I'm going to take another class in archeology, which means I am probably taking a class with an instructor who learned basic logic watching reruns of Sherlock Holmes movies.
Sherlock Holmes rarely used deduction. Holmes used abduction based on induction.
Lets take a common scene. Super detective notices a man with some specific details, for Holmes in the 1890s this could mean what appears to be drips of wax on his coat cuff, shaggy, uncut hair, a hat that appears to need brushing. Notice "appears". We can't make absolute statements based on simple observation. What looks like wax probably is wax, but, might be something else. Holmes "deduces" that the man is unmarried because no self respecting wife would allow her husband to leave the house in such a state.
First, this is induction because it moves from the specific to the general.
Second, this is abduction because the conclusion uses an unproved hypothesis as the basis for the conclusion. There is no evidence that wives actually care about their husbands or that caring for a husband means grooming them or that men are incapable of grooming themselves.
Because fiction refers to this process of "abduction" as "deduction" most people can't tell a fact from bullshit.
Anthropology and Sociology are primarily deductive meaning, typically, the study moves from the general to the specific. We want to understand a community so we study the community and then we study individuals within the community.
Deduction always results in a fact. Induction always results in a probability. Abduction is speculation, which is why we generally don't discuss abduction in science, except in the context of fiction like the super detectives on television.
This is not to say that an Anthropological or Sociological study will always result in a fact, just that anthropology and sociology can develop facts.
Archeology is necessarily inductive. Archeology examines something specific, an artifact, and induces probabilities about that object based on studies of community.
Archeology also uses a lot of abduction or speculation based on probabilities theories.
Reading books by Dillehay, Meltzer and Adovasio and their focus on how their abductive inferences are "true" is a hilarious ride through egotistical and logical stupidity.
Not looking forward to trying to deal with this stupid bullshit. They call themselves archaeostars! Adovasio does anyway.
Fortunately, there has been some common sense and logic injected into the process and the application of archaeological theory is called "archaeological inference", meaning that the application of archaeological theory to specific artifacts creates inferences, not facts.
This is different from the application of scientific analysis of artifacts which produces probabilities, like age and specifics like composition or DNA analysis.
These facts about an artifact are collected. Archaeological theory is applied and abductive inferences about the artifact are developed. Supposedly archaeologists know that these are not facts, they are inferences, but, reading the egotistical arguments in Dillehay, Meltzer and Adovasio tells me that these people actually believe their inferences should be accepted as "fact" or "truth" or "reality".
It makes me want to puke.
But, at least there is a semi reasonable process we can call kind of scientific. Not that I expect any archaeologist I meet to actually understand the difference between reality and speculation.
Thus, metacognition or knowing the difference between knowing what we know, what we believe and the difference between knowing and believing.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Einstein is full of shit
The problem with infinity is that most people cannot comprehend the concept. For example, there is the infinite set of integers and the infinite set of real numbers between each and every integer.
So the infinite set contains an infinite set of infinite sets. A lot of people would consider this fairly useless mental masturbation, however, understanding the difference between infinity and practical limits is wicked critical.
For example, mathematically if we start at zero and calculate the distance between point A and point B as "D" and attempt to use division, as in B=(B-A)/2, to define the steps necessary to reach B we enter the infinite set between the finite set of (A,B) because we are using that infinite set as a function, or a portion, of the finite set.
In reality though what we have done is confused units from the finite to the infinite.
It is like the old joke about the engineer and the mathematician, the math guy can't talk to a pretty girl because he moves towards her in a proportional function of the finite distance which results in a curve that can never achieve intersection.
The engineer uses an interval function which results in a straight line that intersects.
The engineer meets the girl while the mathematician becomes stuck in an infinite loop.
So the question is, when accelerating do we move based on the addition of energy or do we move based on the multiplication of a proportional velocity or mass?
In fact, since energy is mass, as we expend energy to achieve velocity we reduce mass because we are working, from a practical application, with the addition of energy and the subtraction of mass rather than the multiplication of proportional velocities and proportional masses which can only result in an infinite mathematical loop.
And that is why Einstein is full of shit.
So the infinite set contains an infinite set of infinite sets. A lot of people would consider this fairly useless mental masturbation, however, understanding the difference between infinity and practical limits is wicked critical.
