Re: Request for Discussion

Randy Poe wrote:
Edward Green wrote:
I've reserved some real estate on Google groups for one or more physics
discussion groups. The format will be mildly moderated discussion with
pre-screening of members. "Mild moderation" means that after an
initial probation, members will only be silenced for flagrant abuse. I
will undertake the moderation.

I was going to ask "why" but...

Through the years, a signficant number of people have dropped out of
discussion, pleading that the crank/citizen level was too high. Others
have no doubt similarly disappeared without explanation. Kill files
and filtering software are not up to the task -- technically adequate
no doubt, but operationally? Maybe the learning burden is too great or
people use the wrong software: yet another set of bells and whistles
most people just won't use.

On Usenet, there only seem to be two options: anarchic free-for-all, or
(labor intensive) post by post moderation. Google groups (not the only
such vehicle no doubt) offers a third: screening at the member level.
There is also an option to screen posts from new members until the've
passed a probation. The burden to acheive civility is reasonable
therefore, and not unduly stiffling to free discussion among peers.

Of course, this idea suffers from the defects of all Utopian ideals
that it merely defers the renewed onset of schism and rancor. But that
doesn't mean we cannot or should not renew social forms: because
organisms grow old and die, should we conclude births are pointless?

That was my "why" in general, if anybody was interested.

For more particular ideas...

Any suggestions for content, interest in studying particular texts,

Joint studying of texts seems like a worthy goal. For years
I've been planning to revisit QM, perhaps reading through
Messiah's text, and see what I can glean from it with a few
extra decades of mathematical and physical experience
since the last time I read that stuff.

Also, I never did take a course in GR, and I've been meaning
to read MTW.

Well then... I own both texts. Do you think we could plow through MTW?
The thing is daunting... There has been a text in differential
geometry recommended to me several times (I think the same one). Maybe
I can figure out which one that is, and one or more "advanced
undergraduate" level thinkers would be interested in working through
it. Oh... and I also own Wald.

Let me know if you want to start MTW: I think I need to send you an
email to invite you.

.

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