Hot Stuff: God Particle

[Smiley and West]

Smiley and West reflect on the discovery by scientists of the "God particle", a sub-atomic key to understanding the (physical) existence of life.

[Michael Mitchell]

Hhmm.... 

[Nathan Sterner]

Tavis said: "Did I miss something... we're talking about science here, but the so-called "God Particle" does have a spiritual connotation to it." Actually, you DID miss something... the phrase "God Particle" is a joke, and a profane one at that: Nobel-prize winning physicist Leon Lederman wrote a book about the search for the particle, a text he wanted to entitle "“The Goddamn Particle"” because it was so goddamn difficult to find; the publishers wouldn'’t go along with that, and so re-titled the text "“The God Particle." Scientists call the particle the Higgs boson, after one of the physicists who theorized its existence. Higgs himself dislikes the phrase "God Particle" -- and so do most scientists -- but it's such a "sexy" term that the media focus upon it without discussing its jokey etymology. So instead of talking about the science of the Higgs mechanism and the Standard Model -- or even about the media's focus on the phrase "God Particle" when the potential discovery has nothing to do with God -- you got bogged down in the ontic/ontological debate... one you probably wouldn't inject in other scientific topics, such as evolution or climate science.

[George Walsh]

I am glad this correction was added. I want to thank the poster (Mr Sterner above) for this comment. I listened to physicist Brian Greene on the Charlie Rose show discussing this and Professor Greene said "We hate the name 'God particle' ". And by "we" I think Professor Greene means physicists in general. I think it's hard enough for physicists and scientists to help laypersons understand science, it doesn't help when the basic terms gets all jumbled up in hype. And I am glad to hear Dr West's comments regarding this, but if I could I would take Dr West to task for not conveying the humility and circumspect way that scientists approach introducing new and groundbreaking ideas. Dr West expresses erringly I think, that scientists are too capricious or something. I am sure that the physicists involved with the Higgs Boson have worked so incredibly hard to be sure to characterize what this means as carefully as possible and they want to help people really understand what it means but each and every person has to take the time and effort required to understand what this all means. Progress is incremental in science and comes at great cost and with revision and struggle. And these Higgs Boson physicists certainly did not "guess" at anything especially with the decades of work and mountains of data gathered, but the layperson cant understand that unless they look at it themselves. And no, evidence does not "change" as Dr West suggested, but our ability to interpret it and substantiate it does.

[Ricardo Jones]

We will not support the president (obama) on anything until he addresses Civil Rights for Black People and reforms same. We want the resignation of Jacqueline Berrien EEOC chair immediately or he will hear from US Black People at the election. NO more passes for the president because he looks Black and has a Black wife and daughters. We will march, call for a government work slow-down, boycott corporation/companies, businesses and the government. Civil disobedience if necessary. This is a promisse!

[Ricardo Jones]

Ricardo Jones will speak about the injustice at the EEOC tonight (Saturday July 28 at 10:00 pm)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ocg/2012/07/29/our-common-ground-with-...
If you would like to call in to speak with the host [phone]

 

 

[Ricardo Jones]

The real concerns of who we are as a ethnic group (Black people) revolves around the exploitation and manipulation of the Black poor and/or the Black working class. The Black middle class have become what they believe to be the Black Elite by titles. The Black Intellectuals have been around from and before reconstruction. We all evolved from the Black poor as a result of some form of Slavery. During Slavery there was the House Negro's and the Field Negro's.

 

Today we still have the same groups the Black Elitist and Black Intellectuals are the House Negro's and Black poor and Black working class are the Field Negro's. The House Negro's have forgotten where they come from originally the Black poor. 

 

Many of the House Negro's pretend to be concern about the Field Negro's but this is just smoke and mirrors. The question is where and/or whom are the Field Negro's and are they moving up to become House Negro's? Are the Field Negro's just being eliminated and replaced with others?

 

The issues that affect us as Black Americans are accountability for all to include the Black Elite and/or Black Intellectuals and the president. If were going to make exceptions for the Black Elite and/or Black Intellectuals then we have only copied and accepted the white racist system. Then we must find someone to oppress to be true little racist bigots. Whom will that be?  Corruption, Racism and Bigotry all go with the system we're inheriting from our oppressors.  Is this what we inherited from our grand parents and pass on to our grand children?

 

Ricardo