For example, mathematically if we start at zero and calculate the distance between point A and point B as "D" and attempt to use division, as in B=(B-A)/2, to define the steps necessary to reach B we enter the infinite set between the finite set of (A,B) because we are using that infinite set as a function, or a portion, of the finite set.
In reality though what we have done is confused units from the finite to the infinite.
It is like the old joke about the engineer and the mathematician, the math guy can't talk to a pretty girl because he moves towards her in a proportional function of the finite distance which results in a curve that can never achieve intersection.
The engineer uses an interval function which results in a straight line that intersects.
The engineer meets the girl while the mathematician becomes stuck in an infinite loop.
So the question is, when accelerating do we move based on the addition of energy or do we move based on the multiplication of a proportional velocity or mass?
In fact, since energy is mass, as we expend energy to achieve velocity we reduce mass because we are working, from a practical application, with the addition of energy and the subtraction of mass rather than the multiplication of proportional velocities and proportional masses which can only result in an infinite mathematical loop.
And that is why Einstein is full of shit.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Christ is a Fat, depressed, drunk?
If Christ came back as a fat, depressed drunk carrying a sidearm would you flock to him?
Matt 11:19 describes Christ as a Glutton. If I described an emaciated man as a glutton people would think me crazy. The idols, or icons, we make generally depict an emaciated man, but, if Christ had been emaciated describing him as a glutton would have destroyed the credibility of those describing Christ. Scripture describes Christ as being a glutton, overweight, fat.
Luke 7:34 describes Christ as a winebibber. Someone who drinks too much wine. A drunk. This is not as easy to prove as a being overweight, but, it doesn't matter. Christ is perceived as, and described as, a drunk by people.
Isaiah 53:3 tells us that Christ is a man of sorrows, rejected and despised. Depressed in the current language.
Luke 22:36 describes Christ as telling his disciples to sell their clothes and buy swords, the popular sidearm of the era. We know one of the swords belonged to Peter, John 18:10. Who carried the other sword? Was a Christ a “do as I say, not as I do” kind of guy or was Christ a “do as I do” kind of guy? If Christ is a “do as I do” we can assume he carried that second sword. We know he attacked people in the temple with a scourge, similar to what he was whipped with. John 2:15
Scripture describes Christ, arguably, as a fat, depressed drunk carrying and using a weapon.
In our culture, and many others, this description is derogatory and truthfully the reason Christ was crucified, despised and rejected because people perceived of him as being a “bad person”.
I figure history repeats so when Christ comes back he will be perceived of as a bad person by most people, just as he was two thousand years ago.
I'm ready for that because God opened my eyes. I look around and I see many people who have their own idea, just as the Jewish people did, of a conquering hero rather than a fat depressed drunk. I know God does things God's way and is not really interested in submitting to the will of people.
I don't depend on my understanding of how Christ is going to be when Christ comes back. I'm going to depend on recognizing Christ's voice, however people describe Christ.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Firearm liability and black markets
Some idiots are trying to sue the group that manufactured the rifle used in the Sandyhook elementary school shooting. Bushmaster is owned by Cerberus Capital through a subsidiary called "Freedom Group".
This is a frivolous lawsuit. The suit itself cannot be won, it is intended as an intimidation device to be used to extort money from a firearms manufacturer.
The problem is that these kinds of situations increase black market activity.
It is not illegal to use the justice system in the United States to cost corporations money by suing them. It is a misuse of the justice system, a perversion, a way of causing damages legally.
Lawsuits are expensive to address and there are many, many different tricks that some lawyers use to cause damages to other legally.
This creates anger and sometimes a desire to obtain revenge. Since the misuse of the system was designed to stop a manufacturer from making something, some of those people who have been unemployed, or consumers who enjoyed the products produced by the organization, as a result of the immoral and unjust acts of extortion can obtain revenge by manufacturing the products in hiding.
This has been true of alcohol, recreational drugs like ecstasy or meth, revolutionary pamphlets and weapons.
When people engage in excessive punitive activities, as determined by those being punished, consumers, employees, supporters, those being "punished" often rebel. Make no mistake, "fans" identify with the object of their attention and feel "hurt" when what or who ever they are fans of is "punished", especially unfairly. Sometimes with hidden, impotent actions like spitting in food. Sometimes by blowing up federal office buildings. Often doing something inbetween these extremes.
