Re: Since the beginning of time

1

I wonder if someone has written a term paper in physics that has begun "Since the dawn of time, the gravitational constant has been 6.67x10^-11 N m^2/kg^2."


Posted by: rob helpy-chalk | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:03 PM
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For some weird reason I was expecting the link to go here.


Posted by: Unpronounceable Awl | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:07 PM
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3

Do they even have term papers in physics?


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:08 PM
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4

Googling around, it looks like some physicists think that G might not be a constant. (Which would give the grader in Rob's scenario something to write in the margin!)


Posted by: Merganser | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:17 PM
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4: isn't that one of those creationist ideas?


Posted by: yoyo | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:24 PM
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5: No, it is used to explain the missing matter in the universe.

Creationists never get far enough to introduce constants and equations in their theory.


Posted by: rob helpy-chalk | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:26 PM
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Holy sh*t, ben.


Posted by: arthegall | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:26 PM
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8

Er, yes, arthegall?


Posted by: nosflow | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:28 PM
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9

He seems to have lost his i key. Have you seen it?


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:29 PM
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Its just under the key he hit, and a little to the right. Also, he needs to let go of the shift key.


Posted by: rob helpy-chalk | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:34 PM
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"Since the dilaton and volume moduli were stabilized, the gravitational constant has been..."


Posted by: essear | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:36 PM
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12

Ben, you wouldn't mind removing the (via) link, would you?

I ask with the utmost respect and appreciation, both for you and the entire Unfogged community. You guys are great, and I lurk here regularly, but the anonymous traffic of a front-page link is... um, "against our personal philosophy." I hope you understand? No harm done, I just want to stop things before they get started.


Posted by: arthegall/son1 | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:36 PM
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Creationists never get far enough to introduce constants and equations in their theory.

Just another example of a godless academic looking down on his spiritual betters:

Jesus' love is the only constant.
God = Love.


Posted by: JRoth | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:37 PM
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I was looking at this. The only context in which I've seen the gravitational constant and creationism together is in the fine-tuning argument. (This is an interesting paper on the fine-tuning argument.)


Posted by: Merganser | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:39 PM
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Forces...tearing at me...click the (via) link while it's still there...respect the wishes of what appears to be arthegall's #1 son...can't decide....

[for optimum results, read in your best Shatner delivery]


Posted by: JRoth | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:40 PM
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I wish only to make you happy, arthegall.


Posted by: nosflow | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:45 PM
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Thank you -- I really do appreciate it.

[goes back to lurking.]


Posted by: arthegall | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 1:45 PM
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No spots, no flares, no eddies. I think we may be in big trouble.


Posted by: bob mcmanus | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 2:57 PM
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The astronomers I know have been remarking on the lack of solar features lately. Problematic? Who knows. Certainly odd, though.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 3:28 PM
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Those photos are insanely cool and yet, just because they are awesome and on the internet, my first assumption is that they are fake.


Posted by: Robust McManlyPants | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 5:31 PM
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Surely the photos are fake. They have to be. The entire space program is fake.


Posted by: md 20/400 | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 6:50 PM
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22

Completely off topic, but this sounds familiar.


Posted by: eb | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 7:53 PM
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23

Just think, soon you'll have NYT columnists plagiarizing you by proxy.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 7:59 PM
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It's unlikely that he ever saw that comment, but the end of this review of one of his books is revealing. (Search the page for "wrote it".)


Posted by: eb | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 8:07 PM
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At least he changed the wording around a bit.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 8:35 PM
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I came across an instance of plagiarism today. Doing some research for a program note on Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music, I came across this bit about the text:

Later—and this is where Vaughan Williams comes in—the lovers sit listening to music, gazing at the stars and revelling in the magic of the night
Shortly thereafter, on the website of a choir that has done the piece, I read:
Lorenzo and Jessica are at Belmont, and sit listening to music, gazing at the stars and revelling in the magic of the night
Insignificant enough, but what made it funny was that underneath the latter (and apparently later) entry, a program note of fewer than 150 words, was the notice
You are more than welcome to use all or part of these notes in your programme. If you do, please acknowledge authorship by printing the full signature as shown at the end of this programme note.
Delightful. I've come across this kind of thing several times, including trivial stuff (like capsule restaurant reviews) plagiarized from things I've written. Wevs.


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 05-18-09 9:22 PM
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1: I only ever wrote a paper with the "since the dawn of time" formulation in it once. I was writing about whether Death of a Salesman could properly be described as a tragedy, and I started the paper by saying, "Any discussion of tragedy must begin with Aristotle..." I was in high school. Please forgive me.


Posted by: Bostoniangirl | Link to this comment | 05-19-09 8:05 AM
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Unfortunately, all of my handwashing failed to prevent me from getting this horrid cold. It had a little remission over the weekend and really regrouped for its next attack yesterday. I am taking a ton of cold fx, but it doesn't seem to be doing much. I slept badly two nights last week. I'm sure that's why I got it.


Posted by: Bostoniangirl | Link to this comment | 05-19-09 8:26 AM
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3: yes, sometimes, and especially later.

23: Maybe plagiarism is like a one of those parasites that has to go through different types of hosts in its life cycle. Copy, quote, copy . . .so even though he's always honorable, JMM becomes a necessary hub of infection.


Posted by: Ile | Link to this comment | 05-19-09 10:24 PM
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So he's not a plagiarist himself, but a carrier for plagiarism? Interesting.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 05-19-09 11:19 PM
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30: I guess it would be literally true if there had been copying in that case. JMM was merely linking to someone whose idea resembled that old comment's. But it has to have been a coincidence, not copying anyway, because who reads the comments?


Posted by: eb | Link to this comment | 05-19-09 11:29 PM
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I know I don't.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 05-19-09 11:39 PM
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27: My last high school english class warned us against using "throughout history". I went out with a bang.


Posted by: Wrongshore | Link to this comment | 05-19-09 11:40 PM
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