Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id DAA03975 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 31 Jan 2002 03:55:12 GMT From: <AaronLynch@aol.com> Message-ID: <184.2ef7ba4.298a18bc@aol.com> Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 22:49:16 EST Subject: Re: necessity of mental memes To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows 95 sub 113 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
In a message dated 1/30/2002 7:31:36 PM Central Standard Time, Joachim Maier
<jakemaier@adelphia.net> writes:
> Joe
> I don't really see your point.
> the stopping of the circular motion in a rotating sphere IS the change in
> velocity of points compared to the axis. nothing else.
> I don't really know enough about isotopic decay, but would say that the
> essence of the decay is the change in positions of the electrons. Isn't it?
> Joachim
Well, it's like this. In nuclear engineering, if an isotope with certain
properties does not exist, then it needs to be synthesized in the lab. In
memetic engineering, if a physicist with certain properties doesn't exist,
then it too needs to be synthesized in the 'lab.' So if you need a physicist
to vouch that the essence of nuclear isotope decay is in changing electron
positions, then just work up a name and convincing set of credentials for
someone and have that "physicist" say whatever needs to be said. Especially
if careers, reputations, and large sums of money appear to be riding on the
argument at hand. If some pre-existing physicist challenges the theories of
the newly synthesized one, the newly synthesized one can angrily call the
pre-existing one a fake.
In the present case, there might not be enough at stake with the idea
electron position model of isotope decay to justify anyone going to so much
trouble. So as someone whose screen name has been previously associated with
some degree of physics knowledge, I'll point out that the decay of
radioisotopes is not about changing the positions of electrons that already
exist in the atom. (Some forms of decay involve emissions of electrons or
positrons, but that's another matter or another antimatter.) I suppose I
could go on about what radioisotope decay is really about, but this is the
memetics list, not the nuclear physics list. Suffice it to say that
radioisotope decay is a long story.
Incidentally, the word "nuclear" has officially decayed into "nukuler," at
least here in the USA. Wee itty bitty teeny tiny litle nukules. Having
someone who is politically motivated to display his ignorance on the subject
has very ill consequences when that person has the unilateral authority to
blurt out classified information.
--Aaron Lynch
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