While the quantity of energy remains the same (the first law of thermodynamics), the quality of energy deteriorates gradually over time (the second law of thermodynamics). That is, energy tends to become less usable over time. This is expressed with the concept of entropy, which is a measure of energy usability within a closed or […]
Here we take the reduced mass and show the parallel reduced vass. In physics, the reduced mass is the “effective” inertial mass appearing in the two-body problem of Newtonian mechanics. It is a quantity which allows the two-body problem to be solved as if it were a one-body problem. Given two object bodies, one with
I believe there is only one race – the human race. Distinctions between people that use the word “race” are really about something else. I think there are three main ways that people use the word “race” and consequently may act in discriminatory ways toward people they believe are of other races. (1) Racism of
The post continues several posts on history and science such as here and here. All histories are part of the humanities, which are separate from the sciences. There is no scientific history or historical science – that would be like a round square. A purported scientific history or historical science is either science and not
It’s not uncommon for evangelical Christians to say that Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship. Or to contrast works-based religion with faith-based Christianity, making that the difference between religion and non-religion. But it’s a mistake to say that Christianity is not a religion. For one thing, that would mean religious freedom wouldn’t be
This continues posts such as the one here related to Aristotle’s four kinds of cause: final cause formal cause efficient cause material cause A subject is a form with purposes. An object is a material with mechanisms. Objects exist with space-time. Subjects exist with time-space. The upper causes apply to subjects, who have final purposes,
In Isaac Newton’s Principia, Definition 1 states: Quantity of matter is a measure of matter that arises from its density and volume jointly. (The Principia: The Authoritative Translation and Guide, Bernard Cohen, Anne Whitman, and Julia Budenz. University of California Press, 2016, p.403) Today density is defined as mass per unit volume, which would make
The dissertation When Two Become One: Reconsidering Marriage as a Sacrament in Protestant Theology by Adam Neal is online here. What follows are excerpts from the conclusion, pp. 304-310. This study has set out to provide a coherent presentation for why Christian theology should consider marriage as explicitly sacred, and, in particular, advanced comprehensive argumentation
“Physics and Metaphysics” is the English title of an essay by Pierre Duhem in Essays in the History and Philosophy of Science, translated by Roger Ariew and Peter Barker (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1996). It was originally published in 1893 as “Physique et métaphysique.” Below are some excerpts. We have devoted ourselves above all to delineating the
This post presents excerpts from Pierre Duhem’s The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory, first published (in French) in 1906, and translated into English in 1954 (Princeton University Press). See also the following post on Physics and metaphysics. [I]f the aim of physical theories is to explain experimental laws, theoretical physics is not an autonomous
