Pretty good correlation to Enron accounting... John Ferrell 6241 Phillippi Rd Julian NC 27283 Phone: (336)685-9606 Dixie Competition Products NSRCA 479 AMA 4190 W8CCW "My Competition is Not My Enemy" ----- Original Message ----- From: "Russell McMahon" To: Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 5:09 AM Subject: [OT]: Fw: Science > This gem found by Bbob in San Diego > > _______________ > > We hold these postulates to be intuitively obvious, that all physicists > are born equal, to a first approximation, and are > endowed by their creator with certain discrete privileges, among them a > mean rest life, n degrees of freedom, and the following > rights which are invariant under all linear transformations: > > 1. To approximate all problems to ideal cases. > > 2. To use order of magnitude calculations whenever deemed necessary > (i.e. whenever one can get away with it). > > 3. To use the rigorous method of "squinting" for solving problems > more complex than the addition of positive real integers. > > 4. To dismiss all functions which diverge as "nasty" and > "unphysical." > > 5. To invoke the uncertainty principle when confronted by confused > mathematicians, chemists, engineers, psychologists, > dramatists, und andere Schweinehunde. > > 6. When pressed by non-physicists for an explanation of (4) to > mumble in a sneering tone of voice something about > physically naive mathematicians. > > 7. To equate two sides of an equation which are dimensionally > inconsistent, with a suitable comment to the effect of, "Well, > we are interested in the order of magnitude anyway." > > 8. To the extensive use of "bastard notations" where conventional > mathematics will not work. > > 9. To invent fictitious forces to delude the general public. > > 10. To justify shaky reasoning on the basis that it gives the right > answer. > > 11. To cleverly choose convenient initial conditions, using the > principle of general triviality. > > 12. To use plausible arguments in place of proofs, and thenceforth > refer to these arguments as proofs. > > 13. To take on faith any principle which seems right but cannot be > proved. > > -- > http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! > email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body > > -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body