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Understanding Mathematics
Posted on May 13th, 2011 No commentsUnderstanding mechanics is nothing to do with mathematics, it is the reality of what is actually happening and why it is happening?
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This post is really nothing to do with mechanics because mechanics is about reality?
In fact I will attempt to explain the roll of mathematics in relation to reality.
There is a series of pet food advertisements on British television, in which the animals (cats or dogs) state that “you should read the instructions yourself because I cannot read”. However, earlier adverts had a situation in which the animals had to say that they could not count, but these adverts were quickly dropped. I would imagine that the company received thousands of letters pointing out that animals can count. This was my immediate reaction on first seeing the advert. Sad really, that the company knew so little about animals.
Natural arithmetic is addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Many animals have the inborn ability to carry out simple examples of these arithmetical functions.
Arithmetic
Addition and subtraction.
Addition and subtraction are fairly simple for animals, they check their young every few minutes and know exactly how many they should have (addition) and how many are missing (subtraction). Our last dog, Mandy, when receiving ‘treats’ , would stay still until we had scattered the correct number of them, and then collect them together. If we did not throw the correct number she would nudge our legs to tell us that we had got it wrong. If we threw one more when we were two short she would nudge our legs again to tell us that we had still got it wrong.
Multiplication and division.
Division is ‘fractions’ . Obviously animals don’t calculate fractions that give an answer of less than one because there is no necessity for it in their lives. However, in some respects they can calculate fractions. Offer a dog the choice between a full shin-bone and half a shin-bone and it will select the full shin-bone. Which is the greater; one shin-bone or one shin-bone divided by two? [Which is the greater; 1 or 1/2 ?].
Now let us consider a far more difficult question. If we cut the shin-bone into three equal lengths A, B and C, which one would the dog select? The dog must work out which is the greater, A, B or C. [Which is the greater 1/3, 1/3 or 1/3?]
We know from experience that the dog will not select B, it will select A or C. It is obvious that the human arithmetical notation is of no use to us in this case, but the dog would be able to make the correct selection. Does this mean that the dog is more intelligent than we are? No, it just means that the dog has more information than can be supplied by the human arithmetical notations. The dog works it out by logic.
Mathematics is a man-made tool which can be very useful. It is not a science. Like any tool it will do certain things very well. and like any tool, if incorrectly used, can create disasters.
Although claimed by the physicists to be their specialised subject, (it should be, most physicists rely on a Mathematics Degree to get a job.), most of them only have knowledge of a small number of the 1,000,s of formulae in everyday use. Most of the worlds formula were created by engineers. {Odd really, Einstein is famous for one equation that he got a Nobel prize for, (even though it was wrong), whereas I have created about 25-30 new equations over the years, all which have proved to be right. I once produced a new formula for working out escalation costs on Oil platforms. This caused great consternation to the oil companies and they spent many months attempting to discredit it. Obviously they failed because they had to pay in accordance with my new formula. This was quite a complex formula. On another occasion, determining the cost of hiring ships, boats and rigs and their staff and operatives operating in the North Sea was quite a complex problem which even the suppliers had difficulty with.
In this instance I produced a simple formula that produced more accurate figures and only took about 30 minutes to work out the total payments due each month. Obviously I do not hate mathematics, I just hate the misuse of mathematics, especially by physicists.
“Firstly, the abandonment of the ideal of a mechanical explanation of everything has eliminated a great deal of idle hypotheses. The properties of the fundamental entities of physics are now stated in the form of mathematical equations, instead of being ‘explained’ by a hypothetical mechanism.” From ” The Philosophy of Physical Science”, by Sir Arthur Eddington. This is the ‘Eddington’ usually quoted by physicists when they are asked awkward questions.
Let us consider the first sentence. Modern physics is now almost entirely composed of ‘idle hypotheses’. Quarks, time dilation, rubber sheet universes, black holes, time travel, nuclear fusion, Hadrons, and now the God particle, are just a few of the ‘idle hypotheses’ that occupy the minds of the physicists.
Logic and Measurement.
Although the word ‘logic’ is commonly used when referring to mathematics, logic actually refers to reasoning whereas mathematics is simply a set of rules designed to make things simpler. (Yes I know, if you don’t like mathematics, then the last thing you would agree with is that it makes things simpler, but it does make things easier if you do like mathematics.)
Anyone who has suffered from bureaucracy will probably agree that rules are not always logical. The same problem exists with mathematics.
