Yearly Archives: 2011

Q: Are there universal truths?

Posted on October 22, 2011 by The Physicist

Physicist: That something exists, that it is more complex than trivially simple, and it includes me (cogito ergo sum, and all that). It doesn’t seem like you can say much more.  At least, this brain-in-a-box can’t. Philosopher: Depends on what … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, -- Guest Author, Philosophical | 8 Comments

Q: What’s the difference between black holes and worm holes? Could black holes take you to other universes?

Posted on October 18, 2011 by The Physicist

Physicist: The short answer is: A worm hole is a “tube made of spacetime” that connects two different regions.  If it’s set up right, you could enter one side of the tube and exit the other end somewhere else, or … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Astronomy, Math, Physics, Relativity | 36 Comments

Q: Is there an equation that determines whether a question gets answered on ask a mathematician/physicist?

Posted on October 13, 2011 by The Mathematician

Mathematician: Yes, but neither the Physicist nor I know it, and its shortest representation in standard mathematical notation is much too long to ever be written down. More precisely, there are an infinite number of such equations. These equations “exist” … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Mathematician, Philosophical | 8 Comments

Q: If you could hear through space as though it were filled with air, what would you hear?

Posted on October 9, 2011 by The Physicist

Physicist: You’d be able to hear the Sun, and nothing else.  Maybe at night you’d be able to hear your own thoughts. Owing to the nature of how things like sound and light spread out, the loudness and brightness of … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Astronomy, Physics | 11 Comments

Q: What is the three body problem?

Posted on October 3, 2011 by The Physicist

Physicist: The three body problem is to exactly solve for the motions of three (or more) bodies interacting through an inverse square force (which includes gravitational and electrical attraction). The problem with the 3-body problem is that it can’t be … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Astronomy, Equations, Philosophical, Physics | 29 Comments

Q: How are fractals made?

Posted on September 29, 2011 by The Physicist

Physicist: There are a lot of ways. A fractal is just a structure that stays interesting no matter how far you zoom in.  More than that, generally you can’t tell how far you’ve zoomed in (it looks the same at … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Geometry, Math | 9 Comments