[Jlab-seminars] Physics Seminar: Sanjoy Mahajan; Never Calculate Until You Know the Answer: Street-fighting Tools for Fun and Insight

[Stephanie Tysor]

*Physics Seminar*

*Sanjoy Mahajan*

**

*Olin College of Engineering*

*Massachusetts Institute of Technology*

/Never Calculate Until You Know the Answer: Street-fighting Tools for 
Fun and Insight///

//

*Abstract:*

John Wheeler once advised us, "Never make a calculation before you know
the answer." But isn't it like telling us to find a word's spelling by
looking it up in the dictionary? Without the spelling, how do we find
the word? Without a calculation, how can we know the answer?

I'll show you how we can, by using street-fighting methods to foster
insight. Insight, rather than precision or long calculation, is the seed
of discovery and progress. It tells us where to look for new experiments
and theories, and even where to make long calculations.

These street-fighting methods include dimensional analysis, scaling,
lumping, and spring models. We'll apply them to birthdays, factorials,
fluids, flight, beams, and musical instruments -- areas where exact
equations range from unpleasant to unsolvable -- enjoying "ahas" as we
tame the complexity of the world.

*Wednesday, February 24, 2016*

*3:00pm*

*CEBAF Center Conference Room F113*

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