If it were me, I'd want the ability to control friction. Talk about a physical law for nearly every superpower! If you could use a small amount of power to selectively alter the coefficient of friction on any object, you could make a lot of things happen.

I could stop bullets simply by increasing the coefficient of friction in the air around me. I could run incredibly fast simply by decreasing the coefficient of friction in air (but not on my shoes)! As long as I had a method of propulsion, I could simulate Bernoulli's principle and create flight. The possibilities go on indefinitely!

That would definitely be an interesting one to tweak, as there is a LOT of physics that depend on the quantifiable speed of light in a vacuum.

As for infinity or eternity consider: "Existence cannot be juxtaposed with non-existence (out there some where) either in space or in time." Reason demands that existence is and was.

Try "Cosmological Musings" via Google.

Jim Wright

Hi Jim,

I think there are a number of problems in modern physics and I don't appear to be the only one. There are several books on point. Including Carver Meads, which I have not read yet.

I agree with you about existing infinitely, but Rand and some objectivists have problems with infinite things.

What is your concern with Black holes? Infinite point masses?

Infinite sets are not all equal, so I am not sure about the 100% efficiency of galaxies. But I also not sure the 2nd law of thermodynamics makes any sense in an infinite universe.

And the study of economics and evolution would be the same thing if man was not a rational animal.

Friends.

The physics we have now is OK except that they have added fantasy to it and expect that we accept that, too, as physics. E.g., an Expanding Universe; Black Holes; a limited Universe; etc, etc, in the other diciplines. But: As Ayn Rand observes, in her philosophy, "Existence is an axiomatic concept" and all flows from that fact, whether intellectually or physically.

Existence exists. It this is so, existence exists everywhere, in all directions to infinity. And, if it exists now it must have existed from an eternity past and will presumably exist for an eternity into the future. Furthermore, if it exists now, despite an eternity of the burning of galaxies, there must be a mechanism throughout that renews these galaxies at an efficiency of 100%. This describes the Universe we should be searching for. It precludes magic. And all must be totally reasonable.

Any of you who may be interested in a paper I've written having to do with just such a Universe, please write me at jamesburtonwright@gmail.com.

Jim Wright

I like that!
See 'The Book of J' by Rosenberg and Bloom, God as the archetypical egoist.

I can't help getting past the "this looks stupid" feeling every time I look at Second Life.

I would neutralize all polarity, electrical as well as magnetic, outside of the Gulch of course.

Disobey the laws of nature and generally the punishment is harsher then getting a ticket.

Nobel Prize winning physicist T.D. Lee wrote a book in the 1980's (Particle Physics and Introduction to Field Theory) that outline the concept that the so-called "constants of nature" COULD be engineered.

Interesting thought.

I only look for good and evil and it usually reveals itself quickly. Note: evil people don't know what evil is so they don't recognize themselves as such. And happy on the surface rarely goes deeper.

Would work to show terrestrial science that properties such as inertia and that many of the observable "laws" that apply to and on this planet do not necessarily apply beyond earth

I would emphasize nanoscience a little more.

Physics is only about the laws we believe govern reality. How can that be intimidating?

change the gravitational constant, so we could
get the f#$k out of here, and so I wouldn't weigh
so much!!! -- j

Are you kidding? The creator of the laws of this universe is so infinitely more wise and intelligent than I am that I wouldn't dare touch a single thing, lest I break the whole of creation.

Seriously, the way everything is so intricately balanced and tweaked, if one little aspect was off by just a few fractions of a percent, we wouldn't have things like stars... it's really really incredible.

The speed of light.

It might be interesting to eliminate the 1st law of thermodynamics (you can't get more energy out of a system than you put in - conservation of energy). Our evolution is a direct corollary of the scarcity of resources which follows from this law. I often wonder what things would look like if there wasn't a constant competition for various scarce resources.

My favorite story is when I looked at my friend and asked him whether I should ask to teach the class. We were in first grade, and the teacher had made three mistakes of 9 + 9 or less in the last couple of days. Needless to say, I got paddled, and enjoyed getting it.

I never had quite that much nerve. I did challenge an Economics prof. who defined socialism as follows: "It cuts off the top and bottom of the economic ladder." It was so stupid that I remember it to this day. I started going into the means of production from the meager knowledge I had at that time, but was shut down at once. I got a good grade , but I think only because he didn't want to get me in his class again.

Many people would worship an angry god, a frightful god, but an annoying god? Only those who worship Jewish and some Italian mothers.

I was at war with my teachers, too. A couple of times I challenged them to let me teach the class. Needless to say, the students said they learned more from me than they did the rest of the time.

He was annoying, wasn't he? One of the best episodes ever was when Picard "died" and "went to heaven", only to find that Q was "god".