HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: matmcinn@nuscc.nus.sg (Brett McInnes)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: TIME HAS INERTIA
Date: 11 Dec 92 06:56:29 GMT
Organization: National University of Singapore
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

Yes, Abian, we mad sex-crazed believers in GR are out to get you!
From: murphy@npri6.npri.com (David P. Murphy)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: the viability of a californium bullet
Date: 15 Dec 92 21:45:13 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: NPRI, Alexandria VA

i have been reading a new book entitled "Prisoner's Dilemna" by
William Poundstone (Doubleday, 1992, ISBN 0-385-41567-2).

at one point (pages 90-91), he discusses the problem faced by RAND Corp.
concerning how nuclear weapons could be used at a distance *without*
intercontinental ballistic missiles.  they came up with 

	one semi-serious idea was californium bullets:
	each bullet would be a barely subcritical mass
	of the highly fissile isotope.  Pop one into a
	heavily shielded, long-range rifle, and when the
	bullet hits its target, it explodes with the force
	of tons of TNT.

i am truly ignorant about the heavy elements, so my questions are:

	1.  is this viable?  if not, how "off-the-wall" is it?

	2.  how much californium would be required for one bullet?

	3.  how difficult would it be to obtain that much?
	    ----> I DO *NOT* WANT TO KNOW HOW TO OBTAIN IT <----

	4.  how much damage would one bullet accomplish?

	5.  how dangerous would it be to transport this item?
	    what materials would be necessary to do so safely?
	
i will greatly appreciate any assistance; even rough estimates are welcome.
i would like answers _purely_ for background information in a "superhero"
role-playing game; if you think i'm a nut, then just ignore me.  thanks.

ok
dpm
-- 
murphy@npri6.npri.com 602 Cameron St. Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 683-9090

              When every one is dead the Great Game is finished.  Not before.
                              --- Hurree Babu, "Kim"
Newsgroups: sci.physics
From: barry@arnold.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman)
Subject: Re: How does Superman create thrust? 
Organization: UCLA, Mathematics Department
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 92 00:33:02 GMT

He doesn't make thrust, he simply jumps (and then glides
when he reaches cruising altitude---that cape's gotta be a 
real "drag", though). 

The real question is why his feet don't punch through the pavement 
when he exerts his tremendous launching force. Assuming he
can jump about 1km high, and weighs 100kg, his jump imparts 
him with m g h = 100 x 10 x 1000 Joules = 1,000,000 Joules of energy
(this is about the energy content of a large meal---he must be 
hungry afterwards.) If this energy were imparted over a 1 meter
distance as he crouches and springs from the ground, the force
exerted would be around (from F . d = W) F = 1,000,000 J/ 1m = 1,000,000 N.
That's about a 250,000 lb force, and applied by the soles of his feet,
which have an area of about 100 inch^2, we get a pressure exerted by his
feet on the ground of 2,500 lb/in^2. In terms of atmosperic pressure,
thats close to 200 atmospheres of pressure! This pressure is applied
for a fraction of a second, which is long enough to damage the surface.
Certainly on soil his feet would punch right through if he tried
to take off in this manner. Even on concrete, he should punch through.

So why isn't NY covered superman's foot prints.

--
Barry Merriman
UCLA Dept. of Math
UCLA Inst. for Fusion and Plasma Research
barry@math.ucla.edu (Internet; NeXTMail is welcome)


Newsgroups: sci.physics,news.groups
From: doerfler@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (ronald.w.doerfler)
Subject: Re: TIME HAS INERTIA - ABIAN  replies to Beatty
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 21:01:06 GMT

In article <abian.724566547@pv343f.vincent.iastate.edu> abian@iastate.edu (Alexander Abian) writes:
>In <1gnodnINNkbs@chnews.intel.com> tbeatty@sedona.intel.com (Tim Beatty~) writes:
>
>Dear Mr. Beatty                      12-16-92
>
>You write:
>
>>Dear Abian,
>
>>In regards to your (A3):  I find it difficult to believe that objects like
>>planets and rocks have "feelings" and understand "security".  Your (A3) is
>>nothing more than what first year philosophy students ponder every day.  What
>>motivates people.  The fact that you have concluded that it is selfishness means
>>that you haven't taken any first year philosophy classes.  This approach to
>>explaining behavior is usually dismissed because it fails to explain all
>>behavior.  Read a first year philosophy book.
>
>   I reply,
>
	(stuff deleted)
>
>    Yes, some  stones have more feeling than some people - moreover,
>stones as well as plants constatntly act according to my (A3).  It takes
>some insightful eye and mind to detect it.
>    
>   Read my previous postings and learn them by heart and repeat (A1)
>to (A4) several times per day..  They will open your eyes and mind  and 
>you will see the reasons and motivations of actions of everything including 
>stones , planets and plants.
>
>  EWith love               Alexander Abian
>

