Thread: Name this knob
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Jeff Liebermann Jeff Liebermann is offline
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Default Name this knob

On Sun, 4 Mar 2018 22:16:04 -0000, "Gareth Magennis"
wrote:

OK, I'm no Physisyst, though I quite liked Physics at school and was
reasonably good at it.


Methinks you mean Fizix.

Is it not now considered that time is no longer arbitrary?
i.e. Atomic clocks base a second around the determinable decay of some kind
of (cesium) radioactive particle?
This is not a variable under normal earth conditions.


Nope. Those are "natural units" or units based on the properties of
things found in nature and are therefore not arbitrary. They are used
mostly in Fizix and by quantum mechanics:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_units

The remaining units are arbitrary and based on some base unit that is
usually measurable, until the search for finer resolution brings the
standard bearers into the quagmire of quantum fizix, where their
standards run into problems with Heisenberg's uncertainty principle:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisenberg%27s_uncertainty_principle
where one can only measure what one cannot find, and the observer
effect:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_effect_(physics)
where things move away if you try to measure them. As you might
suspect, measurement standards based on sub-atomic particles, is a
really bad idea.

Such difficulties have not stopped people from inventing their own
units of measures, usually for some devious purpose:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unusual_units_of_measurement
Unfortunately, it doesn't list the unit of measure that I invented and
probably should copyright. Helen of Troy allegedly launched 1000
ships and was known to be the ultimate feminine beauty of her day.
Therefore, I defined the measure of contemporary feminine beauty as
the milliHelen, which would launch one ship. Of course, negative
milliHelens are the measure of feminine ugliness capable of sinking
one ship. So far, the beauty, fashion and entertainment industries
have not expressed any interest in adopting my measurement system.

Another useful unit of measure that I invented is the Subaru Day(tm).
The digital clock in my 2001 Subaru Forester runs about 10 seconds
slow every day, making the length of the average day equal to 24 hrs,
0 mins, and 10 seconds. Rather than repair and calibrate my clock, I
have invented a new unit of measure, which defines the length of my
day to be 10 seconds longer than the traditional 24 hr day. In
keeping with astronomical traditions, the Subaru Day will be
synchronized with the solar day several times per year, usually on the
day I do an oil and filter change.

I hope this helps...

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Jeff Liebermann
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