These actions may very well cause Bushmaster to go out of business, but, the unfair way that the legal system is being misused will cause animosity.
This is incredibly stupid and it will backfire. Most people are like me, they will just go build their own. Some people are not, some people are wacked and some people are going to do wacked things because they are angry about inequity.
This is a frivolous lawsuit. The suit itself cannot be won, it is intended as an intimidation device to be used to extort money from a firearms manufacturer.
The problem is that these kinds of situations increase black market activity.
It is not illegal to use the justice system in the United States to cost corporations money by suing them. It is a misuse of the justice system, a perversion, a way of causing damages legally.
Lawsuits are expensive to address and there are many, many different tricks that some lawyers use to cause damages to other legally.
This creates anger and sometimes a desire to obtain revenge. Since the misuse of the system was designed to stop a manufacturer from making something, some of those people who have been unemployed, or consumers who enjoyed the products produced by the organization, as a result of the immoral and unjust acts of extortion can obtain revenge by manufacturing the products in hiding.
This has been true of alcohol, recreational drugs like ecstasy or meth, revolutionary pamphlets and weapons.
When people engage in excessive punitive activities, as determined by those being punished, consumers, employees, supporters, those being "punished" often rebel. Make no mistake, "fans" identify with the object of their attention and feel "hurt" when what or who ever they are fans of is "punished", especially unfairly. Sometimes with hidden, impotent actions like spitting in food. Sometimes by blowing up federal office buildings. Often doing something inbetween these extremes.
These actions may very well cause Bushmaster to go out of business, but, the unfair way that the legal system is being misused will cause animosity.
This is incredibly stupid and it will backfire. Most people are like me, they will just go build their own. Some people are not, some people are wacked and some people are going to do wacked things because they are angry about inequity.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Electromagnetic firing pin
What happens if we use an electromagnetic tubular push solenoid as a firing pin?
No, I'm not going to explain specific forces required. I am not exactly sure what I used or of the legality of this exactly or the liability if some idiot tries this at home.
It is a home made gun and that much is legal. I used a 24 inch long pipe so the barrel would be legal. The gun couldn't be carried since it required a car battery and I dissembled it years ago. I built it from junk I had in the garage one night about twenty five years ago, just something to do. I showed a couple of friends, but, it was fricking LOUD! and reasonably useless, so just an experiment. Motorcycle backfire can be a excellent excuse for loud noises. Just make sure your neighbors know that you work on cars or motorcycles so they aren't surprised at loud bangs.
There is discussion about this on the web and there are a lot if idiots suggesting that anyone who tries this should be nominated for the Darwin awards. People have done this. I've done this. No trouble, just be smart about it, or you could blow yourself up, so, don't do this at home.
The force required to activate a primer is a funny thing, it is actually pressure, not really force. Pressure is force distributed over an area. We call it force, 21psi of force, 15 newtons of force, etc, but, really, pressure is force distributed over area.
Most firing pins, centerfire, are rounded at the end. If you look at solenoids you might discover that they have different ratings based on the diameter of the rod the solenoid is moving. A "1000" gram solenoid becomes "2000" grams when the diameter of the rod is smaller. 454 grams are roughly a pound of force. A 2000 gram solenoid is roughly, 4 pounds.
If you get a double head nail, double head nails are the "McGyver" home gunsmithing "easy peasy" firing pins, cut the head off and round it or just round the point of a normal nail. Put it in an electric drill, have someone hold the drill and file the point round. That makes a fair firing pin for any zip gun
By reducing the area of the force, you have increased the mechanical advantage. Truthfully, a 2000 gram solenoid will probably punch right through some primers once it is attached to a firing pin.
Now, depending on what someone is firing the rest of the rig is important. Shotgun shells are not really high pressure, smooth bore, all that. Still, they need something strong enough to absorb the recoil. 3/4 inch black pipe with a pipe cap will do, but, make sure the rounded point reaches the primer. I've filled the pipe cap with different things. I like rubber hose washers, make sure the cap threads on securely and the pipe washer pushes the shotgun shell firmly into the barrel.
If you attach the nail to the solenoid it will move in and out of the hole drilled in the pipe cap. Use a fired shell to set the distance from the pipe to the solenoid. I used U clamps for pipe into a 2x4 for the pipe. The solenoid was square. I had to notch the 2x4 for it and I used a simple C clamp to hold the solenoid in place.
