Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The price to be paid...

One of the most impressive discoveries was the origin of the energy of the stars that makes them continue to burn. One of the men who discovered this was out with his girl friend the night after he realized that nuclear reactions must be going on in the stars in order to make them shine. She said "Look at how pretty the stars shine!" He said "Yes, and right now I am the only man in the world who knows why they shine." She merely laughed at him. She was not impressed with being out with the only man who, at that moment, knew why stars shine. Well, it is sad to be alone, but that is the way it is in this world. -Feynman

Scientific endeavor is a lonesome process. If you are not satisfied with the excitement of the probability of finding new things (yes, you might not find anything new! But of course you can learn new things) maybe you are at the wrong end of the world. You simply need to disregard a lot of social things. Those who are close must accept your inner loneliness.

Exercise:
1. What is the type of reaction in stars?
2. Do you really find mathematics beautiful? What makes math/science interesting to you?
3. If you have the same reaction from your girlfriend about the reaction in the stars what would be your reaction? [place yourself in that poor scientists position]
4. Do you feel that ‘you would rather be lonely than be around some fools’? If 'yes', why it is not ‘arrogant’? If 'no', why fools are important?

4 comments:

  1. Answers:

    1. It says 'Thermonuclear Fusion' in Wikipedia.

    2. I don't know if beautiful is the right word, but math is good, because when you do it, thats all you think about.

    3. I'd make up a story and try to explain the thing to her. If things are told in the right way, people actually listen, and appreciate.

    4. Fools? Different people have different interests. The world works because there are people who think, and there are people who make it easy for the 'thinkers' so they can 'think'. Calling other people fools, is not being arrogant. It's rather ... unkind.
    I'd like fools around me, because among these fools are good natured people. With warm smiles and kind hearts. :)

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  2. 1. Nuclear Fusion. Also called Thermonuclear Reaction as it is still mandatory to ensure high temperature for this reaction. For sun or other stars having the temperature same as sun, the reaction is known as Proton Cycle.
    4(Proton) => Helium + 2e(+ve) + 3(Gamma) + 2(Photon) + 26.7 MeV

    This tremendous amount of energy creates from a cycle. In 1939 H.A. Bethe described this, still the most logical explain about sun.
    But before this, it was thought Carbon Cycle was use keep alive a star. It is true only for the stars of greater temperature than sun.

    2. How much we know? So how can we say that? But I know a truth. You lost your beautiful spring to search the beauty of Mathematics. However, math/science is of course beautiful. Because, it will never become old like girlfriend, rather new thing will come with new temptations.

    3. First tell me what is the purpose of a girlfriend? To my known, for you and probably for me, nothing but sex. So answer is NOTHING. But if the poor scientist is me and (girl/boy)friend is you, then answer is DPL.


    3. Obviously with fool. Its very enjoyable to surround with fools. They know nothing but sex. And it is 100% true darling! Its not my personal experience or observation. It is Statistics. My xperience or observation may wrong, but never STATISTICS!

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  3. @Crystal Eye: Holy cow! you are an extremist!! Barak Obama warned about posting these sort of words(even if it's fun) in public pages. I mean think about Muhammad Zafar Iqbal saying these!! It would be a disaster.

    Who knows, someday you can be someone like him.

    In the end all your endeavour is justified by how you affect your society. I guess you have got the point. chumma.

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