[ExI] E=mc2

[hkhenson]

At 03:33 PM 3/22/2008, you wrote:
>I  wrote on 3-22-08:
>">Hi, since energy cannot be created nor destroyed only transformed from
> >one form or another, why feel sad or think otherwise?
> >
> >That form of energy which you think can be depleted is a thought. I
> >don't see any depletion of thoughts in nanotech.
> >
> >Singularity in physics and mathematical language is a point which takes
> >an infinite value i.e. a black hole.
> >
> >A black hole swallows energy and where did that energy go? If we cannot
> >harness that energy swallowed by a black hole, then are we in trouble?
>__________
>
>Terry, this shows such a level of physical level ignorance that I
>can't see where to start on it.
>
>It's clear you don't have a background in thermodynamics.
>
>How much science or engineering background do you have?
>
>I ask not to put you down, but so I can suggest what level to start
>repair education.
>
>Keith Henson
>______________
>
>Thanks for your kind suggestion. I have no engineering background but
>I'm eager to learn. My only background is on applied science,
>psychology.

I hate to tell you this, but psychology and sociology have been 
seriously shaken up while evolutionary biology is putting a floor 
under those studies.

<http://www.fathom.com/feature/35533/index.html>http://www.fathom.com/feature/35533/index.html 


>Sorry, the little I know about thermodynamics is the
>conservation of energy. I'm still trying to understand the second law
>of thermodynamics. There are so many technical terms to sort out in the
>3rd, 4th and 5th law of thermodynamics that are too challenging to me.

The second law is the only one of engineering importance.  It's the 
reason your car does not go down the highway when you have run out of 
gasoline.  The consequences of this law are staggering.  They are 
almost certain to kill several billion people unless we put forth the 
effort to obtain vast amounts of energy in useable forms.

"Useable" is different from conserved.  You can extract mechanical or 
electrical energy from the temperature differences between buckets of 
hot and cold water.  Mixed into one bucket, the water has the same 
energy but you can't get useful work out of it.

On this mailing list "singularity" usually referrers to the 
technological singularity. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity  This is the 
level of technology where humans are no longer in charge of history 
and projection of the future becomes impossible.

AI and nanotechnology are bound up together because either one leads 
to the other in a short time frame.

Black holes are not a source of energy at our current technological 
level, even if we had one.

Keith

>My son in college is taking courses on electrical engineering and can
>mentor me only when he is not busy. So I get the latest info about
>science, cosmology and other related subjects from the science website
>and documentaries on cable.
>
>In the past, I read books  by Lee Smolin, Stephen Hawkings and Richard
>Dawkins as well as Marvin Minsky and Julian Barbour and many others
>whose name escapes me at the moment but I'd try to read more about
>thermodynamics when I get time to read.
>
>Why do I like to explore the fabric of reality? Just curious, I guess.
>
>Terry
>
>Terry
>
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