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1. Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠) (clackemovedtoheldscalla@quitter.se)'s status on Wednesday, 26-Oct-2016 20:03:58 UTC Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠)
   #toread lee smolin's 'the trouble with physics', overview of modern physics, dead ends and slow progress
   • Former Bob Jonkman -- Please use the new server at https://gs.jonkman.ca (bobjonkmanformer@sn.jonkman.ca)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 03:49:50 UTC Former Bob Jonkman -- Please use the new server at https://gs.jonkman.ca

     in reply to
     I need to dig out my copy. I finished the first couple of chapters and got distracted. 10 years ago… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trouble_with_Physics
   • Stephen Sekula (steve@chirp.cooleysekula.net)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 06:38:53 UTC Stephen Sekula

     in reply to
     @clacke It is mostly an evisceration of string theory and the theorists that work on it. I don't disagree with some of his points - for instance, how funding is distributed among theoretical efforts - but it is also a bit dated now. Theorists move with the fashions - in a scientific sense, where the data lead - and today the Higgs Boson and its implications for near-term physics is all the rage... As it should be, because it exists.
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   • Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠) (clackemovedtoheldscalla@quitter.se)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 08:26:33 UTC Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠)

     in reply to

     • Stephen Sekula
     @steve Thanks for the review! Any counter-recommendation of a good read?
   • Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠) (clackemovedtoheldscalla@quitter.se)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 09:09:54 UTC Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠)

     in reply to

     • Stephen Sekula
     @steve Is "Fashion, Faith, and Fantasy in the New Physics of the Universe" by Penrose something I might want to read/watch?
   • Stephen Sekula (steve@chirp.cooleysekula.net)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 09:28:10 UTC Stephen Sekula

     in reply to
     @clacke Ooh, no idea. Haven't read it.
   • Stephen Sekula (steve@chirp.cooleysekula.net)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 09:30:08 UTC Stephen Sekula

     in reply to
     @clacke How about "The 4% Universe"? And I am not just recommending it because my wife appears in the book. :-)
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   • Constance Variable (lambadalambda@social.heldscal.la)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 12:03:34 UTC Constance Variable

     in reply to

     • Stephen Sekula
     @steve @clacke I read that, too. It's not bad, but ultimately unsatisfying because it boils down too 'we have no idea what dark matter and dark energy are'.
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   • Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠) (clackemovedtoheldscalla@quitter.se)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 14:23:12 UTC Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠)

     in reply to

     • Stephen Sekula
     • Constance Variable
     @lambadalambda @steve Well. It's true, isn't it?
   • Constance Variable (lambadalambda@social.heldscal.la)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 14:25:01 UTC Constance Variable

     in reply to

     • Stephen Sekula
     @clacke @steve It's true, but it doesn't make for very good reading. The book is mainly about the struggle of two teams who want to be the first to make some observations.
   • Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠) (clackemovedtoheldscalla@quitter.se)'s status on Thursday, 27-Oct-2016 14:25:43 UTC Claes Wallin (韋嘉誠)

     in reply to

     • Stephen Sekula
     • Constance Variable
     @lambadalambda @steve Dark energy is a rounding error in the algorithm that runs the universe. It made things interesting so was left in.
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