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/sci/ - Science & Math

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6964161 No.6964161 [Reply] [Original]

Hey /sci/, my 9 year old brother (3rd grade) has recently gotten very interested in "space". I thought, at first, that he had just heard about the solar system in school and was somewhat interested. Three days ago I started asking him questions about what he was learning about the solar system. Contrary to my expectation of a simple description of the solar system, he began telling me all about the size of the planets in relation to the size of the sun. This isn't particularly surprising in itself, however, he subsequently asked me "how does gravity make the planets stay in their orbits?" I asked him what he meant by that and he clarified by saying "the sun keeps everything going in a circle, but why is it heavy enough to do that?" Keep in mind this is a 9yr old asking. A day or so later I showed him "Particle Fever" (documentary about the LHC and CERN). He sat, literally, learning forward towards the screen the entire time and when it was over he said "the Higgs can't be the smallest because something has to make it." What the fuck do I do /sci/? The kid is understanding particle physics (at least in concept, even though he doesn't know the hard math behind it) and fucking loves it. He is adamant that there are "more than one universe because the universe number they were talking about (Cosmological Constant) has to be decided by another number."

TL;DR: my 9 y/o brother understands the concept of particle physics, wat do?

Also please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes, I'm a little drunk.

>pic only semi-related

>> No.6964175

Show him the Cosmos and tell him to work hard in his math and science classes.

>> No.6964178

>>6964175
Did this, he's in a great school so that he shouldn't have an issue with being "too smart for his classes"

>> No.6964183

>>6964161

Tell him to become an atheist, as religion would spoil his mind with fairy tales :^)

All successful physicists have been atheist

>> No.6964188

>>6964183
I talked with him about that, actually. I asked where he thought god played in and he said that if god was real then he was bigger than all the universes. I dunno man, troll question so take it as you will.

>> No.6964202

>>6964161
Are you retarded?

He's thinking very simple thoughts.

>> No.6964319

>>6964202
>He's thinking very simple thoughts.
I've always questioned things like that (Space, science,life, etc) as a kid and i think if most kids heard about this kind of stuff and got interested then they might ask the same questions.

>> No.6964502

>>6964183
bullshit, the opposite is more true than your ignorant statement.
>>6964161
Keep feeding him info big bro, he's not super special or anything i used to be the same around that age but if he's interested you need to maintain that interest. He's too young to find out for himself so you need to step up bro.

>> No.6964518

>>6964161
An introductory quantum physics book (1st or 2nd year undergrad) would suffice. Tell him to read it and not worry about working out the problems. If you have taken first year physics and chemistry then you should be able to explain to him most questions he will ask.

>> No.6964525

>>6964161
Laugh and tell him that nobody quite knows why gravity works.
Explain the concept of centripetal and/or centrifugal acceleration

>> No.6965219

>>6964161
Keep that fucker entertained with popsci and give him 'science-puzzles' to solve.

When he knows more maths show him proofs of things he can understand.

Learn him how to program so he can gain hypotheses easier.

>> No.6965267

>>6964183
Newton
Bose
Einstein
Feynman

Quit being such a pretentious prick...

>> No.6965277

>>6965267

What are you doing dude?

Q: Do you call yourself an agnostic or an atheist?
Feynman: An atheist. Agnostic for me would be trying to weasel out and sound a little nicer than I am about this.
Q: But I thought a scientist couldn't call himself an atheist, because that's like saying "There is no God," and you can't prove a negative.
Feyman: I don't have to prove it. I only say: "Look, I don't know that there is a God; I just don't think there is one."
Q: That makes you an agnostic.
Feynman: No, no, no, no, no.
Q: According to the dictionary (Webster's New World): an agnostic is "a person who thinks it is impossible to know whether there is a God or a future life, or anything beyond material phenomena."
Feynman: That's too refined. There's always an edge. What I mean is this: the probability that the theory of God, the ordinary theory, is right, to my mind is extremely low. That's all. That's the way I look at it.

>> No.6965302

>>6965277
According to that retarded interviewer every person, religious or not, is agnostic.
captcha: tylub

>> No.6965796

>>6964188
But seriously, don't let him become a "know it all" redditor.

>> No.6965802

>>6964525
>Implying OP knows.

>> No.6965804
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6965804

>>6965267
>Einstein
>Feynman

>> No.6966268

>>6965267
Einstein was not a religious person even though he has made references to a god on a few occasions... Though he does have some spiritual beliefs.... and cmon feynman...

>> No.6966376

>>6965302
Not gnostic theists.

>> No.6966387

>>6964161
that's really cool, I would love a little brother. I think little people can be very susceptible to the expectations they perceive. So if you think he's a genius, chances are he will act like it. For example, he probably does not understand the concepts of particle physics, because one cannot understand these without the math (so I've been told). It's still cool he is interested and seems to have a hang for it, so encourage him and give him math problems.

>> No.6966400
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6966400

>>6964161
>"The Higgs cant be the smallest thing"

>"There is more than one universe because MUHH Cosmological Constant"

>The kid is understanding particle physics


No. He obviously does not.

>> No.6966406

>>6966400
the kid probably does not know jack about this

but lets look at it this way OP
we can approach the situation 2 ways

1) discourage him => no fucking results at all
2) encourage him and laud him for his efforts, even though they might be substandard => nurture a strong curiosity and love for space that might someday birth the perseverance and belief necessary to lead mankind to the last frontier

the best thing you can do is cheer him on

>> No.6966412

>>6964518
>3rd grader
>introductory quantum book for 1st/2nd year undergrads
The kid wouldn't even comprehend the meaning of the words that are used and would struggle with the sentence structure. A hard popsci book or anything similar would be good, maybe a 4th/5th grade mathematics or science book as well.

>> No.6966420

Kids a fucking tard

>> No.6966424

>>6966268
>spent the latter half of his life trying to develop a theory of everything that does not rely on quantum mechanics because "god does not play dice"
>an atheist

>> No.6966447

when I was a kid I was sure a parallel universe existed where everything is the same. the only time those two universes would meet is when I'd think about myself in that universe, because the other me would be doing the same. no concept is too complicated to a kid, if explained right.

>> No.6966503

Is he saying that the universes are different from variation in the cosmological constant? He needs to read the many worlds interpretation. And get him a totem.

>> No.6966507

>>6964202
he's craving for attention

>> No.6966527

>>6966424
"Like Spinoza, Einstein was a strict determinist who believed that human behavior was completely determined by causal laws. For that reason, he refused the chance aspect of quantum theory, rejecting the concept of a god playing dice with the universe."

>> No.6966541

>>6966424
Yeah, he was an atheist. When physicist use the term "god" they are doing so poetically dumb-ass.

>> No.6966555

The kid is nine years old, you retards. For someone his age to at least fathom the idea of such concepts is beyond even those of the average adult. Also he has to learn the hard math, so you can introduce him to the maths.

>> No.6966577

>>6966555
recently came from otherside hence hasnt fully forgotten what we are trying to learn.

>> No.6968690

>>6964161
>"the Higgs can't be the smallest because something has to make it."
>"more than one universe because the universe number they were talking about (Cosmological Constant) has to be decided by another number."

Ask him what he supposes makes those?

Turtles all the way down?

He's probably just asking questions to look smart . Just encourage him to study. If someone truly has that great an interest then by the standard school route they'll find themselves in a university studying it eventually.