Geekman claims I maligned him in the previous post, where I wrote:
You can't get theoreticians like Geekman to fix a car, since the first thing they want to do is model it as a sphere, or solve the problem for two dimensions, or for conditions of absolute zero with no gravity.He would like you to know that, although he usually models things for conditions of absolute zero with no gravity, he does it in ONE dimension, and as a parabola. Not a sphere.
9 Comments:
That's when I'd probably say "yes dear, whatever you say dear" -- then giggle most of the day when I looked at him :).
Have you/has he read that book, "Assume a Spherical Cow"?
So his car has a gearbox for reverse (I'm assuming 1D+time) but no steering wheel and *definitely* no heater - and I'm guessing no AC since you'd hardly need it if it was 0K outside.
On this basis it'd be fair to get him to help with any clutch/gearbox issues ? ;)
Dear Geekman.
The next time I have a one-dimensional car that needs servicing, he will be the first person I call!
Awwww...bless him!
I only wish I knew how to change complex things into one dimensions and parabolas...
I wonder if I could make my paintings all 1 dimension, I suppose no one could see them, but that would the kind of high-concept I need to be the next Duchamp.
It'll be no surprise to the readers here that I end up coming down on Geekman's side on this as well.
Things just plain are EASIER in 1-d! Of COURSE you'll want to stay there - models in 2-d have all sorts of evil evil things going! If you model things over time (just to mess it up even more), you might even have to start caring about, essentially, knot theory for your models!
No, you physicists, you'll best stay with your one-dimensional models. Leave the icky stuff - y'know 2d and upwards - to us mathematicians. WE know how to deal with it.
See, it's just not okay to be calling a parabola a sphere. There's enough disintegration of civilization without that sort of thing going on. ;-).
Talk to me! (You know you want to!)