From: crb7q@kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU (Cameron Randale Bass)
Newsgroups: alt.sci.physics.new-theories
Subject: Re: UN-WISE QUOTES
Date: 7 Oct 92 01:07:41 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia

In article <1992Oct6.175025.1578@cnsvax.uwec.edu> mcelwre@cnsvax.uwec.edu writes:
>          
>          
>                                 UN-wise Quotes
>
>               The following three quotations of past "scientists" were 
>          supplied to a "Theoretical Mechanics" class at UW-EC: 
>    
>               "The demonstration that no possible combination of known 
>          substances, known forms of machinery and known forms of 
>          force, can be united in a practical machine by which man 
>          shall fly long distances through the air, seems to the writer 
>          as complete as it is possible for the demonstration of any 
>          physical fact to be."  Simon Newcomb, 1901 

     This is a technological argument.  He is correct that this was impossible
     in 1901.

>               "The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying 
>          machines speeding across the Atlantic and carrying 
>          innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern 
>          steamships...  It seems safe to say that such ideas must be 
>          wholly visionary, and even if a machine could get across with 
>          one or two passengers the expense would be prohibitive to any 
>          but the capitalist who could own his own yacht. 
>               "Another popular fallacy is to expect enormous speed to 
>          be obtained.  It must be remembered that the resistance of 
>          the air increases as the square of the speed and the work as 
>          the cube... If with 30 h.p. we can now attain a speed of 40 
>          m.p.h., then in order to reach a speed of 100 m.p.h. we must 
>          use a motor capable of 470 h.p.... it is clear that with our 
>          present devices there is no hope of competing for racing 
>          speed with either our locomotives or our automobiles."  
>          William H. Pickering, 1905 

     This is a technological argument.  He is correct that this was impossible
     in 1905.

>               "This foolish idea of shooting at the moon is an example 
>          of the absurd length to which vicious specialization will 
>          carry scientists working in thought-tight compartments.  Let 
>          us critically examine the proposal.  For a projectile 
>          entirely to escape the gravitation of the earth, it needs a 
>          velocity of 7 miles a second.  The thermal energy of a gramme 
>          at this speed is 15,180 calories...  The energy of our most 
>          violent explosive - nitroglycerine - is less than 1,500 
>          calories per gramme.  Consequently, even had the explosive 
>          nothing to carry, it has only one-tenth of the energy 
>          necessary to escape the earth...  Hence the proposition 
>          appears to be basically impossible..."  A.W. Bickerton, 1926 
>

     This is a technological argument.  I beleve he was discussing a 
     'gun' of the H.G. Wells variety.  He is correct that this is not possible
     even today.  

>               Fortunately, a few SMART inventors and scientists did 
>          NOT take such authoritative pronouncements to be the final 
>          word. 

     However, each of the previous statements involves a certain
     technology which had not matured at the point at which the
     statements were made (and in the case of the last one, it
     still has not matured sufficiently).  None involved things
     that are actually scientifically implausable.

>               Modern orthodox "scientists" are still saying SIMILAR 
>          things AGAINST UFO Spacecraft, Gravity Neutralization, 
>          Electromagnetic Propulsion, Free-Energy Technologies, 
>          Biological Transmutations, Hollow Earth Theory, Natural Anti-
>          cancer Remedies, Cold Fusion, Radionic/Psionic Devices, 
>          Astrological Influences, etc., ETC.. 
>    
>               "THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME." 

     Feel free to demonstrate any of these things.  Until then ...

                            dale bass
-- 
C. R. Bass                                           crb7q@virginia.edu
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia                            (804) 924-7926
Newsgroups: alt.sci.physics.new-theories