Well, hi!

Tell us a little about yourself.

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Astro Cat
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Well, hi!

Post by Astro Cat »

Hello everybody. I'm not great at introductions, so be gentle with me.

I'm an astrophysics grad student (well, I will have my MS after this fall; but I'm bridging directly into PhD), but I've always had an interest in philosophy. Unlike some physicists that seem to talk down on philosophy, I think it's really important to have a good handle on it to perform good science: what's the point of trying to interpret your data if your ontology or epistemology are whack?

I don't have a lot of formal training in philosophy, but I do read philosophical literature when I get the time. I'll also occasionally read what I guess you might call "pop philosophy" (e.g. books on philosophy that you'd get off a bookstore shelf). I think I can keep up with most philosophical discussions as long as I'm able to look up really niche terms as I encounter them, especially those that are peculiar to specific authors that might be under discussion (those are the things I'm least likely to be familiar with already, not having the formal background).

I work nights to support myself (being a TA does not pay well where I am, and the nature of my research allows me to do it from home, so I just work from home), so I would post overnight usually in the US in between doing everything that I'm doing. (I guess if it matters, I started my research career in constraining dark energy with high redshift supernovae during late undergrad/early grad. Currently with more control over my own project, I'm researching the relationship between morphology and quiescence in galaxies between redshifts 0.6 < z < 2.5, i.e. during the best star-formation era into the decline towards nearer redshifts where galaxies are more spheroidal and quenched).

Nice to meet you all!
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Astro Cat
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by Astro Cat »

Does the requirement to be approved by a moderator dissipate after a time limit or a certain number of posts?
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Astro Cat
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by Astro Cat »

Now I can't view the main forum, have I done something wrong?

Edit: That's weird, now I can. Probably some hiccup. Never you mind, seems all is fine except for the admin approval thing! ^_^
Last edited by Astro Cat on Fri Jun 24, 2022 12:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Astro Cat
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by Astro Cat »

Are there active mods on this forum?
RickLewis
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by RickLewis »

Hi Astro, and welcome to the Philosophy Now forum. Yes, there are active moderators, but fewer about than usual for one reason and another. Sorry you had to wait a while for me to approve your first posts.

The system is that to prevent spam, the first posting by each new forum member has to be approved by a mod or an admin before any posts by that member appear. Now that I've done that, you should find any future posts you make appear without any delay.
RickLewis
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by RickLewis »

We need more physicists here. If you have the time, perhaps you'd be kind enough to explain for us outsiders why we should believe in the existence of dark energy and dark matter, rather than thinking that there might be something slightly off with our understanding of gravity?
uwot
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by uwot »

Astro Cat wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 11:48 amAre there active mods on this forum?
Not really. Perhaps they roll over in their sleep, but they rarely interfere here.
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Astro Cat
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by Astro Cat »

RickLewis wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 7:36 pm Hi Astro, and welcome to the Philosophy Now forum. Yes, there are active moderators, but fewer about than usual for one reason and another. Sorry you had to wait a while for me to approve your first posts.

The system is that to prevent spam, the first posting by each new forum member has to be approved by a mod or an admin before any posts by that member appear. Now that I've done that, you should find any future posts you make appear without any delay.
Thanks for the welcome! I know how it goes sometimes.
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Astro Cat
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by Astro Cat »

RickLewis wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:50 pm We need more physicists here. If you have the time, perhaps you'd be kind enough to explain for us outsiders why we should believe in the existence of dark energy and dark matter, rather than thinking that there might be something slightly off with our understanding of gravity?
You are in luck. My current research is on galaxy morphology and quiescence, but before this it was on using high redshift supernovae to constrain dark energy and its equation of state. Both of these things are very much within my purview (dark energy and dark matter). We could start a threat somewhere if you'd like.
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bahman
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by bahman »

Hi and welcome to the forum.
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iambiguous
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by iambiguous »

Dark matter and dark energy are, like QM, embedded in Rummy's Rule:

"There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know."

Only this time it is in regard to the existence of existence itself.

Click on the video here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+gth ... P_b274As15

On the other hand, in a more recent episode, the speculation was that dark matter and dark energy may not even exist at all. Instead, what we conjecture regarding them is really only a manifestation of what we don't fully understand about gravity itself.
Etcetera
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by Etcetera »

My sweet kitty 🐱

I love the way you nerd out on all the things. I am forever learning from you. I appreciate the dive into these matters on forums like this in particular because it allows for more insight than provided through general discussion in real life. Not that it needs to be said, but I appreciate you 💕

Because I am too bashful to introduce myself with a dedicated post, I figured I’d piggy back off you.

For those reading: Ms. Astro Cat is my life partner. While we both have a deep love for philosophy and sciences in general, she is far more well-versed than myself. I have not dedicated nearly as much time or effort to such things. Thus, I am here to learn.

My academic focus has primarily been on health sciences with an emphasis on public health, lifestyle management, and the world of sound. I am an audio engineer and acoustic designer by profession.
promethean75
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by promethean75 »

"For those reading: Ms. Astro Cat is my life partner."

yo i haven't even seen this post all this time.  i feel like I'm glitching or something becuz i always read intro threads and i woulda seen this one.

anyway that's a helluva catch, Etc. you totally scored on that one. *high five*

i need to be honest with you, Etc., becuz our new relationship should be built on honesty before all else. okay here it goes: AC is the kind of girl i would become a lesbian for in a minute and I'm siriusly thinking about becoming one. all i have to do is become a democrat, declare myself to be female (becuz gender is just a social construct), and maintain the sexual preference for women that i already have. bada bing, bada boom. I'm lesbianese.

but before we do this we... us three i mean... we need to talk about it becuz this is a big life change for me.

that aside let us concern ourselves now with matters philosophical, as i observe that you have expressed an interest in philosophy.

Seek and you will find the best example of AC's philosophical dexterity in the 'is/ought' thread. follow this iconoclast's arguments as she contends with (and pwns) one 'Immanuel Can' in a brief debate broadly concerning the euthyphro dilemma and the naturalistic fallacy. 
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FlashDangerpants
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by FlashDangerpants »

promethean75 wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 12:51 am Seek and you will find the best example of AC's philosophical dexterity in the 'is/ought' thread. follow this iconoclast's arguments as she contends with (and pwns) one 'Immanuel Can' in a brief debate broadly concerning the euthyphro dilemma and the naturalistic fallacy. 
That same thread does contain a threat to her position as yet not mentioned. I refer to her overcommitment against doxastic voluntarism. The issue is that she was dismissing that concept in conversation with IC who is in fact quite capable of choosing exactly what to believe.

Obviously mister Can cannot use that information to best her, but he is really just the end of level boss for the tutorial section of this game. You graduate to the game proper when you have put Age on ignore; completed the rat stabbing mission for the inn keeper; and then you must exploit IC the riddle master's pride to put him into a loop where he has to pretend he's already answered your question and it's your fault that you don't know where he did that.
promethean75
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Re: Well, hi!

Post by promethean75 »

"That same thread does contain a threat to her position as yet not mentioned. I refer to her overcommitment against doxastic voluntarism"

i don't doubt that it might tho i musta missed that part which sux becuz i can't even find the part i read and am refering to, anymore. there's like 50 frickin pages in that thread now, flash D.
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