MOTION MOUNTAIN

challenge hints and solutions 359
Vol. II, page 250
Vol. VI, page 102
Challenge 292, page 289: Itisequally correcttoclaimthattheEarthwascreatedahundredago,
andthatourenvironmentandourmemorieswerecreatedinourbraintomakeusbelievethatthe
Earthisolder.Itishardtodisprovesuchnonsense,butitispossible.Seealsothenextchallenge.
Challenge 293, page 289: It is surprisingly hard to disprove such nonsense, if well thought
through. The reason for the particular date (or for any other date) is not obvious. Neither is
obviouswhatismeantbytheterm ‘creation’.
Challenge 295, page 289: No. As many experiments demonstrate, homoeopathy is a set of numerouslies.Forexample,theinternetprovidesfilmsofpeopleswallowing–withoutanyharm–
hundreds of homoeopathic pills at a time that are labelled as ‘extremely dangerous when overdosed’.
By the way, many of the homoeopathy lies have been generated by a single person. As
always,themostsucessfulliesarethosethatallowaselectgroupofpeopletoearnalotofmoney.
Challenge 297, page 289: Thelightbulbstoryseemstobecorrect.Thebulbisveryweak,sothat
thewireisnotevaporating.
Challenge 298, page 290: Theoriginmightbethenumberofpeoplepresentinthelastsupperin
theNewTestament;ortheforgotten13thsignoftheZodiac.Thereisnotruthinthissuperstition.
Infact,everysuperstitionisalie.However,bewareofpeoplewhoarejealousofthosewhodonot
careaboutsuperstitions,andwhoget violentasareaction.
Challenge 299, page 290: Without exception so far, all those who pretend to have been stigmatized
have wounds in the palms of their hands. However, in crucifixion, the nails are driven
through the wrist, because nails driven through the palms cannot carry the weight of a human
body:thepalms would tearopen.
Challenge 300, page 290: The term ‘multiverse’ is both a superstition and a lie. Above of all, it
isnonsense. Itisakintoattemptingtoproduceapluralfortheword ‘everything’.
Challenge 302, page 290: In which frame of reference? How? Beware of anybody making that
statement:heisacrook.
Challenge 307, page 297: Onlyinductionallowsustomakeuseofsimilaritiesandthustodefine
concepts.
Challenge 308, page 299: Thisdependsonthedefinition(oftheconcept)ofdeityused.Pantheismdoesnothavetheissue,forexample.
Challenge 309, page 299: Yes,asweshallfindout.
Challenge 310, page 300: Yes,asobservationimpliesinteraction.
Challenge 311, page 300: Lack of internal contradictions means that a concept is valid as a
thinking tool; as we use our thoughts to describe nature, mathematical existence is a specialized
version of physical existence, as thinking is itself a natural process. Indeed, mathematical
conceptsarealsouseful forthedescriptionoftheworking ofcomputersandthelike.
Anotherwaytomakethepointistostressthatall mathematicalconceptsarebuilt fromsets
and relations, or some suitable generalizations of them. These basic building blocks are taken
from our physical environment. Sometimes the idea is expressed differently; many mathematicians
have acknowledged that certain mathematical concepts, such as natural numbers, are
taken directlyfromexperience.
Challenge 312, page 301: ExamplesareAchilles,Odysseus,MickeyMouse,thegodsofpolytheismandspirits.
Challenge 314, page 302: Torricelli made vacuum inaU-shapedglasstube,using mercury, the
sameliquidmetalusedinthermometers.Canyouimaginehow?Amoredifficultquestion:where
didheget mercury from?
Challenge 315, page 304: Stating that something is infinite can be allowed, if the statement is
falsifiable.Anexampleisthestatement ‘Thereareinfinitelymanymosquitoes.’
Motion Mountain – The Adventure of Physics copyright © Christoph Schiller June 1990–November 2015 free pdf file available at www.motionmountain.net