/sci/ - Science & Math

http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/adva/6/6/10.1063/1.4953807

How the "meme" drive works.

Yes it works. No it doesn't violate conservation of momentum.

No it's not a miracle. It only gets 1 mN/kg thrust.

>>7508180
I was all out bill nye

>>7506928

what?

>>7505279
Here's a list of subjects beyond calc 3 you should study.

>analysis
>linear algebra & abstract algebra more generally
>topology
>geometry
>probability

I recently found a list of fallacies. one in particular was a fallacy where the conclusion of an argument contradicts the premise. one of the examples that was listed is an old theological argument. it goes like this.

Everything must have a cause other than itself
there cannot be an infinite regress
there must be a first causer (which all call god)
supposedly it's a fallacy because if there was some first causer which required no other causer, then the first premise if false and it is therefore fallacious

my question is thus: consider the origin of species. what is its basis? The theory of natural selection postulates that all organisms share a common ancestor. obviously this could never be empirically solved because if something ceased to exist before you exist then you can't observe it. you can only observe the supposed effects. is the following argument fallacious? could you reach the same conclusion without a possible fallacy?

all organisms have a biological ancestor
there cannot be an infinite regress
there must be some first organism

if there is no way to reword the argument such that isn't fallacious, does the theory of natural selection require faith? that is to say belief without shared proof through experience.
suppose somehow that there is a first organism, is it only contingently true? that is to say, is there a possibility in the theoretical multiverse that there exists a universe where there are no organisms (in the entire span of time) that have no biological ancestors?

help me out here, dispute me, poke holes in my logic. are my doubts warranted or groundless?

my conclusions (so you can know what to dispute) is that the notion that all organisms (on earth) share a common ancestor has the same grounding to be accepted as the belief in god.

>>6329015
life never begins. life is just a state. a fetus begins to grow a brain, a baby develops said brain, a child continues development, brain becomes self aware, depressed and browses 4chan. brain ceased to function after brain decides to destroy itself after watching scat/furry/gurro and its mom finds out.