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Brainchild Puzzle Menu Click here for Puzzle
One Regarding the "black
hole": What do
black holes really look like? Are they black? How would you find out? How
would you describe what is behind your head without turning around? We infer
what a black hole is just as we infer what is behind our heads. Using brains
lets us "see." Why do we need brains to do botany? What's math and
physics got to do with botany? "We scientists use methods that
require being humble in the face of the mysteries of the universe. By being
always doubtful and skeptical of how well we know what we think we know, we
are able to accumulate well documented observations and reasonable principles
that guide our actions in life. This is a paradox, but it works." -- A. Tsinatob (Say,
can you tell if A. Tsinatob is a man or a woman from the name? Or maybe you
can't? Is it a Russian name?) "The accumulation of tested knowledge
about the world is the highest achievement of the human spirit." --R. Rednaz (Do you
believe that? Are you skeptical of what Rednaz says? Are there different
degrees of skepticism? What would you do to decide whether he is right or
not? Or almost right?) "Obstinate authority of opinion, no
matter how obdurate, can be beaten down in the eyes of an audience by
relentless logic and unassailable fact." --Anonymous (Do you
believe what Anonymous said? Rednaz says "Pshaw! That's rhetoric, not
science!" Is Rednaz right? What is science if not "relentless logic
and unassailable fact"? Is science necessarily logical? (What about the
paradox of scientists using both the wave and particle theories of light?)
What kind of facts are unassailable? (Can you think of any?) Such a puzzle! Such a lot to learn, so
little time.... So do some puzzles. There are two kinds of puzzles, (1) those
that depend on puns or hidden word games and (2) those that actually teach or
give practice in science. We try to give you the latter, but not always. |