to macro-scale objects might mean “comparatively imprecise.” Physicists' measurements of subatomic particles and their motion are vastly more precise than measurements...
  15. J

    The Heisenberg Uncertainty of Bowling Balls

    I was recently thinking about the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle which states that we can not know a subatomic particle's position and momentum at any instant. We can know one or the other measure but not both at the same time. The more we know about one, the less we know about the other...
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