Let us say that we have 7 Leopards and 10 camels. Now torque is measured in pounds feet and is obtained (mathematically) by multiplying pounds and feet. We should be able to multiply leopards and camels to arrive at 70 cameleopards. (yes there is such a thing, its also called a giraffe).
Obviously we know from common sense and reasoning that this is a silly idea.
We can however multiply leopards and camels to arrive at 70 animals, but this is no more logical. This is because you cannot multiply real objects by real objects.
You can add camels and leopards to get a total of animals.
A lot more to come on this but not yet.
Author; Brian Williams
10 responses to “Understanding Mathematics”
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Once again I have appreciated your newest post. Thank you for posting it for us. It’s always a pleasure and I plan on returning for all of the new writings.
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It’s weird how people comment so differently about your post.
Vardaman
Many are certainly weird, but I only occasionally put these on my Web, usually for amusement. On many occasions it is obvious that they have not even read the particular post. but just want to shout at somebody.
Carry on with your good work.
Regards
Brian -
of course like your web site but you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I’ll definitely come back again.
Hi, My web site is only in English, sorry. There seems to be a few web sites that are copying my posts and mis-translating them (Illegally). If there are adverts on the sites they are illegal.Brian
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Ok I am using a RSS feed thingy on windows 7 but how can I get your feed? When I click on the RSS icon thing I get only like halfe articles, I can’t read that on my desktop. I would have to go to your site every single time!
I will have to check on this, I have never used RSS links myself. My setting for RSS links is for full text, maybe you have a setting on your computer that limits you to a certain number of lines.
Regards
Brian -
Normally I won’t comment on a post but I was wondering if this is a WordPress blog? I am running a blogger blog atm but I would like to switch to WordPress. I am wondering if one can transfer a Blogger blog to WordPress easily. Do you know if such an option exists within WordPress? Thanks, Jamie
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Jamie, I would think it should be easy to transfer, as long as you have all the appropriate files saved, I have never found WordPress easy because there is no simple manual, and help is very limited, (You have to rely on previous users comments to solve problems.) but it is a free site, and quite versatile.
Brian -
Wonderful blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Many thanks.
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I normally only check on Google. It all depends on the subject. If your subject is pornography or how to make easy money, there are probably billions of posts, and your chances are very slim, (people would go blind before getting to your site). My best to date is Google number 3 out of 1.5 million for – Dinosaurs and the Expanding Earth – 2 .Now down to number 14 from last week.
Another one is “Newtons Colour Wheel” presently at number 37 out of 1.4 million. “Origin of the Golden Section-Rev 2” is at number 12 out of 2.4 million. You can slide up or down rapidly. Note; I’ve just checked on “pornography” and it has 29,700,000 entries, there are a lot of sad people out there, and “Easy Money” has 64,700,000 entries. There are a lot of gullible people out there, do you think that people who know how to make easy money would waste time on running a web site, UNLESS THEY ARE MAKING MONEY OUT OF THE GULLIBLE PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THEIR WEB SITES.
Brian -
I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thanks, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
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Interesting post!
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I found your site interesting also. I’ve often wondered how these sites operated, and you have confirmed that they are just raffles.
Brian -
brinkka says: What I wouldn’t give to have a debate with you about this. You just say so many things that come from nowhere that I’m pretty sure I’d have a fair shot. Your blog is terrific visually, I mean people won’t be bored. But others who can see past the videos and the layout wont be so impressed with your generic understanding of this subject.
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Hi, I’ve been using mathematics all my life in my job as an engineer. The physicists have been unable to fault my mathematics and their only comeback has been to say “How can Einstein be wrong?” They will not discuss the actual mathematics because they know that I am right. I honestly feel that I should be able to withstand the mathematical onslaught of a penis enlargement salesman. Have you actually read my post? There are no video’s on it. I suggest that you buy my book and learn more about understanding mathematics.
Brian
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Note; I have just got the following comment. From the same reader.Submitted on 2011/08/23 at 2:22pm for “How Physicists “Find” Their Particles!”
brinkka2011 says: This was a genuinely extremely beneficial post. In theory I’d like to write like this also getting time and actual effort to make a good piece of writing but what can I say I procrastinate alot and by no means appear to obtain anything done.
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Which do i prefer? Obviously the first one, because he/she as obviously read the post and given it some thought, (Even if I don’t agree with him) -
Well it is an immensely useful write-up.Thanx just for posting this type of tips with us.I really hope you certainly will keep on enlightening people in future also,with this sort of helpful information.Keep up the excellent task.
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