Losing The Faith

[Mavorpen]

Is QFT a
A]hypothesis,
B}a theory, or
C] a proven fact?

Oh no... here we go.

[CVT Temp]

Is QFT a
A]hypothesis,
B}a theory, or
C] a proven fact?

While I don't accept C, I will accept that the underlined conclusion does not automatically follow.
My Perfectly Round Stone works just as well.

Quantum field theory is the most well-supported, well-tested model ever put forward by humans. It is capable of making calculations that are, in some cases, accurate to 10 decimal places. QFT is as close to a "fact" as anything.

[Mavorpen]

Is QFT a
A]hypothesis,
B}a theory, or
C] a proven fact?

While I don't accept C, I will accept that the underlined conclusion does not automatically follow.
My Perfectly Round Stone works just as well.

Quantum field theory is the most well-supported, well-tested model ever put forward by humans. It is capable of making calculations that are, in some cases, accurate to 10 decimal places. QFT is as close to a "fact" as anything.

Inb4 "not good enough, just a theory."

[The Land Fomerly Known as Ligerplace]

But the question only exists if you believe something can't come from nothing.

As a nihilist, I don't have this problem.

You don't have to be a nihilist. "Something cannot come from nothing" is not a basic principle of physics. It's just an intuition that a lot of people have, but nothing in the basic fundamental laws of modern physics suggests that it's true at all. Furthermore, it's problematic because "something" and "nothing" are very vaguely defined in this proposition, so it's hard to tell whether a given process counts as "something from nothing" or not.

I know, but when you have no faith in reason in the first place, it becomes so much easier to comprehend the universe.

Again, not my primary system of belief, but I love it for some reason.

[CVT Temp]

I know, but when you have no faith in reason in the first place, it becomes so much easier to comprehend the universe.

How does it become easier to understand the universe when you throw out scientific reasoning? If you do, the universe just becomes a series of completely opaque events with no clear connection between any of them.

[Norsklow]

Quantum field theory is the most well-supported, well-tested model ever put forward by humans. It is capable of making calculations that are, in some cases, accurate to 10 decimal places. QFT is as close to a "fact" as anything.

Inb4 "not good enough, just a theory."

No. Notice how I distinguish between hypothesis and theory. The 'herewegoes' start with equating A and B.
A you can dismiss out of hand if you feel like it,
B is good-enough model, pending verification.

[Mavorpen]

No. Notice how I distinguish between hypothesis and theory. The 'herewegoes' start with equating A and B.
A you can dismiss out of hand if you feel like it,
B is good-enough model, pending verification.

Aaaand here we go. We HAVE verified it, otherwise it wouldn't be a theory.

[CVT Temp]

No. Notice how I distinguish between hypothesis and theory. The 'herewegoes' start with equating A and B.
A you can dismiss out of hand if you feel like it,
B is good-enough model, pending verification.

Except it's not "pending." Even its crazier predictions, like vacuum energy, can be seen from the Casimir effect.

[The Land Fomerly Known as Ligerplace]

I know, but when you have no faith in reason in the first place, it becomes so much easier to comprehend the universe.

How does it become easier to understand the universe when you throw out scientific reasoning? If you do, the universe just becomes a series of completely opaque events with no clear connection between any of them.

Think of it less as my religion, and more as my thought experiment.

And yes, that is exactly what it becomes. Without being considered a flaw.

[Norsklow]

No. Notice how I distinguish between hypothesis and theory. The 'herewegoes' start with equating A and B.
A you can dismiss out of hand if you feel like it,
B is good-enough model, pending verification.

Aaaand here we go. We HAVE verified it, otherwise it wouldn't be a theory.

Then I'll just have to state that I don't know enough about it to evaluate it, and remain agnostic ( as opposed to antiQFTistic ) about it.
For me, Casimir is a Polish Prince.

[CVT Temp]

And yes, that is exactly what it becomes. Without being considered a flaw.

Okay, but I don't really see how that counts as "understanding." It seems to be the exact opposite, honestly.

[CVT Temp]

Then I'll just have to state that I don't know enough about it to evaluate it, and remain agnostic ( as opposed to antiQFTistic ) about it.

It's incredibly mathematically sophisticated, so it's not something I could teach or explain in a few minutes. I could answer some basic questions about it, but that's about it. You need an understanding of classical mechanics, classical relativistic field theory, and non-relativistic quantum mechanics to properly appreciate it. If you want to understand it, I suggest becoming a physicist.

[Mavorpen]

Then I'll just have to state that I don't know enough about it to evaluate it, and remain agnostic ( as opposed to antiQFTistic ) about it.

It's incredibly mathematically sophisticated, so it's not something I could teach or explain in a few minutes. I could answer some basic questions about it, but that's about it. You need an understanding of classical mechanics, classical relativistic field theory, and non-relativistic quantum mechanics to properly appreciate it. If you want to understand it, I suggest becoming a physicist.

I wish...

[The walkers]

Hello Nation States. I am a 15 year old african american baptist. I use to be very faithful but recently i have began losing my faith. I ask if anyone can help me by posting some proof that God Almight is Real or Fake. This challange goes out to every religion.Athiest to. Give some proof that your religion is Real or Fake.

I hope to get a lot of infomation.

Something you'll learn as you get older don't base your beliefs off of what others think. This world is constantly in flux new information constantly coming in and old information being thrown out, you can't trust it, live your life, if you want to find God then look for him yourself. I'm not saying this to insult you I am saying this for your own sanity.

[CVT Temp]

I wish...

What do you mean? Did you quit or something?

[Norsklow]

Then I'll just have to state that I don't know enough about it to evaluate it, and remain agnostic ( as opposed to antiQFTistic ) about it.

