I know Ed has expressed concern, and a bit of frustration, at how some of the Collective's discussions are too OOTB, or seemingly without much concern for basic physics principles, for a seasoned scientist's tastes. and he certainly has a valid point. However, many here do have a good grounding in science and engineering, and we at least try to apply the 'laws' of physics (and I use the term 'laws' carefully). but we also know that those laws have a LIMITED sphere of applicability; they do NOT apply everywhere! I have found it necessary in several Vort threads to remind the discussioneers that the Laws of Thermodynamics ONLY APPLY TO CLOSED SYSTEMS. Too often that minor point gets lost. When dimensions become small enough, or time scales fast enough, that quantum mechanical phenomena begin to influence things, those laws can either appear to be, or actually be, violated, in those instances. But I digress. back on point.
In trying to reduce Ed's frustration level with the 'loose' conversations that fly around inside the Dime Box Saloon, I would like to drill down a little more into nothingness, and look inside a NAE. --------------- Assume we start out with a chunk of solid palladium with NO internal voids or 'cracks'. Stress that chunk of palladium so a crack/defect/void forms in the interior of it, removed from the outer surfaces. assume that this void is several hundred atoms long, and a few tens of atoms wide. Have Scotty miniaturize you, and beam you into the center of that void. Questions to contemplate: 1) what's inside that void? 2) what's the temperature in that void? 3) are there any fields (as in E or B fields) inside that void? 4) what is the mean free path of a free electron or proton in that void? ------------------ Looking fwd to the Collective's thoughts. -Mark
