Re: Is General Relativity a useful TOOL or aesthetic ART?


"PD" <TheDraperFamily@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:f38e66dd-523d-4c09-b202-f1d833d06cf2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Feb 24, 2:05 am, "Tom Potter" <tdp1...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"PD" <TheDraperFam...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in messagenews:7af6397a-cde5-4b47-ac51-65c8d11babfa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Feb 21, 12:18 am, "Tom Potter" <tdp1...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"PD" <TheDraperFam...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in messagenews:5a717903-5429-42b7-a93d-994a558e44d4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Feb 18, 3:04 am, "Tom Potter" <tdp1...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Intelligent creatures invent TOOLS
and use the tools to mold a better world for themselves.

Languages, maths, computer languages,
and models like DNA, Newtonian physics, and Quantum Mechanics,
are SOFTWARE tools that man has invented,

and he uses these SOFTWARE tools in conjunction
with HARDWARE tools to shape his world
in an efficient manner.

ART a form of human activity
created primarily as an aesthetic expression.

Considering that General Relativity
is a "Tower of Babel"
that generates more discussion and emotion
than practical works,

and considering that General Relativity
is used for aesthetic (Pleasure),
rather than practical reasons,

and consumes enormous amounts of time, money and minds
on aesthetic speculations about time travel, worm holes,
black holes, dark matter,warping through space,
rubber clocks and rulers, etc.,

it is clear that General Relativity
is ART rather than a useful practical TOOL
for shaping the world.

And as can be seen by the life styles
and modes of dress of General Relativity Gurus,
they are basically ARTISTS,

and one has to wonder why the GTR Gurus
do not promote their craft as an ART,
rather than try to convince themselves and the masses
that their craft is a useful, practical TOOL.

No doubt, some ART forms,
like background music,
can be used to increase the efficiency of TOOLS,
but GTR is more like a drug or cult religion,
in that it wastes the resources of mankind.

No doubt, some day, governments will
form an agency like the DEA
to try to prevent the masses from
wasting their time, money and minds
on General Relativity.

The GREA (General Relativity Enforcement Administration),
agents will likely be called GREAT
( General Relativity Enforcement Administration Team ).

A mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Since you're waxing politicophilosophical, let me add a few things
from MY opinion bag.

- Intelligent creatures also create ART as an activity of that
intelligence. Moreover, artistic expression *furthers* intelligence,
and the elimination of art would damage collective intelligence. As
such, art should be supported with equal justification alongside
tools.
- There are other activities that are characteristic of humanity,
which are neither ART nor TOOLS. Social altruism, for example, is
innate to humanity, but is not reliant on either art or tools. Social
altruism is also a human activity that is worthy of collective
support.
- The intelligent creation of TOOLS is only half the story of science
and technology. Before one can create tools *efficiently and reliably*
(that is, without relying on tinkering and trial and error), one
should know fundamental *principles* that account for a wide variety
of phenomena. These include principles that do not have any immediate
application in the development of tools, though *inevitably* those
principles do make their way into tools. Making tools without a suite
of principles that drive the design is a horribly inefficient way of
making technological progress. There is a good reason why R&D are
listed together as a symbiotic pair. Those who favor D without heavy
reliance on R are, in my opinion, driving D toward sputtering and
erratic progress.

It is interesting to see that "PD" asserts:
"Making tools without a suite of principles
that drive the design is a horribly inefficient way of
making technological progress.."

Note that Edison who invented sound and video recording,
and the electrical diode that started electronics,
and who electrified the world,
stated that "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."

Yes, indeed. Perspiration does NOT mean trial-and-error and ad-hoc
adjustments. Moreover, though Edison's shop was very productive, by
virtue of his ability to manage a large number of assistants and
technicians, his methods were in fact not very efficient, a fact that
he acknowledged. Also note that sound and video recording are
*technologies*, not science, though they are based on scientific
principles. Edison was a champion and an enthusiastic participant in
the D side of R&D. I don't believe he ever championed that D could do
without R. I think it's fine for people to make choices about whether
they want to participate in R or in D, but I don't think it makes
sense for an R guy to say, "Who needs D?" or for a D guy to say "R is
a waste of resources."

PD

Although Edison gave the world audio and video recording,
electrified and lighted the world,
and discovered the diode that jump started modern electronics,
PD asserts:"his methods were in fact not very efficient."

That's correct. It's amazing what some people can get done while not
being very efficient.


The following URL gives some indication of how
Einstein's inventions compare to Edison's.

Inventions are the domain of D in R&D, not R. You are trying to
compare Einstein's contributions to Edison's in the domain of D.
Einstein worked in R dominantly, and not so much in D.


http://www.google.com/patents?id=zRpsAAAAEBAJ&dq=%22albert+einstein%2....

To address PD's comments on R&D,
there is nothing wrong with "R"
to research for ideas and ways to solve a problem,

"Ways to solve a problem" is D, not R. "Ways to solve a problem" is
not the task of R.


but "R" to investigate things far, far beyond man's capacity
to EVER experience in time and space

I'd say you're being a bit premature to say "EVER". In your lifetime,
maybe. But that's awfully short-sighted, don't you think?

is either play, a con job, religion, or insanity.

It is play when someone spends their own time and resources,
and it is a con job when others provide the resources.

You heard it here folks!!!!!!!!!

PD asserts that Edison
who was the world's most prolific inventor,
a man who invented audio and video recording.
discovered the "EDison Effect" that jump started the electronic age,
and electrified the world by inventing a useable electric light,
then setting up hydroelectric and steam driven
electrical generators,, constructing power lines, meters, etc.
was "not very efficient."

And as can be seen,
PD promotes "R" that focuses on
time travel, worm holes, dark matter,
the beginning and end of the universe,
to "R" that can lead to better health, better food production,
better crime prevention, etc. in the foreseeable future,

that is,

as long as the taxpayer,
rather than PD pays the bill.

It would appear that PD's "R" stands for "rat hole".

--
Tom Potter
http://tdp1001.spaces.live.com/
http://www.tompotter.us/misc.html
http://www.geocities.com/tdp1001/index.html
http://notsocrazyideas.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom-potter/
http://tdp1001.wiki.zoho.com
http://groups.msn.com/PotterPhotos
http://www.androcles01.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/dingleberry.htm

.

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