On Bullshit in Physics
Aladar Stolmar
"As conscious being, we exist only in
response to other things, and we cannot
know ourselves at all without knowing
them" Harry G. Frankfurt: On Bullshit
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents .........................................3
The Atom Bomb ...........................................6
List of Bullshit in Physics ..............................8
The Myth of Big Bang and Expanding
Universe .....................................................10
The Black Hole Saga ...................................14
Return to Colliding Atoms ..........................24
Composite Atom Bullshit ...........................29
The Math of Bullshit ...................................32
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"Bullshit is unavoidable whenever
circumstances require someone to talk
without knowing what he is talking about"
[page 66] and since the physics subject
matter includes everything, the much
smaller and much larger than ourselves
reality as well, there always will be
unknown. Nobody will ever really know
what he is talking about regarding the
galaxies or the nuclear structures; therefore
the Physics always will have some bullshit.
The question only how much bullshit is in
the physics and which teachings of the
Physics or Natural Philosophy are
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questionable, not real reflections of reality,
just bullshit.
The groundbreaking work of Harry
G. Frankfurt made me realize that my own
earlier characterization of today's physics
as a pile of non-sense or lies is mistaken. It
is just bullshit: short of lie, not necessarily
deliberate
misrepresentation.
This
realization calmed my anger and now with
cold head I can make a case for a long
overdue tabula rasa. Let's return to Natural
Philosophy as Isaac Newton defined it - or
go all the way back to Lucretius to describe
the nature of things, because what we are
taken in by – that is just plain Bullshit!
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The more sensational it is the more
likely that it is just bullshit. I will try to
contribute to the theoretical understanding
of bullshit by describing the development
of such commonly spread bullshit like Big
Bang origin and expansion of Universe yes, both bullshit - and I will try to point
out the role of secrecy in the development
of bullshit.
The Atom Bomb
It is quite understandable that in the
course of development of first nuclear
weapons the dominating role of the
developer nation had to be preserved by
keeping the scientific knowledge secret.
When some non-participant physicist got
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on right track, they had to be deceived. So
the Hydrogen bomb, Hydrogen fusion was
offered. Unfortunately one picked it up so
successfully that within weeks the –
bullshit – nucleo-synthesis was introduced
fueling the stars and generating all the
nuclei.
There is a problem still: one can not
tell the truth about the fact that two
Hydrogen nuclei - protons - never fuse
without being pressured to reveal the truth
about the thermonuclear weapons. The
bullshit is being spread as science: solar stellar energetic process, nucleo-synthesis.
The real winner in my eyes is the Big Bang
nucleo-synthesis: at this point one just have
to make an inventory and whatever is
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wrong with the fusion based nucleosynthesis is simply fixed by adding at the
creation! Let's call it primordial - just for a
bigger pile of bullshit!
List of Bullshit in Physics
Before I'm carried away I shall give a list
of bullshit analyzed here:
1 Big bang creation of Universe
2 Expanding Universe
3 Black holes
4 Stellar nucleo-synthesis based on protonproton fusion
5 Composite atom - nuclei composed of
protons and neutrons
6 Dark matter dark energy (Why are you
torturing me?!)
7 Quarks and gluons
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8 Magnetars
9 Strings, brains etc.
10 Iron core of Earth
And just to represent a contrast to the false
bullshit, here is one bonus, most likely true:
Global warming...
I selected these key points from Harry
G. Frankfurt: "bullshit is a greater enemy
of the truth then lies are" - [page 61] "It is
just this lack of concern with truth – this
indifference to how things really are - that I
regard as of the essence of bullshit" [pages
33-34]
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The Myth of Big Bang and
Expanding Universe
I read somewhere
sounding like:
a
statement
“One thing we know for sure that the
Universe was smaller and hotter in the
past” - and it still upsets me. The truth is
that Edwin Hubble was an honest scientist.
He discovered that there are other galaxies
besides our Milky Way by comparing the
sizes of holes burned in the photographic
plates by light from Cepheid variables. He
compared this technique with another
research tool, the than new spectroscopy and found a correlation between the sizes
of holes - at the time he used it as a
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measure of distance - and the shifting of
spectral lines - which was used to measure
relative to us velocities of the stars. He
reported his finding that the red shift of
spectral lines increased with the decrease
of sizes of the holes burned in the
photographic plates as he dealt with these
two techniques: the apparent recession
velocity of the galaxies increases
proportionally to their distances from us.
