[QUOTE=Antdawg;41608418]Seeing this thread reminds me of an interesting point of debate. Can economics be considered a science? After all, the scientific method can be applied to economics, however perhaps the only thing that differentiates it from other fields of science is that experiments cannot be isolated. Because of this, economists can't assume [I]ceteris paribus[/I] (all other things being equal). If you were conducting research on an economy and noticed that one variable changed, you can't assume that whatever follows is true of that variable changing as the economist would not have control over all other variables ([I]post hoc[/I] fallacy). For example, after observing an increase in a tax on firms, those firms may be less profitable or even more profitable than before.
Also like other fields of science, economics has tonnes of theories, many of which are in conflict with each other. Three such 'theories' in conflict are classical economics, Keynesian economics and monetarism. These theories can't be confirmed or denied due to the inability of isolating experiments; conclusions made from observations of natural experiments can and will be contradicted in later experiments. Anyways, what do the rest of you think of this? Is the field of economics a science? I am inclined to believe it is after having studied economics at university for quite a while now, it is definitely a very interesting field and is full of debate.[/QUOTE]
I consider it one.
Granted that although many of these theories are in conflict, they do tend to agree on basic principles.
For instance, we know that by changing tariffs on various goods, we can encourage or discourage certain industries to grow or contract within a country. However, to the degree to which this is acceptable is debated over.
Most economists (mostly from the experience of the past few centuries to draw upon) also admit that centralized economic planning is a failure (usually because it's either too complex or poor at providing consumer goods), and that free enterprise is beneficial (although to the extent to which it is desirable, is again up to debate).
I think that economics is a science, especially with the range of experimentation possible now. (Computer simulations, game theory, psychology, etc). For people to have a dismissive attitude to economics, is very regrettable.
I'd say that someone who holds a dismissive attitude to economics would soon find themselves wondering why does everyone else have so much more money.
It is a pretty serious science for two reasons.
1) It uses hard math and everyone knows math is science-y
2) It makes testable, useful predictions about the real world.
I LOVE science. I can tell I will come to this thread more.
I am a nut for chemistry.
I supercooled my first bottle of purified water 2 days ago and flicked it to show my parents how it worked. I explained the chemistry behind it and all they said were "Oh, that's cool" and went on about their business.
I THINK ITS SO COOL how you can go from liquid to solid just by giving something the energy to form it's crystals.
I also love science in the medical field (going Pre-Nursing right now). I think I'd do something with Chemistry but apparently I am terrible at it. I got terrible grades in college no matter how hard I study. I do think it's just the professor though. Her tests are hard. I'm retaking my first term of chemistry sometime next year with a different professor that apparently everybody loves so I'll see how I do. Too bad honestly because if I was better at math and chemistry I'd have more of a foundation and confidence to maybe even major in it.
[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/87daafa6e732f71e572bcd46fa3db91b/tumblr_mp2yceFcjp1rfuijjo1_r5_500.gif[/img]
[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/7859f506d3b55b86553acafc724ffcb9/tumblr_mp2yceFcjp1rfuijjo3_r1_500.gif[/img]
[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/0d2804ff91fe98891e5236163dc6d5bf/tumblr_mp2yceFcjp1rfuijjo2_r2_500.gif[/img]
[img]http://31.media.tumblr.com/4736c4e02ee7e94ee39cd3de00da7358/tumblr_mqw4znxMI71qhbr2so1_400.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=Mr_Sun;41724358]
[img]http://31.media.tumblr.com/4736c4e02ee7e94ee39cd3de00da7358/tumblr_mqw4znxMI71qhbr2so1_400.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
Fun fact: Tungsten and Gold have almost identical densities, so if you were to gold plate a tungsten bar you would have a very convincing gold bar.
But lets talk safety once more:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4l56AfUTnQ[/media]
For those of you that don't speak French: Plexiglas, rubber glove, clean leather, dirty leather, gas mask, wood, and a wet glove.