Is it just me, or is this theory heading in an Aristotelian direction,
with the five elements (earth, water, air, fire and the quintessence)
and everything seeking its natural (read secure) place.  This actually
did a decent qualitative job until it had to make testable, measurable
predictions.

Newsgroups: sci.physics
From: craigen@axe.acadiau.ca (DOUGLAS CRAIGEN)
Subject: Re: Passive Magnetic Levitation (was: Science Fair Project)
Organization: Acadia University
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 13:42:55 GMT

   I haven't really been following this title, but I have browsed it a bit.  
So far I've seen no reference to levitation based on attraction rather than 
repulsion.  It seems to me that there was a train design that looked 
something like...

^     -   train parts
#     -   magnets
+     -   track parts
:-)   -   passenger happy to be getting somewhere at record breaking speed


                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                     ^              ^   
                    ^                ^
                    ^      :-)       ^
                    ^                ^
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                    ^++++++++++++++++^
                    ^###    +     ###^
                            +

   This sort of design solves the stability problem, but some wheels to 
prevent the magnets from sticking to the bottom of the track.

===================================================================
  Doug Craigen, Department of Physics, Acadia University,
  Wolfville, N.S., B0P 1X0, (902) 542 - 2201 x150

  "Just because you've reached mature womanhood doesn't mean you
   have to throw yourself at a dork!"
       - Corky to Murphy Brown concerning a physicist
From: mancini@fysik.uu.se (Derrick C. Mancini)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: How does Scotty beam up?
Followup-To: sci.physics,rec.arts.startrek.tech
Date: 14 Dec 1992 15:14:11 GMT
Organization: Fysikum, Uppsala Universitet
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: usx221.fysik.uu.se

> In article <1992Dec11.065616.10785@augean.eleceng.adelaide.edu.AU> dabbott@augean.eleceng.adelaide.edu.AU (Derek Abbott) writes:
> >
> >Now that we have explained how that Batman light works and that Superman
> >propels himself with neutrinos, can somebody kindly explain how Scotty's
> >transporter works?
> >
> >Has anybody calculated the energy & bandwidth it would theoretically take to
> >teleport a human body by a distance of 1 metre in 30 seconds?
> 

OK.  I have occasionally mused on this since it seems one of the least
physically reasonable things in the series, while CLEARLY wonderful from
the point of view of the writers.  First, one must ask what differentiates
teleporting from replication.  Ostensiably they are based on the same
method.
A clue is that to teleport you need an EXACT replication, and perhaps to
obtain such information, the original must be completely destroyed.  This
might have some basis in real physics.  Any technology that would measure
the complete state of as complex a system as a human body would of
necessity
so change the state of the system as to effectively destroy it.  I think
vaporize was used by someone else on this thread.  With complete
description
of the original state, perhaps one could replicate it.  However, things can
not be this simple and in accordance with logic and other clues about
teleport technology given in the series.  First, if you have enough info
to replicate, why do you produce only a single result rather than multiple
copies?  Second, a number of episodes have made use of some kind of
dependency
of the teleport process on genetic coding.  (Transport of second ships
doctor
while removing aging virus; mistransport of away team altering their age;
etc.)
So, perhaps not ALL information is determined, and not all provided.  Hmmm.
I don't think I can muse any more sensibly, or less usefully, than I have
on
these lines.  Anyone else want to bother?