It's incredibly mathematically sophisticated, so it's not something I could teach or explain in a few minutes. I could answer some basic questions about it, but that's about it. You need an understanding of classical mechanics, classical relativistic field theory, and non-relativistic quantum mechanics to properly appreciate it. If you want to understand it, I suggest becoming a physicist.

I already have a lifetime field of expertise.

I accept perfectly that you cannot teach it to me in a few minutes. When I tried the following book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Relativity-Demy ... 0071455450 I gave up on the second page of equations.

[Mavorpen]

I wish...

What do you mean? Did you quit or something?

Hm? Nah, I'm a biology major, then heading to Graduate school for biophysics.

[The Land Fomerly Known as Ligerplace]

And yes, that is exactly what it becomes. Without being considered a flaw.

Okay, but I don't really see how that counts as "understanding." It seems to be the exact opposite, honestly.

It doesn't count, like I said, thought experiment.

If reason itself, cause and effect, were/are never truly real, what would be the implications?

That intrigues me.

The notion of absolute randomness, literal non-sense, would hold water in my mind if I desired to accept that.

Chaos in Order's guise, that's the thought, all is seemingly a product of order and logic, but is actually pure chance.

[Great Nepal]

This is incorrect: there are radical divergences from the Abrahamic concept of hell in Hinduism and Buddhism under the connotations and principles of dharma, amongst other refutations of this assertion.

Yes, but he said he was a Baptist, so I offered the best statement I could based on that. If Hinduism and Buddhism really don't offer damnation for lack of faith in them, then it would be better. The chances of one of those two being correct out of the thousands of religions are still very slim.

Well, technically speaking Hinduism says that all religions are true are lead to same point... so technically speaking chance of it being right is either slim or hundred percent depending on how you look at it.

[CVT Temp]

It doesn't count, like I said, thought experiment.

If reason itself, cause and effect, were/are never truly real, what would be the implications?

That intrigues me.

The notion of absolute randomness, literal non-sense, would hold water in my mind if I desired to accept that.

Chaos in Order's guise, that's the thought, all is seemingly a product of order and logic, but is actually pure chance.

The thing is that randomness does enter in, but it's randomness that's very well-ordered. If the universe were totally random chaos, we wouldn't exist. Furthermore, if we somehow managed to exist in such a universe, reason could actually be used to show us that everything is actually total chaos.

[The Land Fomerly Known as Ligerplace]

It doesn't count, like I said, thought experiment.

If reason itself, cause and effect, were/are never truly real, what would be the implications?

That intrigues me.

The notion of absolute randomness, literal non-sense, would hold water in my mind if I desired to accept that.

Chaos in Order's guise, that's the thought, all is seemingly a product of order and logic, but is actually pure chance.

The thing is that randomness does enter in, but it's randomness that's very well-ordered. If the universe were totally random chaos, we wouldn't exist. Furthermore, if we somehow managed to exist in such a universe, reason could actually be used to show us that everything is actually total chaos.

If all was truly random, you could still exist. Just because it took a form that you don't see as the usual "random" doesn't mean it isn't in progress.

And reason itself wouldn't count, because like I said, it could be chaos in the guise of order, actual random things happening in a way that could be seen as reactionary, which would be imperceptible if it happened the right way.

The likelihood of billions of years happening perfectly like that isn't worth discussing, but it's a fun thing to think about.

[Norsklow]

The thing is that randomness does enter in, but it's randomness that's very well-ordered. If the universe were totally random chaos, we wouldn't exist. Furthermore, if we somehow managed to exist in such a universe, reason could actually be used to show us that everything is actually total chaos.

If all was truly random, you could still exist. Just because it took a form that you don't see as the usual "random" doesn't mean it isn't in progress.

And reason itself wouldn't count, because like I said, it could be chaos in the guise of order, actual random things happening in a way that could be seen as reactionary, which would be imperceptible if it happened the right way.

The likelihood of billions of years happening perfectly like that isn't worth discussing, but it's a fun thing to think about.

But if it is truly random, how do you manage to exist 2 seconds in a row time after time after time?

[CVT Temp]

If all was truly random, you could still exist. Just because it took a form that you don't see as the usual "random" doesn't mean it isn't in progress.

And reason itself wouldn't count, because like I said, it could be chaos in the guise of order, actual random things happening in a way that could be seen as reactionary, which would be imperceptible if it happened the right way.

The likelihood of billions of years happening perfectly like that isn't worth discussing, but it's a fun thing to think about.

I see what you're saying now. It's much like this.

Lubos Motl has responded to the paradox and explained it away, if you care to search for more info about it.

[The Land Fomerly Known as Ligerplace]

That thought of mine gets even worse when you add the possibility of Order and Chaos, nihilist randomness and determinist systems, being two ends of a continuum of possible systems the universe might be.

More than slightly headache inducing, but fun.

[Grenartia]

Hello Nation States. I am a 15 year old african american baptist. I use to be very faithful but recently i have began losing my faith. I ask if anyone can help me by posting some proof that God Almight is Real or Fake. This challange goes out to every religion.Athiest to. Give some proof that your religion is Real or Fake.

I hope to get a lot of infomation.

Actually, there is no conclusive proof that God exists or doesn't exist. That's the whole point of faith.

Personally, I'm of the belief that there is no one true religion for everybody. There is one true religion (or lack thereof) for any given person, and that religion is whichever one gives them peace with the world. For some, that is some variant of one of the Abrahamic religions. For others, that's one of the Eastern religions. For many, its something else entirely.

As a former Baptist myself, may I ask what exactly you're struggling with? If you don't wish to reveal on this forum, my TG box is always open.