Had a conversation earlier with someone about the fact that I don't believe in anything. She was convinced that, I quote, "everyone has to believe in something." She finally grudgingly let me off with the cheap cop-out, "I believe in myself."
Part of my nature is to question everything. I'm fine with something not having a sufficient explanation, as I have no problems coming to terms with the fact that maybe either no one's thought of the proper explanation, or it isn't even within our current capacity to comprehend. I may be inclined to try to find an answer, I may not--that only depends on how interested I am in the question; it's not a function of not being happy leaving things unexplained. However, I'm never satisfied with an explanation for something that has holes in it, or that I know is not true. Hell, most of my own field is made up of things that I don't believe, yet everyone, including myself, uses them regularly. For example, I'm sure, if you've taken a single chemistry course, you've heard of orbitals--electrons float around in these fancy orbitals that have shapes determined by quantum mechanics, and when orbitals between atoms overlap, you have a bond. Well, that's crap--orbitals don't even exist, and even the model that most people think of is only a good approximation for a single hydrogen atom in a vacuum, because that's all we can reliably solve Schroedinger's wave equation for. That's hardly something that can reliably describe a diatomic molecule, even dihydrogen, and even if it is also in a vacuum. And the model is just that: a model that is merely an approximation of the real thing. All it really says is that an electron with a particular energy has some large statistical probability (but certainly not 100%) of being in the described space at any given time. Anyway, I digress...
So no, I don't believe in anything. I don't really even understand why people feel the need to believe in something. What's wrong with an unanswered question? Unanswered questions are what should be driving us to learn, not driving us to hide under a rock (or book, as the case may be) and pretend that rock is everything that matters.
In other news, I rocked the Synthesis exam (my score: 125/150; average: 95/150), and after looking over the answer key to the Physical Organic exam I took last night, I'm pretty sure I nailed that one as well. The amusing part about the Synthesis exam is that I managed to fit almost the entire exam on one side of one sheet of paper, with only about an inch of the back used. Jn (the professor) complimented my efficient use of paper and awarded me with the CHEM666 "Green" Award. I was amused.
[Edit:]
Also, from phdcomics:
Aaahhh, yes. You seek my wisdom. You wish to become one of an ancient order of masochists who guard semi-useful research for small wages...
...you wish to be...
...a grad student.*dun dun dunnnnnn*
[Later:]
Very good. Strong you are, much like your brother.
You... you knew my brother?!
Yes. Train him I did. He was a great PhD student... until...
...until he was seduced by the dark side!
But I thought he just got his Master's and started working for a Silicon Valley Company!
Exactly! Money. A social life. A shave. A PhD student needs not these things.
Part of my nature is to question everything. I'm fine with something not having a sufficient explanation, as I have no problems coming to terms with the fact that maybe either no one's thought of the proper explanation, or it isn't even within our current capacity to comprehend. I may be inclined to try to find an answer, I may not--that only depends on how interested I am in the question; it's not a function of not being happy leaving things unexplained. However, I'm never satisfied with an explanation for something that has holes in it, or that I know is not true. Hell, most of my own field is made up of things that I don't believe, yet everyone, including myself, uses them regularly. For example, I'm sure, if you've taken a single chemistry course, you've heard of orbitals--electrons float around in these fancy orbitals that have shapes determined by quantum mechanics, and when orbitals between atoms overlap, you have a bond. Well, that's crap--orbitals don't even exist, and even the model that most people think of is only a good approximation for a single hydrogen atom in a vacuum, because that's all we can reliably solve Schroedinger's wave equation for. That's hardly something that can reliably describe a diatomic molecule, even dihydrogen, and even if it is also in a vacuum. And the model is just that: a model that is merely an approximation of the real thing. All it really says is that an electron with a particular energy has some large statistical probability (but certainly not 100%) of being in the described space at any given time. Anyway, I digress...
So no, I don't believe in anything. I don't really even understand why people feel the need to believe in something. What's wrong with an unanswered question? Unanswered questions are what should be driving us to learn, not driving us to hide under a rock (or book, as the case may be) and pretend that rock is everything that matters.
In other news, I rocked the Synthesis exam (my score: 125/150; average: 95/150), and after looking over the answer key to the Physical Organic exam I took last night, I'm pretty sure I nailed that one as well. The amusing part about the Synthesis exam is that I managed to fit almost the entire exam on one side of one sheet of paper, with only about an inch of the back used. Jn (the professor) complimented my efficient use of paper and awarded me with the CHEM666 "Green" Award. I was amused.
[Edit:]
Also, from phdcomics:
Aaahhh, yes. You seek my wisdom. You wish to become one of an ancient order of masochists who guard semi-useful research for small wages...
...you wish to be...
...a grad student.*dun dun dunnnnnn*
[Later:]
Very good. Strong you are, much like your brother.
You... you knew my brother?!
Yes. Train him I did. He was a great PhD student... until...
...until he was seduced by the dark side!
But I thought he just got his Master's and started working for a Silicon Valley Company!
Exactly! Money. A social life. A shave. A PhD student needs not these things.
VIEW 8 of 8 COMMENTS
My math really isn't all that screwy. 25 psi @ 2000 RPM is 12.5 psi per 1000 RPM. 27 psi @ 3400 RPM is 7.9 psi per 1000 RPM. So in this case, 25 is higher than 27.
[Edited on Apr 14, 2006 7:45AM]
While I like gauges, I'm not a big fan of ones that read C to H, L to H, or D to C. That is why I replaced the stock Chevrolet ones with AutoMeters. I also added a tach, vacuum, oil temp, and a voltmeter. So the only stock gauges in my dash are the speedometer & the gas gauge.