Derrick C. Mancini
Fysiska Institutionen  -  Uppsala Universitet
Box 530  S751 21  Uppsala  Sverige
mancini@fysik.uu.se
---------------------------------------------
"Are we having fun yet?"  -  Zippy
From: bweiner@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Benjamin Weiner)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: Materials for simple static electricity expts.
Date: 17 Dec 92 01:40:13 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

When I ran an electrostatics lab session we obtained opposite charges by 
rubbing:
1. plastic (bakelite?) rods with fur or possibly wool
2. glass rods with silk, or maybe even nylon.

I don't think anyone's mentioned #2.  I remember that it was always
a little harder to charge the glass rods.  Of course it should
be done on a very dry day.
Xref: sparky sci.physics:21306 sci.math:17031
From: lnd@csd.bu.edu (Levin)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.math
Subject: Algorithmic Information
Date: 16 Dec 92 17:59:29 GMT
Reply-To: Lnd@cs.bu.edu
Followup-To: sci.physics

In article <COLUMBUS.92Dec15102022@strident.think.com>
			columbus@strident.think.com (Michael Weiss) writes:
 > According to Li and Vitanyi, priority for the concept of algorithmic
 > entropy (or information) should go to Solomonoff, with independent
 > rediscovery by Kolmogorov and by Chaitin.  Somewhat ironically they use
 > the term Kolmogorov complexity throughout!  (I used the term Chaitin
 > entropy in my last post.)  Probably the best term is "algorithmic
 > entropy" or "algorithmic information content", which Zurek uses.

Kolmogorov's paper (Jan. 1965) is a few months later than Solomonoff's but both
of them made talks years earlier (and did not know of each other).  Solomonoff
had crucial insights, but did not introduce the complexity function explicitly.
The functions he did introduce were ill defined (limits diverged, etc.).
Both proved the crucial theorem of invariance within +/- O(1). 
Also, each had important ideas not found by the other. So, I think, the
use of Kolmogorov's name is well justified (as well as Solomonoff's).

	Chaitin published a partial (un-invariant, not far from Shannon's)
result in 1966 and more important things in 1969 and 1975. It is hard to judge
how independent he was, since he does not cite his predecessors even in those
cases when he certainly knows about them (his 1987 complexity book, does not
mention even names of Kolmogorov and Solomonoff; see the review in
{\em J. of Symbolic Logic} 54(2) pp. 624-627, 1989.)
From: dfenyes@thesis1.med.uth.tmc.edu (David Fenyes,Neurobiol/Anatomy,5705,7901935)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: Another antigravity device
Date: 15 Dec 1992 14:32:37 GMT
Organization: University of Texas Medical School at Houston

In article <1992Dec15.013620.24161@galois.mit.edu> jbaez@riesz.mit.edu (John C. Baez) writes:

>Imagine an extremely (although not infinitely) rigid crystal.  It takes
>a huge amount of energy to deform the crystal lattice ever so slightly.
>Thus if this crystal is placed in the earth's gravitational field at sea
>level, the curvature of space due to the gravity prevents the
>lattice from being perfectly regular, at the cost of a large amount of
>energy.  The crystal would have much less energy if it were far away
>from the earth where the curvature of space is less.  If we make the
>crystal rigid enough it will actually be energetically favorable for the
>crystal to float upwards - since the decrease in its internal energy
>will more than compensate for the increase in gravitational potential
>energy.

This is an amusing variation on the "bird in an airplane" game :-)
Consider the forces rather than the energy. . .

David.
--
David Fenyes                                 dfenyes@thesis1.med.uth.tmc.edu
University of Texas Medical School           Houston, Texas
From: x-gerhar@nada.kth.se (Gerhard Fiedler)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Chaotic data analysing software, WANTED
Date: 11 Dec 92 15:22:10 GMT
Reply-To: x-gerhar@nada.kth.se (Gerhard Fiedler)
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Originator: x-gerhar@dront.nada.kth.se

I would like some hints on were to find software for analysing experimental 
(and numerical) chaotic time series. i.e. fractal dimension, lyapunov
exponents, periodic orbit extraction, noise reduction etc. 
I am also interested in comments on the performance of the programs from 
people who have used them.
The programs could run under UNIX, PC or Mac.

thanx/Gerhard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerhard Fiedler
Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
email: x-gerhar@nada.kth.se
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.physics
From: acampane@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Angelo Campanella)
Subject: Re: Cappucino Noise + steam hammering
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1992 05:08:05 GMT


Calling it a steam bubble is not quite enough.  That might explain crackling or
grumbling, but not the loud WHAP!--WHAP!--WHAP! (~1-2 secod intervals) that
often occurs.  Such a loud report requires a fair sized slug of water, about 
one litre or so to be moving at a few meters per second, colliding with a 
corner or the like.
Newsgroups: sci.physics
From: acampane@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Angelo Campanella)
Subject: Re: Conductivity of air
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 07:26:05 GMT


You are describing the well-known ionizing particle detector, the ION CHAMBER!

