Going mobile

Yes fans,
This post is my first from my droid.
Oh yes, I’ve finally gone and done it; joined the 21th century.
Tadaaaaa.
More later.

Sal

Defying Gravity Pt. 1

Dear Fans,

Well, here we go again, another digression from the main theme; QM. Here, and in the next several posts, I will attempt to add some rational discourse on the issue brought up by my one of my heroes, Fred Clark. On his blog and in his post, “Defying Gravity”, he asked for help w/ arguments against creationism (slacktivist.typepad.com).  I’ve already emailed him with the excuse that it would take some time, and it will.  Nevertheless, here we go.

First and foremost, I will attempt to explain my view of what science actually is. I’ve had occasion to teach various science topics over my career as a practicing engineer. I think I know what science is, and  what it is not; as I propose to explain as we go along.

Second, I propose to describe various elements of science; ones that I have a lot of experience with. In this I will also discuss ‘hard’ science and ‘soft’ science, and what the difference is.

Thirdly, I will work at illuminating what science is not. I will discuss various topics in metaphysics–it’s not what you think. And I will try to put science, and  the scientific method in the context of where it may be useful and where it won’t be.

Fourthly, if I get that far, I will address the issues of things like creationism and the idiocy of any attempt at rational discourse on the subject.

And finally, if on the off chance I get to here, I will expound on the general issue of the anti-intellectual, anti-rational, anti-science atmosphere that seems to exist in our body politic today.

Stay tuned,

Dr. Dave

 

Ch 1. Volterra Series and the Laplace Transform

Hi kids,

Well it’s almost Halloween; and I’ve got some new, scary stuff for you all. And it is a big diversion from the usual QM stuff we have been working on thus far. This time it’s nonlinear circuit analysis; and not your usual approach to this subject either. Ch 1. Volterra Series and the Laplace Transform

Read on, and enjoy; comments always welcome.

Dave

Flashforward #1

Hey Fans,

In anticipation of a #2, I’ve titled this one #1….Anyway, I scoped the intertubes looking for non-commercial reviews of said TV series, to no avail. It appears that any/everybody writing about FF has some pecuniary interest in this Great TV Show; now, except me. Well, I do know and am long time friends w/ one of the  co-produces, C. Lansdbert; we were frat brothers together at UCLA (full disclosure). Anyway, other than that, and even there I have no interest in how FF does, dollar-wise, or any other- wise. But I will say that  I haven’t watched a network series series since, oh oh,…does Bob Newhart or Mary  Tyler Moore ring a bell w/ any net surfers. Oh well. Anyway, all I’ll  say (write actually) now is, if you haven’t watched FF yet, do so. It’s way cool. Oh, and do take notes; there will be an exam.

Sal

KOB Picture, International 505, Steve Driving

Hi Sportsfans,

Well, one of my pictures from the KOB race last summer came out. I took this picture in trapeze as we were driving to the weather mark. You can see my shoe on the boat rail in the lower edge of the photo.

What a ride; way to go Steve!

regards

Budman

The Monty Hall Problem

Here it is folks, the latest puzzle:

Suppose you’re on a game show and you’re given the choice of three doors. Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. The car and the goats were placed randomly. You get to choose a door; and that door remains closed until the end.  Monty Hall, who knows what is behind all the doors , now has to open one of the two remaining doors, one which has a goat.  After this opening, you are given the choice: to switch your selection to the third remaining un-opened door, or keep the one you originally selected. What is you choice, and  why?

Comments welcomed and encouraged.

dayday

lefttothereader is worried

Yes folks,

lefttothereader is worried that New York is SCREWED!

Goto nypost-se.com and find out why.

Or goto tcktcktck.org/wakeup

Goto tcktcktck.org any way.

Sal

Remembering 911

Do I?

Yes I do.

My daughter, the apple of my eye, was living in Manhattan, and working in Brooklyn on Sept. 11, 2001. As she tells her story, after the first tower was hit, the management sent everybody home; they didn’t know what was going on, but figured that transportation would be screwed up no matter what. So she took the subway…and ended up very nearly under the WTO as it collapsed.  The train stopped in the tunnel, not at a station. And the conductor somehow, guided everybody up to street level. And an NYPD cop nearby told everybody to run. And she ran; all the way back to her  appartment in Chelsea.

The phones were not working, as you may recall. But the internet was, and shortly after, she sent email telling me/us that she was OK, more or less….

Do I remember 911, yes I do.

Dave

Ch. 4 Properties of Green’s Function

Hi Fans,

So, it has been a while for this chapter; too long coming in fact. But surely worth the wait (and don’t call me surely). Anyway, read, study, and absorb.

Ch. 4 Properties of Green’s Function G(E)

Enjoy,

Dave

Infinite Summer…?

Fellow Bibliophiles,

Well,  I finished reading David Foster Wallace’s opus, “Infinite Jest” last night. What a read. Every page is a gem. I liked it a lot. And I highly reccomend it to you all.  And, of course, I was one the the charter members of  InifiteSummer.org; actually, I was a member when we got our summer reading assignments directly from Mathew Baldwin @ defectiveyeti.com. And I hadn’t read Wallacs’s first novel, “Broom of the System.”  So I checked it out from the library and read it on our trip to Portland, Bend, and  Eugene OR. I finished reading ‘Broom’ in Portland; so as we were staying near Powells  (and  we always go there when we’re in town),  and I bought a copy of ‘Infinite’.  Now, if you peruse  InfiniteSummer.org, you will  see lots of comments, commentary, etc, etc, chapter by chapter; naturally, I wanted to read the book uninfluenced, so I never went there. As such, you will not find my comments there. But in the future, you may find them here. In fact here is one now: there is a group forming to be called “The Tunnel Group.” I will most likely join it.  Do visit there and find out yourselves what’s going on. I will say one more thing here. There is  discussion as to the next book to read in the group: Gaddis’ “JR”, Pynchon’s “Gravities Rainbow”, and that ilk have been promoted as possibles. Both are good choices, excellent  actually. But I’ve read them, and I would  prefer something I haven’t read. Any suggestiongs are welcome.

regards,

Dyd