News:

PD.com: our ability to recall your stupidity makes elephants look like Alzheimer's patients.

Main Menu

any of you braniacs wanna vet this?

Started by East Coast Hustle, November 02, 2008, 01:37:45 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

East Coast Hustle

www.historyoftheuniverse.com

seems like they do a decent job of explaining some fairly complex concepts in semi-laymen's terms.

Being a layman, however, I would like a second opinion.
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"

Kai

Quote from: East Coast Hustle on November 02, 2008, 01:37:45 PM
www.historyoftheuniverse.com

seems like they do a decent job of explaining some fairly complex concepts in semi-laymen's terms.

Being a layman, however, I would like a second opinion.

Some of the explanations are over simplified. For example, the future of humanity article claims that "mammals are more efficient than reptiles". I ask, in what way? The honest fact is that every species is well adapted, at least, to the environment of its ancestors if not its current environment. Efficiency only matters when it interferes with the ability of the organism to produce fertile offspring that reproduce themselves. One aspect of an organism could be completely inefficient in some term but it would not matter to the overall success of that organism.

The site does note the simplification.

The whole thing feels very Sagan-esque. I like it. I would endorse it, it has no obvious bs and seems to be very complete (lots and lots of pages devoted to background explanation). Some good insect explanations in there too. Also, the google search at the top of every page is a nice touch.
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. --Loren Eisley, The Immense Journey

Her Royal Majesty's Chief of Insect Genitalia Dissection
Grand Visser of the Six Legged Class
Chanticleer of the Holometabola Clade Church, Diptera Parish

East Coast Hustle

cool. I haven't gotten past the "weird physics at the start of things" parts yet, but it seemed pretty no-bullshit.
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"

Kai

The number of general online resources like this are remarkable. Unless you are looking for specialized information, you can find out nearly anything you would want to know on the internet.
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. --Loren Eisley, The Immense Journey

Her Royal Majesty's Chief of Insect Genitalia Dissection
Grand Visser of the Six Legged Class
Chanticleer of the Holometabola Clade Church, Diptera Parish