INSPIRATIONAL: The infamous Navier-Stokes equations

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

https://bigthink.com/hard-science/bubble-mystery-da-vinci-solved/

Hard Science — February 8, 2023
Solved: 500-year-old mystery about bubbles that puzzled Leonardo da Vinci

  • The solution involves the infamous Navier-Stokes equations, which are so difficult, there is a $1-million prize for solving them.
  • Small bubbles shoot straight up in water, but larger bubbles dance and zigzag.
  • This effect has intrigued scientists, beginning with Leonardo da Vinci.
  • A new study finds a solution that we can understand intuitively. 

Tom Hartsfield

*** begin quote ***

Pour water — or another tasty, bubbly liquid — into a clear glass. Carefully watch bubbles as they nucleate and then float up in the glass: You’ll notice that some of them rise differently than others. The tiniest ones shoot straight up, while bigger bubbles rhythmically bounce back and forth, slowing their trip. If you’ve ever wondered why this occurs, you’re not alone. No less a natural philosopher than Leonardo da Vinci was confounded by it.

*** end quote ***

I guess we can say Leonardo da Vinci’s genius had its limits.  Took 500 years, modern math, advance computers, and some fudging to get close to an answer.  So we can forgive poor old da Vinci for flubbing it.

Found it fascinating that a bubble can become an oval.

Wonder what other mysteries are out there?  We know so little.

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POLITICAL: We have more to fear from stupid people than evil ones

Monday, February 6, 2023

https://bigthink.com/thinking/bonhoeffers-theory-stupidity-evil/?utm_campaign=weeklynewsletter&utm_source=rejoiner&utm_medium=email&utm_content=02%2F02%2F23+Smarter+Faster&rjnrid=1Qrp0MR

Thinking — January 26, 2023
Bonhoeffer’s “theory of stupidity”: We have more to fear from stupid people than evil ones
Evil is easy to identify and fight against; not so with stupidity.
Credit: Giovanni Battista Recco, Annelisa Leinbach

Key Takeaways

  • When we know something or someone is evil, we can take steps to fight it.
  • With stupidity, it is much more difficult.
  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer argues that stupidity is worse than evil because stupidity can be manipulated and used by evil.
  • He also argues that stupidity tends to go hand-in-hand with acquiring power — that is, being in power means we surrender our individual critical faculties. 

Jonny Thomson

*** begin quote ***

There’s an internet adage that goes, “Debating an idiot is like trying to play chess with a pigeon — it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory.” It’s funny and astute. It’s also deeply, depressingly worrying. Although we’d never say so, we all have people in our lives we think of as a bit dim — not necessarily about everything, but certainly about some things.

*** end quote ***

I never heard the internet adage before but it certainly hits the bulls eye.

I’m not sure how we overcome the stupidity of our fellow Americans.

Perhaps it’s the result of Gooferment Skrules that make “We, The Sheeple” so stupid?

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