From this honest report two major
bullshit were secreted almost instantly: the
Universe expands with the galaxies flying
apart with proportional to their distances to
us velocities, and - hence - some time ago
they all had to be together, therefore a Big
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Bang happened in the beginning, what
'created the Universe'.
The alternative - simple - explanation
that the photons lose their energy
proportionally to the distance they travel favored by Edwin Hubble himself(!) - was
- still is - being fought with furry. Thanks
to Frankfurt's work now I understand why.
Even mentioning the alternative reveals the
fact that who talks about this phenomenon
does not know what the photons are and
therefore he is in an unavoidable situation,
has to bullshit! As long as we learn what
the photons are and if they really lose their
energy while progressing through the
empty space or not - the necessity of
bullshit stays!
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These two major bullshit in Physics
also demonstrate the first cited statement of
Frankfurt: "bullshit is a greater enemy of
the truth then lies are". There is evidence
that the research which would resolve this
question whether the photon looses its
energy during progression through empty
space - or it is permanent, omnipresent,
unchangeable as resulting from the Big
Bang, Expanding Universe theories
(bullshit) is being blocked by the
bullshiters. Considerable funds are spent on
the multiple Big Bangs and mushrooming
universes but nothing on the so-called tired
light, not much even on pure photon
investigation.
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The smearing of these bullshit on
Hubble is such a disgrace that I cannot pass
by without trying to clear his name and
honor him as the greatest astronomer of all
times!
Somehow it is common: the
bullshiters need an honest scientist to point
to as the initial secretor of their favored
bullshit. And they go considerable
distances from the truth in order to find
one…
The Black Hole Saga
Let's look at the Black Holes. It was
blamed on Schwarzchild - until his original
papers were published in English on the
internet. In these he specifically stated that
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the collapse of large mass below a critical
volume must be accomplished with an
energy-mass loss, therefore such animals
(called later black holes) should not exist.
I don't want to know who secreted
this bullshit. It is a typical representation of
"this lack of connection to a concern with
truth". As we see, the concern at the real
honest scientists still existed - Hubble,
Schwarzchild - but later some aspiring
shameless epigones twisted their findings
into bullshit.
We still have no idea what is this
substantial quality of things what we call
mass - expressing the inertial and
gravitational properties of things - and is
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there a limit what maximum mass density
can exist. Again, like at the photons, if we
assume that any large – infinite - density is
possible (like infinite unchanged life of
photons for the big bang), then we get a
strange animal, black hole. However, in
reality this just points to the lack of
understanding of mass and photons - and of
philosophical term, determination of
infinity.
We shall understand the infinity as
the assigning any quality to an object
disregard of their real presence, and by
assigning the quantity of infinity we deny
the very quality assigned, allowing so the
comparison, description of groups, which
has entirely different members, and still
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being somewhat truthful. And this
technique is a very useful tool, no
argument there!
Indeed there is a very significant
knowledge of what mass what space
occupies! And surprisingly it points to a
constant: the nuclear mass density. If
combine this density with the Einstein
described space-time deformation by the
presence of mass - using the quantity of
gravitational potential -, then we arrive to
an interesting graph, showing surprising
predictions about the possible mass and
radius connection, already verified by
supernovae and resulting neutron star
observations! And this graph peaks at
around six solar masses, with a clear
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indication of gamma-ray burst energy
outputs and resulting neutron star mass and
radius expectations. You can see this and
many
other
evaluations
at
stolmarphysics.com.
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“Supermassive black holes reside in
the center of each galaxy” - announces this
bullshit the government body, dedicated to
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further our knowledge, NASA ... Well, the
improved observation techniques provide
the evidence: there is a very large number
(remaining at our subject matter I shall say:
a shit-load) of neutron stars buzz around
the galactic center of the Milky Way! Also,
an understanding of the works of
gravitational interactions between closely
packed neutron stars (and I'm not asking
too much, hence the idol, Albert Einstein
pointed out the effect of gravitational field
on everything) predicts the formation of
very large systems of neutron stars. It
shows all the observed characteristics, and
shows no need for the nonsense of black
holes.
