>>
http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=762#comment-42541
>>
>>
http://www.fqxi.org/large-grants/awardee/details/2008/baezsays,
>>
>> "Dr. John Baez
>> University of California at Riverside
>>
>> Project Title:
>> Categorifying Fundamental Physics
>>
>> Summary:
>> In ordinary mathematics, and physics as well, equations are
>> fundamental. However, every equation is a half-truth: after all, if
>> the two sides of the equation look different, why are we saying
>> they're the same? 'Categorification' is a fancy name for coming clean
>> on this issue: instead of merely saying that two things are the same,
>> we specify a way of regarding them as the same.
>>
>> This has surprising consequences. For example, we usually think of
>> quantities like energy as continuously variable, or 'analog'. Quantum
>> mechanics shows there is a certain discreteness built into the world,
>> but it still uses analog ideas. Using categorification, we can phrase
>> large portions of quantum mechanics in a purely discrete way. We want
>> to know how far we can push this.
>>
>> In addition to thinking about physics in new ways, we shall explore
>> new methods of carrying out research. We intend to share not just our
>> results, but the process by which we find them. We will do this by
>> incorporating a wide range of multi-media into our research, including
>> videos of lectures and seminars made publicly available online. "
>>
>> Good to see John Baez got some funding, but then again, FQXI is using
>> Baez’s very own “crackpot index” as a metric by which to parcel out
>> the two+ mil:
>>
>>
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/crackpot.html
>>
>
>Dale Trynor wrote:
>What I saw of John Baez suggested he was rather brilliant but I still
>have to wonder.The part of his crackpot index where he claims "10
>points for arguing that while a current well-established theory
>predicts phenomena correctly, it doesn't explain "why" they occur, or
>fails to provide a "mechanism".That astounded
me.Could it really be
>that such brilliant people are so unimaginative that that such
>mechanisms could be found one that could make such a claim and not
>feel a bit like a crackpot themselves.
Pathetic assholes like Baez are just covering up their incompetence.
It's also a way to prevent non-academics from being taken seriously or
to prevent a layperson from thinking they have a chance of figuring
things out on their own. You see, if they (the smartest creatures in
the universe) cannot figure out the causal mechanism of say, gravity,
then nobody else can or should be allowed to. Like I said, the most
annoying thing about physicists like Baez is not their crackpottery
(there is plenty of that in their midst) but their insufferable
pomposity.
ahahaha... AHAHAHAHA... ahahaha...
Louis Savain
Rebel Science News:
http://rebelscience.blogspot.com/
