Yes, physics is the most awesome of the sciences!
By Thoreau
Electron magnetic moment measured to 13 decimal places. Can any other science lay claim to such accuracy? I think not!
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Comment by max —
March 28, 2008 @ 3:34 pm
Can any other science lay claim to such accuracy? I think not!
I think assorted Greeks had C=2πr down some millenia ago. And that’s perfectly accurate, y’know.
Where’s Nelson when you need him?
max
[’But you got people who write about economics beat all hollow.’]
Comment by matthew hogan —
March 28, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
“Can any other science lay claim to such accuracy? I think not!”
And while having to answer to the Uncertainty Principle too!
Comment by Jeff Darcy —
March 28, 2008 @ 4:41 pm
13 decimal places refers to precision, not accuracy.
Comment by Thoreau —
March 28, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
But it agrees with theory to at least 12 of those decimal places, which means it must be accurate!
Comment by The Editors —
March 28, 2008 @ 6:52 pm
Mathematics. Pi to all the decimal places you want.
Not if the theory’s wrong.
Comment by Thoreau —
March 28, 2008 @ 7:03 pm
No, the theory wouldn’t be wrong. It would just mean that the experimentalists studied a case that doesn’t fall under the theory. They should have studied the theory more carefully and then they would have done the right experiment.
Duh!
Comment by The Editors —
March 28, 2008 @ 9:32 pm
Oh, you’re one of those.
Comment by Mona —
March 28, 2008 @ 9:53 pm
Boyz, boyz, the answer is 42.
Comment by Thoreau —
March 28, 2008 @ 11:40 pm
Yes, I am a theorist. I’m not actually one of those theorists, but I can play one on the internet.
Comment by The Modesto Kid —
March 29, 2008 @ 7:15 am
5: But isn’t mathematics a subset of physics, properly speaking?
Comment by The Editors —
March 29, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
Really? I don’t suppose you could … *prove it*? 5: But isn’t mathematics a subset of physics, properly speaking?
And so began the Nerdpocolypse.
Comment by The Editors —
March 29, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
$%&!@ing HTML.
Comment by mds —
March 29, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
The experiments agree with the value predicted by the theory to a ridiculously high precision. The theory also accounts perfectly well for all other observed electromagnetic phenomena. Therefore, the theory is correct. QED.
Comment by matthew hogan —
March 29, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
What does this result portend for semiconductors, ipods, microwave ovens and hair dryers and such?
Comment by Jeff Darcy —
March 31, 2008 @ 7:26 am
Mathematics a subset of physics? Why not the other way around?
Comment by Hypatia —
March 31, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
it is certainly the case that this is a very precise estimate of something. but accurate? no.
the theoretical value is computed using at least one measured value. so it’s accuracy is undetermined. accuracy is established by independent measurements!