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I've been barked at on an
international conference when I asked
about the distinctive characteristics, which
would allow us to find out is there a supermassive black hole or there is a large
system of neutron stars? The bullshiters
decided ages ago that there must be a black
hole, there is no place for such questions!
The spreading, repeating the bullshit
must have some economic incentives
behind, as driving force. Indeed there are!
One have to pledge allegiance to the big
bang to get funding from NASA or defend
vehemently the "standard model" to get on
tenure tract. This buzz world of standard
model was introduced to cover-up the
insufficient knowledge - necessity of
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bullshit - and to be able to spread rumors:
'He (She) has no respect for standard
model, must be an idiot!' - about just about
anyone who shows some interest in the
truth. Please note: the so called standard
model does not deal with mass, like it
would not be the most fundamental
property of particles or heavenly objects!
I already lamented about the stellar
energetic process, Hydrogen (protonproton) fusion based nucleo-synthesis
bullshit. I really should not tell the truth
about it. When we all grow-up and stop
killing each other than we will be able to
talk about it freely. For now let just say that
an equilibrium state on a very large cosmic - scale could be resulted from a
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decay-based energetic process. There is a
series of super-massive nuclei is considered
from the known chemical elements up to
all the way to the neutron stars with a
maximum mass of about six solar masses.
Indeed the evidence of neutron stars,
supernovae, gamma-ray bursts all follows
from this true reflection. In the core of the
Earth, in the Sun, the super-massive nuclei
decay into the chemical elements we know
as they float-up to near the surface.
Do I know what I'm talking about or
this is just an other bullshit?! You just have
to believe me I'm really concerned with the
truths!
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Correction! I'm so concerned with the
truths that I ask everyone not to believe
me! Try to find a contradicting fact, please!
Return to Colliding Atoms
I hope this illustrates the difficulties
arising from secrecy or in general the
difficulties with physics dealing with much
larger or much smaller things then us.
Without revealing the details allowing
anyone to create dangerous weapons I have
to ask you to believe me. But I could be a
bullshitter, or even a liar who wants to
deceive you! And may be I just want to
make you a bullshitter.
May be we just have to live with the
bullshit instead of Natural Philosophy until
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we all grow-up. The spreading of nuclear
weapons and the ever-increasing danger of
self-destruction may prevent us to tell the
truth. Ever.
There is another alternative. We
can present one coherent representation,
which results in a true reflection. But
how we know that it really connected to
the reality? May be we have to go all the
way back and redefine all of our words
used to reflect the reality. We reflect the
reality existing. The very existence is a
reflection of void and things; the things
have properties, distinct from nothing.
Should we include in a property-less,
pure existing first beginning? As
Lucretius called these
no-things,
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elementary units of existence? Which fly
with infinite velocity, has infinitely small
extent in space, they are always and
everywhere,
omnipresent
and
omnipotent? Constructing everything of
their collisions?
The smallest elements of everything
are collision events between the first
beginnings? The unit of mass is a
collision event always present in a given
thing? The time fundamental property
could be the fact that the collision events
change, replaced by new collisions? The
measure of time is the comparison of
phases when a selected relative collision
arrangement is returned? The space
denotes the fact that the things are
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constructed of collision events? Since the
first beginnings may change their
directions in the collisions - some
plasticity must exist in order to account
for the observed causality - two prior
connected collisions define a trajectory
of a first beginning. And two such first
beginnings constitute a collision event
therefore the next collision events could
be defined in a system of collisions leading to a self-reconstruction, selfpreservation. This very mechanism is
also an explanation of the three
dimensions of space, observed.
Regular collision systems are the
electrons, neutrons, nuclei of atoms starting
with Hydrogen and extending all the way
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to the neutron stars. The difference of
photons from such massive systems is only
the fact that the elements of photons not
always present in the system.
Could a special geometry of collision
system effect a part of itself to eliminate a
collision event or a whole electron and start
a new life with the unwinding of DNA?
Could our thoughts be new creations
of collision events?
Am I bullshitting or telling the truth?
I'm not sure. I know that by going back to
the basics and redefining the fundamental
concepts of space, time and mass I must
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have gotten closer to the truth. Did I miss
something?
