--- Jonathan Ward <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> this is all very interesting (ish), but I seem to
> have missed the relevance
> at this stage?
>
> As someone who is currently employed as a scientist
> (physics) I am intrigued
> both by the suggestions of dishonesty in science as
> a broad stroke and that
> physics is 'dying'. as for the latter, that seems to
> be only a reflection on
> the numbers and quality of new intakes into the
> discipline at undergraduate
> level and the number of physics teachers. the
> subject is not dying in
> itself. how can it?
>
> but before this turns into a philosophical or
> metaphysical discussion, can
> someone remind me of what all of this had to do with
> crisis-forum?
It still seems to me that science extinction may have
something to do with crisis-forum. Recently titles
like "Physics in Terminal Decline", "A Farewell to
Physics", "Physics in Crisis" have become commonplace.
Science authorities are upset by the declining number
of students that may result in a declining number of
professors. So authorities will try to increase the
number at the expense of students' quality. The main
slogan of the movement remains unchanged:
"One should indefatigably defend the fundamental
miracles "All heat engines working between the same
two temperatures have the same maximal efficiency" and
"The speed of light is independent of the speed of the
light source" which are true by reason of the huge
amount of money they have brought to defenders. A
diligent defender will sooner or later become a PAID
defender."
The extinction of chemistry also seems unavoidable:
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,1851445,00.html
"Fewer students may be studying physics at university
but the real threat of extinction faces chemistry and
materials-related sciences, a study warns today."
Pentcho Valev
[log in to unmask]
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