This is something like a Geiger-Muller tube, but the applied voltage is not so
high as to cause catastrophic breakdown (AKA 'avalanch').

The ion chamber is a very orderly device, sort of like a photoconductor.

Considering that, for instance, the breakdown voltage of normal air is about 1
kV per millimeter of gap (e.g. auto spark plug), a voltage of about 10 to
100 volts per mm would serve to power an ion chamber.  Attach this to a DC
amplifier, and you have a UV ionizing detector, and you should see the current 
increase when you illuminate the gap with UV.
From: andrew@rentec.com (Andrew Mullhaupt)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Conductivity of air
Date: 16 Dec 92 00:39:17 GMT
Organization: Renaissance Technologies Corp., Setuket, NY

If I shoot UV light through air will there be an increase in conductivity
along the path of the light? Enough to measure? If so, how might I figure
out the resistance of the path?

Any references or pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks in Advance,
Andrew Mullhaupt
From: jac@ds8.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: Where is the Advanced Institute of Physics located?
Date: 11 Dec 92 19:19:05 GMT
Reply-To: jac@ds8.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Organization: SCRI, Florida State University

In article <143110@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> booloo@framsparc.ocf.llnl.gov (Mark Boolootian) writes:
>
>The subject says it all.  Can someone locate the Advanced Institute of
>Physics for me?  City and State, please.

There is no such thing. 

You may be looking for the Insitute for Advanced Study at Princeton University,
in Princeton NJ. 

You may also be looking for the American Institue of Physics, in NYC.

--
J. A. Carr                                    |  "The New Frontier of which I  
jac@gw.scri.fsu.edu                           |  speak is not a set of promises
Florida State University  B-186               |  -- it is a set of challenges."
Supercomputer Computations Research Institute |   John F. Kennedy (15 July 60)
From: lamontg@stein.u.washington.edu (Lamont Granquist)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: When your sun forges iron...
Date: 17 Dec 92 08:13:31 GMT
Organization: 'Operation: Mindcrime'

bweiner@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Benjamin Weiner) writes:
>kfree@netlink.cts.com (Kenneth Freeman) writes:
>>I've often read that iron is the proximate cause of novas, iron
>>being the last atomic ash, so to speak. Why iron in particular? 
>>I'd appreciate a good QM explanation of why your usual stellar
>>furnace blows upon trying to produce energy from Fe!
>
>Iron isotopes are the most tightly bound nuclei.  For other nuclei,
>e.g. silicon, a star can fuse them with alpha particles or whatever
>forming a more tightly bound nucleus and releasing some energy in the
>form of radiation - the radiative pressure supports the star against
>gravity.  Once an iron core forms there is no more support and eventually
>the star must collapse.  (This is a highly simplified version of events.)
>
>I guess the short answer to your question is that you can't produce
>energy from Fe.

In fact what happens is that you get a buildup of Fe-56 in the core.  After
the pressure gets great enough the Fe-56 begins to start to fission.

This is bad.

Very bad.

That means that the core is now absorbing energy instead of creating it.
There is no longer any radiation pressure to hold up the core against the
force of gravity.  What you get is a supersonic collapse of the interior
layers of the star.  When they collapse down and crunch the core into a
very small size, there is a rebound effect, which is what causes the
supernova shockwave, which blows off the outer layers of the star and
causes all the luminosity.

(at least according to my ASTR 301 class...)

Then depending on the mass of the core you end up with either a spinning
neutron star (pulsar) or a black hole.

I kinda like the concept of dwarf novae better though...  accretion of 
hydrogen matter onto a CNO white dwarf from a main sequence star -- As the
white dwarf gets enough of an atmosphere and enough "mixing" with the
CNO at the surface, you suddenly ignite the CNO cycle, which causes the
entire surface of the white dwarf to explode in a gigantic thermoneuclear
explosion.  Then, in some cases, it does it all over again in seven days.