Will you accept this as Physics or
will you stay with the bullshit as sold to
you? Even if you know that it is most likely
bullshit and not true, not even concerned
with truth? The indifference of general
public comes in play: “It's over my head! I don't care! - What's in it for me?!”
Composite Atom Bullshit
That little side-tract I had to take
before introducing the bullshit of
composite atom. It came from experiments
of nucleus destruction: When bombarded,
the nuclei of atoms may release - besides
the most common photons - electrons,
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alpha-particles or nuclei of Helium 4 and
neutrons or sometimes even protons or
Hydrogen 1 nuclei. Indeed all the
observations of nuclei indicate that there is
a homogenous nucleus inside of every
atom, but one needed to secret this bullshit
about the nuclei being composed of
neutrons and protons - just because the
bullshit was unavoidable! It led to major
problems, the necessity of a pile of bullshit
like negative binding energy, quarks and
gluons nonsense, still it lives on for over a
century now!
Since the quantum mechanics went
far from representing the reality – "It is just
this lack of concern with truth – this
indifference to how things really are – that
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I regard as of the essence of bullshit" – it
opened the flood gates before such
nonsense as dark matter and dark energy.
The dark matter was introduced to
account for the galactic velocity
distribution. If we assume that the good old
Newtonian gravitational constant is
universal and constant everywhere contradicting in turn to the very principle
discovered by Albert Einstein that the mass
present deforms the space in its
surroundings -, then there is a need to add
substantial amount of gravitating mass to
the galaxies to model the velocity
distribution. Once that leap was made anything goes! The nonsense of non-
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baryonic dark matter was floated and
followed closely by dark energy.
Indeed
the
observed
velocity
distribution could be achieved by
modifying the gravitational constant, as
expected from the Einstein discovered
effect of mass present.
Once a nonsense is introduced by
bullshiter it is very hard to get rid of it.
Even Newton had a hard time to fight the
epicycle bullshit...
The Math of Bullshit
The problem becomes almost unsolvable when the bullshit is introduced as
a mathematical solution.
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The dark matter dark energy points to
a mathematical blunder of Einstein himself
and the introduction of gluon and quarks
provided a disguise for the pure
mathematical representation, claiming that
these are the "real" carriers of quantum
numbers...
Once the mathematical exercise
showed some results in describing the real
observed responses the concern over the
validity of claims related to the elements of
mathematical
representation
was
suppressed. Hence the name Standard
Model was introduced and is being
worshipped by bullshiters.
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Recently there is a fight between the
experimentalists at Brookhaven National
Laboratory and the theoretical physicists.
The results of heavy ion collision
experiments do not support the Standard
Model - but the theoretical physicists
always can add another parameter (Higgs
boson expectation) and fudge their
equations!
As we see, math is an excellent tool
for bullshiters. Dark matter, dark energy,
magnetars, quarks and gluons, strings
(super) and brains all introduced and
supported by elegant - bullshit - math.
Before we get too depressed seeing
the sea of false reflections of bullshit
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physics threatening to drown us lets cheerup on the bonus bullshit of global
warming!
When the observed atmospheric
carbon dioxide concentration became
clearly effected by human activity (burning
of fossil fuel to produce electricity) some
felt the need to drum-up support for
preventive measures by introducing a
doomsday scenario of runaway greenhouse
effect and global warming. This is bullshit
because one was talking without really
knowing what he was talking about simply
because the Planet Earth is so complex that
its responses could not be predicted. Yes,
the
increase
of
carbon
dioxide
concentration in the Earth's atmosphere is
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real, the recent increase is caused by the
burning of earlier sequestered carbon
containing fossil fuels like natural gas, oil
and coal. The concerned scientists could
avoid the bullshit by reporting only the
facts and not going into telling prophecies!
Why is this urge in physics
to bullshit?
It is simply unavoidable...
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Aladar Stolmar is one of the first Hungarian nuclear
engineers educated in Moscow, USSR. Starting
from
1973
he
developed
the
modern
atomic
theory
and
its
consequences
on
cosmology
and
astrophysics.
On
bullshit
in
Physics
is
his
personal reflection
on the philosophical
questions raised by
the current issues in
theoretical physics and a reflection of his fights with
the establishment.
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