StringJunky

Goodbye democracy. Hello Islamic rule. I think what we are seeing now is a concerted consolidation of Erdogan's power. But, at the end of the day, that way is being chosen by the majority it seems.

I was considering no other influences. A linear path between them was assumed. I just thought of them as two test masses in flat spacetime, or otherwise, zero gravity.. Thanks.

In the absence of personal experience in both scenarios I can't really comment other than: imagine your scenario with an engine room fire sitting on hundreds of tonnes of high explosive armaments and the ship is being attacked by incoming missiles and general enemy fire - just a bit more stressful don't you think? In war, one is killing and being killed. I don't really wish to diminish the dangers of some in your area of work for some but there is a different level of stress going on in a military situation.

Blast! I was just about to link my "String's Pulled-Out-Of-My-Arse-and Evidence-Free Lectures On Things you Didn't Want to Know But I Think You Should" channel.

Don't bad apples exist in every walk of life? The thrust of what I said I learned from a high commanding officer of the army many years ago in some TV program; that's what all the repetitive drills are about as well: breaking a person to act automatically to orders. Think of a chain of command: if a person only executes part of a command each time, the errors accumulate detrimentally by the time it's passed all the way down and around; a parallel would be like the result from a game of Chinese Whispers. It's about starting with precision and hoping to end with the desired, predicted outcome.

I think, also, that the idea is to reduce the personal barriers within the group because these guys are going to possibly die together and they need to trust each other absolutely and act precisely and instantly according to given instructions in the field of battle to increase the chances of getting the job done and getting them back in one piece. An efficient troop needs to act as one and. therefore, any individuality must be stamped out, hence, the practice of showing everybody's weaknesses to each other; it's all about getting the guys to piss in the same pot and work together as a team. There is no 'I' in team. There is good method in the apparent humiliation. The more a commander can get his soldiers to act as a responsive, cohesive machine the better fighting capability they have. You don't want people spittiing their dummy out with each other in the midst of potential death. I think it makes them more self-contained and unflappable in the face extreme adversity; when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

The less data one has, the more freedom one has to wave ones hands and tap-dance. I shall respond to your other post later.

I see a theocratic state on the horizon a la Iran.

Right OK. Thanks Markus. From Wiki:

Thanks. In my scenario I'm assuming the two objects initially start from a stationary position relative to each other. Is your answer still the same?

Assumption: The acceleration of objects in freefall in Earth’s field is 9.8m/s/s in a vacuum with grams, kilos or tonnes difference between them the rate is measured the same. Would the rate of an Earth-sized object within the gravitational field of this Earth ‘fall’ towards it at the same rate - or towards each other - to give a 9.8m/s/s figure or is there a difference at this larger scale because with much smaller objects the differences in mass are measurably negligible relative to the mass of the Earth , for computing purposes, and are thus considered to have the same rate of freefall? I put this in Relativity but a Newtonian explanation will do if it's easier.

Limescale coloured with some suspended microscopic particles, probably, to give the slightly browner colour.

Apart from those that are insane in some due to physiological brain problems, such an individual, clearly, cannot be held responsible for their actions, there is no viable alternative but to hold sane people accountable for their actions which may result in them being killed or incarcerated for until they die; the latter being a potential living death as Gilga-Flesh pointed out. What you ask for broadly goes against nature.... with the exception of Bonobos who are ultimate hippies in making love not war. Your desire is very Buddhist; laudable but improbable. People can't see 'the wood for the guns trees'.

With garnish

Yes, fear of death is great business and the more gun deaths there are the more guns are needed; the gun manufacturers must be so happy they can hardly count the money. Their motto must be : Long Live Death!

Oh, Second Amendment, how they love Thee.

Shooting policemen are the new schoolchildren... it must get a bit boring dreaming about shooting the same old targets.

A theory is not such until it has widespread consensus that it's predictions match observation. At best, you have a hypothesis.

Indeed.

Perhaps because it's the elephant in the room in relevant discussions. Self-denial doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

The irony of the situation is that, under Erdogan, the Turkish population are democratically choosing to become less democratic. Edogan wants an autocratic grip like Vladimir Putin, it seems.

I'm sure they are now; I was jesting really.

But are they doing a Lance Armstrong?

I bet his mechanic was up all night re-truing wheels... with a hammer.