Gravity waves

[xelasnave]

What is your feed back from friends family etc re gravity waves.
I find most people have heard about gravity waves on the news etc but as a generalisation I find the feed back extremely negative. Even though most folk have little understanding of GR and it's predictions etc I personally find most folk saying gravity waves is BS. The common theam is... No one can measure such a small distance..and..it's a con to build scientific stuff... Firstly who would think the average person even listened to that sort of news or formed any opinion.

So may I ask ..if you have mentioned gravity waves to someone..do they know about gravity waves and what is their view...so many folk that I have discussed this with ( very ordinary and you would expect that they would have no idea) come out saying it's a con.
What feed back if any have you received.
Is the anti science brigade really following things so closely.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Perhaps as an exercise...every person you come in contact with try and move the conversation to gravity waves..do they know what you are talking about???? Do they have an opinion???.
What I found remarkable is the number of people who have heard the news, taken it on board and formed (a negative) opinion..can ordinary people be that we'll in formed, smart or dumb ... It seems the drive to promote gravity waves as the next astronomy science has not gone in noticed by the mob...I have even had folk say..India is being conned...so any opinions views etc
Alex

[bojan]

Alex,

how do they KNOW it is a con?

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by bojan

Alex,

how do they KNOW it is a con?

Well you know how it is with folk ..they argue from ignorance and act upon emotion...
All that I see ..standing back..or above it all..is...this.. the gravity wave mob have been blowing their trumpet as we could say and that is reasonable..
.they present their actions and results to the media...a fair bit..and so humans are aware of gravity waves and the general propositionand of their results ...and that news is repetitive so it does reach most people...so it is something many people have been presented with and certainly enough that they form an opinion... all I report is that I get the impression the general opinion is negative... I mean go to the pub or your barber ..start a chat and simply ask ..have you heard about the gravity waves ...as I said ask and see what you get..pretty simple..My feedback is as stated... I am interested to hear what others are getting..what feed back do you get...gravity waves what's that ..or ..gravity waves are a load of crap... simple exercise really.
I never say nothing.. other than ask about gravity waves... so I prompt neither a positive or negative result. Try it..even the girl at check out at the super market
But it's surprises me the general..it's BS commentary.
Alex

[bojan]

I don't want to look elitist.. but I wouldn't even think of going to pub and talk there about gravity waves
However, I discuss about them (and other sci stuff) in the office where I work.. and 90% of people there know about them and do not think they are con...

Probably this is also a wrong place to form a relevant opinion about what general public thinks.

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by bojan

I don't want to look elitist.. but I wouldn't even think of going to pub and talk there about gravity waves
However, I discuss about them (and other sci stuff) in the office where I work.. and 90% of people there know about them and do not think they are con...

Probably this is also a wrong place to form a relevant opinion about what general public thinks.

I like to monitor opinion..not only gravity waves but all sorts of things.. actually I don't go to the pub these days...but my experiences there are it is amazing what you run into..one day at the Drake Pub I finally approached this chap who for some time (weeks) sat there with a white wine...turned out to be an astronomer and scientist..involved in all sorts of things...took a bit to get him to open up but as usual I got him talking. President of a particular astronomy group he said but I respect his privacy but all he told me you would not believe....My point is as stated..so many people think its a con...so why? Is it the way it is presented on the news?
I guess the news is presented the wrong way to have a negative universal responce...I just find it very odd...and wonder if others have found similar... it must be something g in the way it has been reported.
Alex

[astroron (Ron)]

Alex,you must move in different circles than me, as the only people that have
ever asked me about "Gravity Waves" are people who are interested in astronomy,and then that was within just a couple of week after the announcement on TV and the internet an news media by the LIGO team about a year or so ago.
I don't think it is something that can stimulate a conversation in a pub unless it is between astronomers..
Cheers

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by astroron

Alex,you must move in different circles than me, as the only people that have
ever asked me about "Gravity Waves" are people who are interested in astronomy,and then that was within just a couple of week after the announcement on TV and the internet an news media by the LIGO team about a year or so ago.
I don't think it is something that can stimulate a conversation in a pub unless it is between astronomers..
Cheers

I have been thinking about this..first I find my sample is only ten people..second they have spoken to me before on various things.. maybe they try to appear different to impress me..I don't know.
However it is easy to see that the opinions of ten people is irrelevant.
And the more I think about it.. as they know me perhaps they think being contrary is what expect.
Maybe it's my view that money spent on gravity waves is better spent elsewhere..but they don't know that...a mystery.

[bojan]

As a kid in primary school I was often bullied (even in my own home!) because I was interested in science and technology (my thing then were robots etc.).
During math lectures, the teacher was totally incapable to control the kids.. it was impossible to even hear what she was talking about.
High school was very different... it was XV Mathematical Gymnasy in Zagreb, pupils were selected based on marks in primary school and after passing entrance exam..
I was then very active in popularization of science... astronomy in particular (on local public astronomical observatory), and I know everything about how plebs look at those things..
Yes, popularization is a tricky business and the way it is presented is extremely important, and it must be sometimes individually tailored to particular person or group of persons to achieve positive outcome.. However sometimes nothing is needed to spark the interest, and sometimes absolutely nothing helps.
The problem is in general education... without proper tools you can't even prepare your daily meal..
And incapability to understand new concepts very often results in dismissal ("If I can't understand something, it must be a nonsense because I am clever.. right?" Typical pub-talk (in most cases)).

[xelasnave]

Yes I only got bullied the first day at a new school and after showing them who was boss I never had a problem from that day.
I can remember having a chemistry set and one..only one mind you..little experiment was mixing baking soda with vinegar and collecting the gas.. co2...so all you would get from the other kids was comments like..how is your cake making going...Probably I should have punched them in the face but I would just laugh with them as I saw the funny side..I am starting to think the strong anti science brigade is a real problem..certainly in the USA ..I mean my little survey must indicate something...I visit a particular Atheist YouTube channel out of Texas and the call ins there from folk who reject evolution and the big bang is scarey..sure I have problems with the big bang but they arise from thinking not because it is a childhood belief..they get their science from one book only.
And when you look into it there is a strong anti science movement within the various religious groups over there .just unbelievable in this day and age.
You should hear some fools discussing why the Earth is the centre of the universe..decent looking men in suits look ok but crazy.
I hope we do not suffer from that problem in Australia but if it is here it should be addressed.
Education should make science the main subject ..half the day science...it can be taught at different levels but at least make it much more prominent...and I am talking thru my hat because I don't know what they teach in school these days...do they regard science as important or not...
Alex

[Malewithatail (Dick)]

https://www.newstarget.com/2021-07-1...nal-waves.html

[xelasnave]

Hi Peter
I tried your link but it shows many things and as I am about to read something it changes...so I am not sure what you want me to look at...I dont know what is happening but I tried three times and there are still problems...
Alex

[xelasnave]

I tried again..Gravity wave memory..mmm...must be grant time
Alex

[Malewithatail (Dick)]

the link does work, i just checked

[xelasnave]

Yes..I got gravity wave memory and read that..now I am feeling rather negative as it seems entirely speculative given the qualification finding these "memories" are just about impossible it is all just too much. As I said must be grant time.
Alex