Sunday, February 22, 2009

Wanna tangle our particles?

So I'm working on a new book, right? And one of my guys is a physics major at UNC. This has, of course, led to all sorts of research regarding what sorts of classes my boy might take and suchlike interesting web-browsing experiences. For instance, I ended up spending about half an hour staring in slack-jawed wonderment at the UNC-Chapel Hill page for junior and senior level classes for physics majors, just for ONE SCENE where my boy would be writing a paper for half a second before leaving behind to do something else.

Before I go any further, let me just say that I am not a person who is good with math or things that involve math. I passed college Calculus. Even made a good grade. But that's only because I do okay at plugging numbers into formulas. I did not then, do not now, nor do I ever forsee myself understanding how one actually finds practical, real-world applications for numbers that do not exist o_O

BUT.

This shit FASCINATES me anyway. Check this out, from the UNC physics website:

595 (175) Nonlinear Dynamics (3). Prerequisite, Mathematics 383 (083) (or permission). Interdisciplinary introduction to nonlinear dynamics and chaos. Fixed points, bifurcations, strange attractors, with applications to physics, biology, chemistry, finance.

What?!?!? WTF? How in the nine hells does non-linear dynamics apply to finance??? I feel that I must learn this or DIE.

And this article here. I have to say, this really got my brain going. Think about the implications for just a moment. If Joe and John have entangled particles, and Joe, say, is kidnapped to the Death Star or something and is in need of immediate sex so he doesn't die, can John get him off from a distance by sucking his own cock?
Things that make you go "hmmmmmm...."

This just proves you can be a science geek without any particular brain power :B

3 comments:

Tam said...

Holy crap. If I ever wrote a book they would have to be studying English lit or something easy. I'm lost but the concept of being connected even planets away is rather "spooky" to quote Einstein. Good luck with that, you'll be able to dazzle your friends at cocktail parties with a vast store of physics trivia. Always a useful skill to have.

JenB said...

I think finance ties in to the "chaos" portion of nonlinear dynamics. o.O

I love physics. I watch The Big Bang Theory with my slash goggles firmly in place. Hot geeks, mee-owwww!

(P.S. I love your buck teeth.)

Ally Blue said...

Tam, LOL, if I dazzle anyone with anything it would be my lack of knowledge! But I'm working on it. I may not ever get it but it won't be for lack of trying *g* That article was so interesting to me, I really want to find out more.

JenB, thanks! My dork face LOL I always used to wish I was smart enough to be a theoretical physicist. Alas, I am not. So I grew up to be an author and made my character be one! Heh :P

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