40 Photos and videos
May 18
Feynman proposed this theory to Wheeler and Wheeler immediately proved it wrong by noting it would mean there is the same amount of matter and antimatter in the universe and, clearly, there isn't. Feynman relates this story in one of his books.
May 17
Every electron in the universe might be the same electron.
In 1940, John Wheeler called Richard Feynman and suggested that the reason every electron has exactly the same mass and charge, to a precision we cannot even measure a deviation from, is that there is only one of them.
A single electron, weaving forwards and backwards through time, threading through every moment of cosmic history, appearing as matter when it moves one way and as its antiparticle when it moves the other.
The idea was never proven, but it was never quite killed either. The math allows it.
An electron going backwards in time is mathematically identical to a positron going forwards, and the equations do not care which description you pick.
If Wheeler was right, then the particle in your retina reading this sentence is the same particle burning in the heart of a star ten billion light years away.
You are not made of many things. You are made of one thing, seen from many angles at once.
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Apr 16
You should switch; here's why.
* If the rejection letter was picked on purpose, then your chances double by switching (MH problem)
* If it was picked at random, your chances are no worse if you switch.
You don't know which is true, so you should switch.
This question must be filtering for "people who are aware of the Monty hall problem but don't understand it"?
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Feb 25
Sabine: We understand quantum mechanics.
Also Sabine: We don't know what a measurement is.
Feb 25
Also, most of the quotes from physicists who supposedly said that no one understands quantum mechanics don't exist.
The one person who clearly said this was Richard Feynman, but it was also clearly a joke.
It is frequently attributed to John Wheeler, but I found no evidence that Wheeler said anything of the sort.
There is a second-hand quote (related through Heisenberg) that Niels Bohr said if you aren't shocked by quantum mechanics you don't understand it.
The only other verifiable quote I have been able to find came from Sean Carroll.
Personally I think it comes down to what you mean by "understanding". We understand the maths just fine, it's not all that difficult. Does it make intuitive sense? Depends on how much time you have spent with it.
x.com/Leophilius/status/2026…
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Feb 24
This thread illustrates why I advocate finding your mate and marrying while still young. People say, "People under 25 aren't fully formed yet. They don' t know who they are."
That's right! When you meet and marry young, you can form and grow together.
Feb 24
I asked a woman who had been pursued by millionaires, celebrities, and athletes why she chose to marry an ordinary man with an ordinary job.
Her answer was the most powerful thing I've ever heard about love.
Here is what she said…
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Jan 12
Was having a nice conversation about memory usage with someone and realized that we had different priorities because I am a web developer.
Suddenly the conversation turned nasty.
Here's a short list of some of the things that "webslop" developers prioritize above memory usage.
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Jan 12
Secure secrets management and configuration handling for various environments.
Data consistency management across distributed systems, including support for eventual consistency when needed.
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Jan 12
Transparency about data handling and privacy practices.
Reducing environmental impact by optimizing infrastructure, caching, and data delivery efficiency.
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