Freethought & Rationalism Archive

pz · 03-31-2003, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Feather
Whereas in biology, even though the underlying science requires a high degree of mathematical competence, the most complicated concepts are more easily translated into commonly understandable forms.

Not quite. The most complicated concepts are more easily misunderstood.

The curse of biology is that a huge number of people think they understand it well, but actually don't have a clue (and I'd include many intelligent physicists in with some very ignorant fundamentalists in this category).

wade-w · 03-31-2003, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by VonEvilstein
As a theoretical physicist/philosopher friend of mine once put it:

"Chemistry is a specialization within physics, and biology within chemistry. In the end, it's all physics, really."

[runs for cover]

But in the end, physics is just applied mathematics.

Feather · 03-31-2003, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wade-w
But in the end, physics is just applied mathematics.

Bleh. That's quite a lot like saying a fence is just an "applied toolbox."

wade-w · 03-31-2003, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pz
Not quite. The most complicated concepts are more easily misunderstood.

The curse of biology is that a huge number of people think they understand it well, but actually don't have a clue (and I'd include many intelligent physicists in with some very ignorant fundamentalists in this category).

I have to agree with you, pz. I know next to nothing about biology, since my only exposure to it is from high school. I took physics and astronomy for my science reqs in college. That was expected of all math majors at the university I attended.

Before I came to II, I thought I had a good understanding of evolution, based on several physical anthropology courses. I quickly realized my knowledge was (is) superficial at best. Even so, I still understood it much better than the average US citizen, but that isn't saying much.

Doubting Didymus · 03-31-2003, 03:36 PM

I bite!

Quote:

"Chemistry is a specialization within physics, and biology within chemistry. In the end, it's all physics, really."

This is utter lunacy! Whoever thinks that the whole of biology can be contained within the study of chemistry has NEVER studied biology. What does the structure and function of molecules tell me about realised niche potential? What field of physics is ecology supposed to be contained in? Chemists and physicists can duke it out for second place, but biology remains in entirely its own league.

Besides, organisms are the most complicated and interesting things in the universe. Particles and molecules are just dull.

fando · 03-31-2003, 04:01 PM

poo.

Doubting Didymus · 03-31-2003, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fando
poo.

Yet another interesting aspect of biology.

MadKally · 03-31-2003, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Doubting Didymus
Yet another interesting aspect of biology.

Color, consistancy, texture. Let's not forget about things like that when discussing poo. Upper GI bleed, Lower GI bleed. Occult blood. Gerbils.

Doubting Didymus · 03-31-2003, 05:05 PM

Oh, and so much more! Think fossil droppings! From a bit of fossilised turd we can tell all kinds of things about prehistoric life.

I remember reading in unweaving the rainbow that we would be able to tell, from a fossilised urine trail, the length of the penises of wooly mammoths. If only dinosaurs had let it dangle we could have done the same thing for them.

MortalWombat · 03-31-2003, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MadKally
Color, consistancy, texture. Let's not forget about things like that when discussing poo.

Not to mention that up to about half of its dry weight is composed of bacteria.

03-31-2003, 04:01 PM	#26
fando Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Los Angeles Area Posts: 1,372	Regarding the trend... poo.

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03-31-2003, 05:05 PM	#29
Doubting Didymus Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: East Coast. Australia. Posts: 5,455	Oh, and so much more! Think fossil droppings! From a bit of fossilised turd we can tell all kinds of things about prehistoric life. I remember reading in unweaving the rainbow that we would be able to tell, from a fossilised urine trail, the length of the penises of wooly mammoths. If only dinosaurs had let it dangle we could have done the same thing for them.

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