Current Year 12 Thread Mark I (2013-2014)

The correct answer was "I can't."

Define "exist".

What is the given definition of exist?

The point being there's no definition upon which one could possibly agree that describes all things which one might say exists, but thanks for trying.

Some people don't like thinking about it. I do though.

Eg, do numbers exist?

Oh yeah haha and I also do (obviously).

PS numbers don't exist they are merely a made up measurement decided upon by someone years and years ago.


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Oh yeah haha and I also do (obviously).

PS numbers don't exist they are merely a made up measurement decided upon by someone years and years ago.


Posted from TSR Mobile

The system of numbers is made up. Hence in pretty much every language the nomenclature repeats itself every 10 numbers. We have 10 fingers. The mere notion that you can collate things and call it two, three is just there.

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I think you'll need stronger arguments than that

Keep this in mind; generally, if you can't prove something to be impossible, then it's always a possibility that it might be the 'truth'. Although the mathematical chances are usually ridiculously tiny, they're still possibilities. Eg, does Astrology work? Does the alignment of stars actually affect the events that occur in the universe? You're probably thinking of course not, but you can't really prove it's impossible; to eliminate ALL uncertainty you'd need to observe this concept for an infinite amount of time.

Some people believe that numbers do exist, that they're actual objects. But they're abstract objects. Numbers exist outside space and time. It might be possible that they exist in another dimension that we can't see. One theory on why gravity is so weak suggests that gravitons exist in another dimension. Just because they're objects that you can't physically touch doesn't mean they don't exist. In this example, when I say 'exist', I mean the same way that a table or chair 'exists.'

Another example is the belief that numbers just describe things that exist. When we count, we count with respect to objects, eg, here's one pencil, and another, now you've got two pencils. But what happens when you run into complex numbers? ie, square root of negative numbers. How would you understand a number such as pi, which never terminates?

I think you'll need stronger arguments than that

Keep this in mind; generally, if you can't prove something to be impossible, then it's always a possibility that it might be the 'truth'. Although the mathematical chances are usually ridiculously tiny, they're still possibilities. Eg, does Astrology work? Does the alignment of stars actually affect the events that occur in the universe? You're probably thinking of course not, but you can't really prove it's impossible; to eliminate ALL uncertainty you'd need to observe this concept for an infinite amount of time.

Some people believe that numbers do exist, that they're actual objects. But they're abstract objects. Numbers exist outside space and time. It might be possible that they exist in another dimension that we can't see. One theory on why gravity is so weak suggests that gravitons exist in another dimension. Just because they're objects that you can't physically touch doesn't mean they don't exist. In this example, when I say 'exist', I mean the same way that a table or chair 'exists.'

Another example is the belief that numbers just describe things that exist. When we count, we count with respect to objects, eg, here's one pencil, and another, now you've got two pencils. But what happens when you run into complex numbers? ie, square root of negative numbers. How would you understand a number such as pi, which never terminates?

Is anyone going to go to any university open days soon.

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Is anyone on here going to any of those 'Physics Experience' days or whatever they're called at Cambridge next week?

I don't know what that is but I'm annoyed that I don't.

http://www-outreach.phy.cam.ac.uk/ccpe/

Reading the page it appears that the universities choose which colleges can come. It's a bit odd that mine was chosen as my school is rather small (the physics cohort in particular is tiny; there's only 8 people in the AS class and nobody does A2) and we're ages away from Cambridge. Perhaps its done on a rotational basis?

A rotational basis would probably be stupider than just choosing certain schools and telling the rest to **** off forever

EDIT: to their credit, it does say that, starting in the 2014-15 school year, schools will be able to book online rather than through invitation.

Is anyone going to go to any university open days soon.

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How so?

That's an improvement at least TBH I wasn't even that interested in going, but it was offered and it's free It would be much better if places were assigned to people actually considering applying for phys .

I was speaking to someone I know recently and I asked what Uni they went. She told me cambridge and I was surprised as she doesnt realy seem that clever. Did my fb research turns out she goes to Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge I thought it was a campus in cambridge but my research proves not. Is this uni a good uni and do they merge with cambridge students on some occasions or something like MMU Law applicants do with Manchester Uni students.

By rotating through schools, you'd be ****ing over individual year groups psychologically as well as practically "Last year's group was invited to Cambridge, but they didn't invite you, oh well"