I'd love to watch one of these from a few parsecs out (but I make sure not
to get too damn close....)
 
-- 
Lamont Granquist  lamontg@u.washington.edu
  "When dogma enters the brain, all intellectual activity ceases."
                                      -- Robert Anton Wilson
Newsgroups: sci.physics
From: kfree@netlink.cts.com (Kenneth Freeman)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: When your sun forges iron...
Date: 15 Dec 92 17:25:28 GMT
Organization: NetLink Online Communications, San Diego CA

I've often read that iron is the proximate cause of novas, iron
being the last atomic ash, so to speak. Why iron in particular? 
I'd appreciate a good QM explanation of why your usual stellar
furnace blows upon trying to produce energy from Fe!

--                    
INTERNET:  kfree@netlink.cts.com (Kenneth Freeman)
UUCP:   ...!ryptyde!netlink!kfree
NetLink Online Communications * Public Access in San Diego, CA (619) 453-1115
Newsgroups: sci.physics
From: abian@iastate.edu (Alexander Abian)
Subject: Re: TIME HAS INERTIA - ABIAN ANSWERS SEEMAN
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 06:28:27 GMT

In <1992Dec16.180018.17502@novell.com> dseeman@novell.com (Daniel Seeman) writes:

Dear Mr. Seeman                12-16092
You write

>True geniuses do not profess their status as such.  In fact, a genius may not 
>know she is in such a catagory.  For the more you know, the more you must know. 
>Or rather the thirst to know hightens with every bit of knowledge one takes in.

>This is why I am suspicious of Abian.  Anyone who calls themself a genius is
>either joking, or has serious delusions of their own self worth.

>Give it a break Abian...We have had enough.

  Abian answers.

   Mr Seeman I had enough of your lecturing me about modesty.  What do you
do if not promoting and advertising  your MODESTY ! 

      "Abian is immodest , by I, Seeman  am modest"

  You can be immodesty  modest.  You are promoting your
   virtues:  "See how immodest is Abian, see how Modest, I Seeman  am"

   You seek Security by admiring and advertising your modesty.  I by being 
immodest.
   (A3) motivates you 100%  as does me.

     With love                         Alexander Abian



-- 
   The tendency of maintaining the status-quo, Reaction to provocation and
                The tendency of maintaining again a status-quo.  
    TIME HAS INERTIA  and some energy is lost to move Time forward  
  E = mcc  (Einstein)    must be replaced by    E = m(0) exp(-At) (Abian)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
From: merritt@macro.bu.edu (Sean Merritt)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: Reluctant call for moderation of sci.physics
Date: 15 Dec 92 21:26:06 GMT
Organization: Boston University Physics Department
In-reply-to: sawyer@utahep.uta.edu's message of 13 Dec 92 17:44:00 GMT

In article <13DEC199211444059@utahep.uta.edu> sawyer@utahep.uta.edu (Lee Sawyer) writes:

>	I have in the past thought that sci.physics should be unmoderated. The
>   current flood of Abianology has caused me to change my mind. Is it possible to
>   switch this to a _loosely_ moderated newsgoup for, say, six months, then 
>   switch it back to unmoderated when the wackos have either calmed down or
>   popped a blood vessel ?
>
>       Short of this, can anyone suggest a way in VNEWS to tailor a kill file
>   to filter the TIME HAS INERTIA postings ? Could a script be written that
>   automatically redirects these to alt.physics.new-theories (or whatever that 
>   group is called) ?


NO THANKS.

Your problem is you don't use a UNIX machine with a real
newsreader like rn or gnus.

I'll sensor whom *I* choose. My kill files work fine.

No good can come from censorship of this newsgroup. Information
both bogus and correct is here. Intelligent individuals must
make their own rational decision and sift for themselves.

-sjm

[form an SGI workstation reading and posting with gnus.]

--
Sean J. Merritt		         | "Every revolt is a cry of innocence    
Dept of Physics Boston University|  and an appeal to the essence of being."
merritt@macro.bu.edu             | Albert Camus, The Rebel