What the bleep do we know?

Question

You can either comment on the movie or try to assert something as absolutely true.

For example Einstein proved that while Newton's Laws of Thermodynamics were useful they weren't absolutely true. Before relativity, Newtons Laws were considered absolute and the bedrock of the hard sciences.

Now quantum physics comes along and blows the doors off everything we once thought to be true (well at least for some people's understanding of it).

String theory is so far out there that we can't even develop an apparatus to test it.

Whatever you may think don't forget that Einstein's theory of relativity was considered pure fantasy by the scientific elite at the time he came up with it. It took a very long time for the scientific community to catch up with him and accept his ideas and for society to regard him as a genius.

Answer 1

Well, Newton was long dead before thermodynamics came along, but I get your point.

It's certainly true that we periodically have astounding revolutions in science, that nobody saw coming. This gives comfort to people who wish for new undiscovered possibilities, because it leaves the door open that maybe those wished-for things will some day come true.

It's also been my experience that, even though we don't know all the rules by which the universe works, it does seem to work by rules. That is, there are some things the universe will do, and likely some things it never will do.

And it seems to me that, people being as imaginitive as they are, the collection of ideas in peoples' imaginations probably far outnumbers the things the universe will ever really do. That's my nice way of saying: Some crazy ideas will probably turn into scientific revolutions; but most crazy ideas are probably just crazy.

That's why science has to be a little hard-nosed about things. People should always dream, but if you want your dream to come true in science, you need to figure out how to separate your imagination from your experimental results. Science recognizes that even the nicest, smartest, best-intentioned, most honest, most creative people in the world, can and do have mistaken beliefs; and that therefore if you honestly seek to uncover the truth, you need to figure out how to divorce your beliefs from your observations. Without that kind of objectivity, none of the scientific revolutions you cite would have been possible. We'd still be a world of dreamers thinking the earth is flat.

I've seen the movie, and I'm not as impressed by it as some people. In my opinion, it's pop psychology with a thin veneer of misinterpreted science thrown in to make it sound respectable.

I do think the movie presents a nice message: I agree with the movie's premise that people would be happier if they realized they have the power to control their own destinies; and that sometimes arriving at that realization can happen in an instant, and can change your life. But their attempt to tie that in with quantum physics falls flat. They take a few well-selected quotes from science and weave them into their own particular brand of mysticism. This movie is just a commercial for the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, nothing more.

To quote from Wikepedia: "The film has received widespread criticism from the scientific community. Physicists, in particular, claim that the film grossly misrepresents the meaning of various principles of quantum mechanics, and is in fact pseudoscience."

Answer 2

I don't see any right-thinking person as claiming that something is absolutly true. The best that we can do is accept that a fact said to be true only means that the current evidence for it is so overwhelming that it can be called "true". But even such a thing is subject to some later finding. The basics to prove string theory get started this year at CERN.

Answer 3

Matt, in case you suggested those all that you would have yet another violation so that you're swearing, cursing or taking area in along with your words. Do Whop Diddle Do, dot sprint dot dot sprint, blah blah beale, pickled piped piper picked bleep bleep or beep beep. Have a sturdy AM. :0) added info: i favor your typist my fingers have become drained i am going to go back to attempt to respond to each of the ?'s

Answer 4

I think you mean Newton's Laws of MOTION. Nonetheless, no theories or laws are absolute. All are tentative with respect to future evidence.

Quantum mechanics operates only at the subatomic level. Relativity only applies at near light speeds. Newtonian mechanics applies to everything in between.

They are all different human DESCRIPTIONS of reality and should not be confused with reality itself.

Answer 5

Some changes are sure to take place over the coming decades but there can be no doubt that we have most of it right otherwise we would have no computers no satellites, no TV no nuclear bombs,no electricity, etc, etc. Recogognizing genius will always take time, how else could it be?

Answer 6

That's what science is all about. We are always looking for better and more accurate ways to describe the things we see around us. I don't find it hard to believe that 100 years from now all of our current ideas will be found to be very elementary and possibly quite incorrect.

Answer 7

I've seen the movie, I didn't get it. That is absolutely true. I understand the concepts of string theory, but I didn't understand that *&^%$#^ MOVIE!

Answer 8

I like the hologram theory fronted by Michael Talbot.

check out his paper.

bloody string theories, have a word with yourself hawkins!!

http://twm.co.nz/hologram.html

Answer 9

'Newton's Laws of Thermodynamics'................
WOW!!!!!! That is some deep sh|t Dewd.
Hit that bong again ☺

Doug