I C clamped the thing to my work bench and I used shotgun shells I had pulled the shot from. Getting the alignment and the stroke right was the hardest part. I only fired it a couple of times and it did work.
I also considered drilling a couple of holes in the primers on fired shot gun shells and using nicrome wire or Estes rocket igniters to set off the reloaded shot gun shell, but, I never did do that.
Doing stuff is fun, building stuff is fun. Messing with guns can be dangerous, so if you ever do any home gun smithing or reloading remember that it's dangerous and be careful. Shove a hunk of 1 1/4 pipe over the 3/4 pipe if you are worried about the breech pressure. Some epoxy will keep it in place.
Now, some idiot is going to claim I "encouraged" some other idiot to do something stupid. I'm not encouraging anyone to do this, I'm just explaining how I did it and how it can be done. So, don't try this at home.
No, I'm not going to explain specific forces required. I am not exactly sure what I used or of the legality of this exactly or the liability if some idiot tries this at home.
It is a home made gun and that much is legal. I used a 24 inch long pipe so the barrel would be legal. The gun couldn't be carried since it required a car battery and I dissembled it years ago. I built it from junk I had in the garage one night about twenty five years ago, just something to do. I showed a couple of friends, but, it was fricking LOUD! and reasonably useless, so just an experiment. Motorcycle backfire can be a excellent excuse for loud noises. Just make sure your neighbors know that you work on cars or motorcycles so they aren't surprised at loud bangs.
There is discussion about this on the web and there are a lot if idiots suggesting that anyone who tries this should be nominated for the Darwin awards. People have done this. I've done this. No trouble, just be smart about it, or you could blow yourself up, so, don't do this at home.
The force required to activate a primer is a funny thing, it is actually pressure, not really force. Pressure is force distributed over an area. We call it force, 21psi of force, 15 newtons of force, etc, but, really, pressure is force distributed over area.
Most firing pins, centerfire, are rounded at the end. If you look at solenoids you might discover that they have different ratings based on the diameter of the rod the solenoid is moving. A "1000" gram solenoid becomes "2000" grams when the diameter of the rod is smaller. 454 grams are roughly a pound of force. A 2000 gram solenoid is roughly, 4 pounds.
If you get a double head nail, double head nails are the "McGyver" home gunsmithing "easy peasy" firing pins, cut the head off and round it or just round the point of a normal nail. Put it in an electric drill, have someone hold the drill and file the point round. That makes a fair firing pin for any zip gun
By reducing the area of the force, you have increased the mechanical advantage. Truthfully, a 2000 gram solenoid will probably punch right through some primers once it is attached to a firing pin.
Now, depending on what someone is firing the rest of the rig is important. Shotgun shells are not really high pressure, smooth bore, all that. Still, they need something strong enough to absorb the recoil. 3/4 inch black pipe with a pipe cap will do, but, make sure the rounded point reaches the primer. I've filled the pipe cap with different things. I like rubber hose washers, make sure the cap threads on securely and the pipe washer pushes the shotgun shell firmly into the barrel.
If you attach the nail to the solenoid it will move in and out of the hole drilled in the pipe cap. Use a fired shell to set the distance from the pipe to the solenoid. I used U clamps for pipe into a 2x4 for the pipe. The solenoid was square. I had to notch the 2x4 for it and I used a simple C clamp to hold the solenoid in place.
I C clamped the thing to my work bench and I used shotgun shells I had pulled the shot from. Getting the alignment and the stroke right was the hardest part. I only fired it a couple of times and it did work.
I also considered drilling a couple of holes in the primers on fired shot gun shells and using nicrome wire or Estes rocket igniters to set off the reloaded shot gun shell, but, I never did do that.
Doing stuff is fun, building stuff is fun. Messing with guns can be dangerous, so if you ever do any home gun smithing or reloading remember that it's dangerous and be careful. Shove a hunk of 1 1/4 pipe over the 3/4 pipe if you are worried about the breech pressure. Some epoxy will keep it in place.
Now, some idiot is going to claim I "encouraged" some other idiot to do something stupid. I'm not encouraging anyone to do this, I'm just explaining how I did it and how it can be done. So, don't try this at home.
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