Physics problem in higher school examination in Finland

[Pertti Koivisto]

Astronomy professors Esko Valtaoja and Richard Dawkins (Tuorla
Observatory) have actively promoted their cosmological thesis in
public.
Esko Valtaoja (Dawkins): "Universe can not have sense because I have
no sense."
Analyze the thesis with the background you have in physcis and in
astronomy.
http://users.utu.fi/pertkoiv/

[Ralph]

That is not even close to physics.
It is philosophy or existentialism.

"Pertti Koivisto" <pert...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3190e0af-f78b-4da2...@x41g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

[Ralph]

The quote does not match anything in Google.

"Ralph" <aj...@ncf.ca> wrote in message news:g0f32f$aaj$1...@theodyn.ncf.ca...

[lora...@cs.com]

On May 14, 9:13 am, "Ralph" <aj...@ncf.ca> wrote:
> That is not even close to physics.
> It is philosophy or existentialism.

Depends on how you interpret 'sense'..

Does an orbiting body sense gravity?
Does an ionisphere sense (and react to) incoming gamma radiation?

An elegant suggestion of inanimate 'sense' follows (for eduational
purposes):

'Spooky Action At a Distance'
"Its been found that you can arrange 2 electrons so they have opposite
spins. There total spin in this case = 0. Now if you measure the spin
of one of the electrons in a particular way then the electron will
always measure, say, -1. When the other electron spin is measured, and
it doesn't matter how, it will indicate 1. And it works opposite also.
You can use the other method to measure the first electron and it will
then measure 1. And no matter how you then measure the second electron
it will measure -1. And the moment a person measures the first
electron "instantly" the second measures the opposite

Now it turns out you can then separate the two electrons any distance
- it could be across the galaxy - and this effect will still occur.
Instantly. A pretty neat trick to try and get your head around but its
all been proven."

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=12103

[Ralph]

interpreting sense:

According to Einstein, no, an orbiting body does not 'sense' gravity, it
experiences it as the distortion of space.(/time)
The ionisphere does not 'sense' radiation. It reacts with it.
Anthropomorphising, I'll wager, is not expected.
Again, this is not physics, but a trick play of words.

Words in physics get re-defined as the work gets more precise.

And I have no clue how the 'spooky action' has anything to do with it.
Are we talking one atom? Two? - and go ahead, define their 'spin'.
I've read some greatly entertaining work on that one.

BTW, the Finnish link crashed my browser. If anyone else paid it any mind,
let me know what came up.

<lora...@cs.com> wrote in message
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