Katie MackMar 3, 2023

‘The most common response I get when I talk about dark matter is: “isn’t this just something physicists made up to make the math work out?”
The answer to that might surprise you: yes! In fact, everything in physics is made up to make the math work out.’

My latest for BBC Science Focus:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/everything-physics-made-up/

Yes, everything in physics is completely made up – that’s the whole point

A physicist's task is to constantly create equations that keep up with our observations of physical phenomena.

BBC Science Focus Magazine
Show threadStephaneWithAnEMar 3, 2023
@AstroKatie What do you mean that these things I see, hear and smell are numbers on a few scales that parts of our bodies register? :D
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Mar 3, 2023
@StephaneWithAnE Whether they actually *are* numbers, rather than things that look suspiciously like numbers, is a bit philosophical. But it's *really* suspicious.
Show threadStephaneWithAnEMar 4, 2023
@_thegeoff Philosophically speaking, letters may not be able to accurately represent numbers! ;)
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Mar 4, 2023
@StephaneWithAnE Not even Greek letters? ;)
Show threadStephaneWithAnEMar 4, 2023
@_thegeoff The answer is in the second word, "letter" :)
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
@StephaneWithAnE So represent π in numbers then. 😜
Mar 4, 2023 at 12:51amWeb
Show threadStephaneWithAnEMar 4, 2023
@_thegeoff It's technically possible but cannot be completed?
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Mar 4, 2023
@StephaneWithAnE "π", however, includes all of it. In principle at least. The general idea of one particular infinity.
Show threadSimon BrookeMar 4, 2023

@_thegeoff @StephaneWithAnE irrational numbers (including π) ARE numbers. That, by definition, is what they are.

The fact that you cannot accurately represent them in figures is irrelevant; a purely lexical problem.