I'm always amazed that a one-ton spill of this stuff occurred. :v:
[QUOTE=Cakebatyr;41699379]Pro tips:
Latex gloves are useless when it comes to safety. If you are working with any chemical that requires using gloves, and spill/splash anything on your gloves: remove/dispose of them immediately and wash your hands.
These are things my organic lab supervisor didn't inform us about when we were using dichloromethane for half our reactions in 2nd year :([/QUOTE]
how did you not notice that the moment you got DCM on them they instantly dissolved?!
I got the highest physic score in high school out of all the students that were taking the national exam in the country in my time :dance:
One of my friends aimed to get the highest score in Physical Education because he thought nobody would study for that so it will b easy, but some other bloke managed to outscore him :v:
[QUOTE=hakimhakim;41784037]I got the highest physic score in high school out of all the students that were taking the national exam in the country in my time :dance:
One of my friends aimed to get the highest score in Physical Education because he thought nobody would study for that so it will b easy, but some other bloke managed to outscore him :v:[/QUOTE]
Our high school physics education here is hilariously basic, "waves are waves lol this is transverse and this is longitudinal also lights exist also red shift okay enjoy your A* in physics". How is it over where you live?
[QUOTE=Activeellis;41785047]Our high school physics education here is hilariously basic, "waves are waves lol this is transverse and this is longitudinal also lights exist also red shift okay enjoy your A* in physics". How is it over where you live?[/QUOTE]
That's sad. Was there even any math involved? If there's zero math you're doing physics wrong.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41785085]That's sad. Was there even any math involved? If there's zero math you're doing physics wrong.[/QUOTE]
Nope, we did very simple conversions, for example kW to kWh and substitution of values into s=d/t.
[editline]10th August 2013[/editline]
Why not make a STEM thread instead of just maths, science, etc? It would be much more efficient.
I just learned everything from my highschool's Honors Physics class in 2 days to prepare for AP Physics
[QUOTE=Activeellis;41785047]Our high school physics education here is hilariously basic, "waves are waves lol this is transverse and this is longitudinal also lights exist also red shift okay enjoy your A* in physics". How is it over where you live?[/QUOTE]
Questions are divided into easy(simple conversions, memorizations), intermediate - comprehensions and calculations, and high - synthesis (solving problems by giving new ideas, correlations in real world ect ect). (lol i cant remember the exact categorization ). So they have all questions for all thinking level.
I was aiming for biology but somehow ended up with physic :suicide:
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41785085]That's sad. Was there even any math involved? If there's zero math you're doing physics wrong.[/QUOTE]
IIRC, since there's no requirement that you take both maths and physics at that level, how much maths they can actually introduce is limited. Logarithms and basic algebra is pretty much the limit of it; calculus isn't touched on at all, beyond maybe 'what does this gradient represent qualitatively'.
[QUOTE=Greenandred;41796026]IIRC, since there's no requirement that you take both maths and physics at that level, how much maths they can actually introduce is limited. Logarithms and basic algebra is pretty much the limit of it; calculus isn't touched on at all, beyond maybe 'what does this gradient represent qualitatively'.[/QUOTE]
Huh, we had to take all three core sciences, maths, English, CPRE, and foundation PE by default.
I visited CERN, had a quick look around their museum. Pretty good.
[url=http://postimg.org/image/5r8kelrib/full/][img]http://s13.postimg.org/8y33y8byf/IMG_0586.jpg[/img][/url]
I forget what this is
[url=http://postimg.org/image/xossc1rb7/full/][img]http://s13.postimg.org/p6jc7pksn/IMG_0568.jpg[/img][/url]
LHC main dipole
[url=http://postimg.org/image/k95rmlitf/full/][img]http://s13.postimg.org/o5j3il3t3/IMG_0576.jpg[/img][/url]
Gargamelle
[url=http://postimg.org/image/yi5e4nxc3/full/][img]http://s13.postimg.org/89u9fad8n/IMG_0580.jpg[/img][/url]
I think this is a cockroft walton voltage multiplier..
