Did anything of what I said help at all, or just confuse things even further?
I had to read your post a few times, but yeah, it makes sense. I'll probably end up doing some more thought experiments while walking to and from train stations. (Yeah, I do stuff like that all the time.)
We think in "force", not in "energy". I guess we could blame Newton for that, seeing as he formulated his three laws, which dealt with force, not with energy (which may be the more fundamental aspect of the problem), and got everybody used to thinking in these terms rather than in energy. But it's too late to change that now, isn't it?
Sometimes I think of energy - like, the kinetic energy a car has when its moving, and how that energy gets converted into heat when you brake to a stop. Or how hybrid cars can take some of that kinetic energy and recoup it as electricity (which is then stored in a battery) so it can be used again instead of released as waste heat.
Similar things happen with momentum vs. velocity. The more basic concept in the momentum (mass times velocity), that's the part that's conserved, not the velocity. But we're *used* to thinking about velocity, not its product with the mass, and therefore it seems completely counter-intuitive to start looking at the mass that's moving, as well.
Huh. I'm not used to thinking of momentum at all. How does momentum (mass * velocity) relate to kinetic energy (1/2 mass * velocity²)?
Off to google momentum....
tommy, I would love to discuss these matters further with you, but I gotta go now - could you please remind me, when we post on each other's screens again?
Abi and I are going to go get Steak -n- Shake
Damnit. I wish there were Steak n Shake here. Or Sonic. I'll bet there's neither of those in Seattle either, huh? Grr.
I know I don't earn enough now to quit the day job, but it's a "if I quit the day job and had more time for other jobs, how much would I need to do to pay for health insurance & such?" issue
Good luck, Strega! One of the options I had after being laid off was to become a contractor, but the thought was too intimidating and scary, so i didn't pursue it. Go you for having the chutzpah!
(Note to self: you suck at keeping plants alive. No chocolate tree for you!)
Well, plus it apparently wont' make chocolate for you. Useless!
oon-to-be-divorced friend who was going out on her fourth ever post-separation date (opening night at the SF Opera, including red carpet walk, so my babysitting duties included lacing her into her Dark Garden brocade corset
Dude! That's an awesome date!
My sunday paper this morning was missing the comics section. That's just not right.
I really wish I had my own washer and dryer.
How did you know that I am looking at Bugaboo strollers right now?
Psychic powers?
Nilly, I got your card - thank you so much!
I am effing stuck on the couch alone with a busted foot and no internet but this. This sucks!
Oh no! What happened??
I will amuse you with Jessica the Pet Hippo.
I sprained my toe yesterday at the same time my hard drive died.
Damn. What horrible luck.