[url=http://postimg.org/image/afok9sgoz/full/][img]http://s13.postimg.org/6jb8dsvpj/IMG_0582.jpg[/img][/url]
[QUOTE=ZenX2;41786876]I just learned everything from my highschool's Honors Physics class in 2 days to prepare for AP Physics[/QUOTE]
Either you have the most exceptional learning capacity ever, or you're exaggerating.
[editline]11th August 2013[/editline]
Or third option, your school has the most pitiful physics curriculum ever.
[QUOTE=Falubii;41800503]Either you have the most exceptional learning capacity ever, or you're exaggerating.
[editline]11th August 2013[/editline]
Or third option, your school has the most pitiful physics curriculum ever.[/QUOTE]
Well I do actually have an exceptional learning capacity, but basically i had to work through a massive packet full of questions covering every topic in the class and in the end my work filled just over 6 pieces of paper, front and back.
The list of topics includes: Scalar/Vector, Distance/Displacement, Average Speed/Velocity, Average Acceleration, Ticker Tape Diagrams, Position vs. Time Graphes/Slope, Velocity vs. Time Graphs/Slope, Vector Addition (I already know a lot of vector math), Free Fall, Projectile Motion, Newton's First Law, Newton's Second Law, Weight, Normal/Support Force, Applied Force, Friction, Centripetal Force, Newton's Third Law, Energy, Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy, Conservation of Energy, Momentum, Collisions, Conservation of Momentum, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, Wave Characteristics, Period and Frequency, Wave Speed, Interference, Types of Waves, Doppler Effect, Sound Waves, Light Waves, Reflection/Refraction/Diffraction, Thermodynamics, Specific Heat Capacity, First Law of Thermo., Ideal Efficiency, Second Law of Thermo., Static Electricity, Determining Charges, Coulomb's Law, Charging Objects, Electricity, Ohm's Law, Electric Power, Circuits, Capacitors, Semiconductors, and Transistors, Magnetism, Lorentz Force and Plasma.
I thought you were trying to say you learned all of it in two days. Nevermind.
I'm very lucky, I can just read a textbook, while reading it I paraphrase it into a notebook, and I've learned it easily.
I've realised now that I've forgotten most of the physics I learned last year, along with most of the more advanced mathematics, it makes me really sad.
[QUOTE=Carlito;41807051]I've realised now that I've forgotten most of the physics I learned last year, along with most of the more advanced mathematics, it makes me really sad.[/QUOTE]
I have done that every year for my entire undergrad curriculum. I have forgotten more physics than most people ever learn.
how do i magnetic field¿
And then 2 years later it suddenly shows up on an elementary particles exam...
[QUOTE=Number-41;41869907]how do i magnetic field¿
And then 2 years later it suddenly shows up on an elementary particles exam...[/QUOTE]
shit I've got my pgre coming up this semester. I need to review shit I took like 3 years ago
Does not feel good, man.
I wanted to read up on the consistent histories interpretation of quantum mechanics, but a grad student or professor has the book I was after; it's not due back in the library until January. But turns out it's offered free online in pdf form. Hooray, internet!
link pls
I'll probably skip to something else after 10 pages, like I do with any pdf I download
[url]http://quantum.phys.cmu.edu/CQT/index.html[/url]
Split into PDFs by chapter but I combined them into one PDF if you want me to upload that.
I'm really interested in Physics and am majoring in it for the fall of 2014, how difficult would you say a Physics major is?
[QUOTE=BrownTown;41897465]I'm really interested in Physics and am majoring in it for the fall of 2014, how difficult would you say a Physics major is?[/QUOTE]
I'll let you know in a year.
Has anyone else here studied microbiology, genetics, and so on? I feel like the only one since everyone else is talking about physics :v:
[QUOTE=BrownTown;41897465]I'm really interested in Physics and am majoring in it for the fall of 2014, how difficult would you say a Physics major is?[/QUOTE]
Pretty fucking difficult at least here, and this isn't nearly a top school. I'm a math major as well and physics is much harder imo. I've heard the same from other double majors. Maybe math is just easy. :v:
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