

Medieval bishop's theory resembles modern concept of multiple universes - mjudge260
http://phys.org/news/2014-04-medieval-bishop-theory-resembles-modern.html

======
gjm11
Taken directly (with permission, but it's still basically blogspam like
everything on phys.org) from [http://theconversation.com/medieval-bishops-
theory-resembles...](http://theconversation.com/medieval-bishops-theory-
resembles-modern-concept-of-multiple-universes-25460).

This, although it looks like it ought to be blogspam :-), does appear to be
the original location of that article, which was written by people actually
involved in the research.

The recent paper they reference ("A medieval multiverse?: Mathematical
modelling of the 13th century universe of Robert Grosseteste") is at
[http://rspa.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/470/2167/2014...](http://rspa.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/470/2167/20140025.full)
but isn't openly accessible. But at
[http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.0769](http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.0769) you can find
pretty much exactly the same paper.

~~~
14113
There's also more information at [http://ordered-
universe.com/](http://ordered-universe.com/) \- the original site for the
project.

------
frozenport
Nope. Unless this guy shows me a density matrix, the only resemblance are the
most lofty of conclusions.

~~~
14113
Yes - but drawn by the physics department at the best university in Europe for
astronomy.

------
tokenadult
Yes, I have read the submission kindly made here. Alas, it is an even worse
example than usual of Phys.org press release spam. (Here it appears to be
blogspam, from another source, not professionally edited, and not directly
linked.)

Ladies and gentlemen, the idea that a medieval bishop could have come up with
a theory that will be useful guidance for physicists now working on multiverse
theory is an extraordinary claim, and it requires extraordinary evidence (not
provided in this submission) to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, this link from
Phys.org, like most links from Phys.org I have ever seen either here on Hacker
News or among my Facebook friends, reminds me of why several participants here
on Hacker News over the years have suggested declining to make submissions
directly from Phys.org, but rather always to look for a more professionally
edited source.

Comments about PhysOrg:

[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3077869](http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3077869)

"Yes Physorg definitely has some of the worst articles on the internet."

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3149824](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3149824)

"I viscerally distrust anything from physorg.com. Anyone have a better
option?"

[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3198249](http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3198249)

"Straight from the European Space Agency, cutting out the physorg blogspam:

[http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1116/](http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1116/)
(press release),

[http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/heic1116a/](http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/heic1116a/)
(video),

[http://www.spacetelescope.org/static/archives/releases/scien...](http://www.spacetelescope.org/static/archives/releases/science_papers/heic1116.pdf)
(paper).

"PhysOrg: just say no."

[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3611888](http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3611888)

"The physorg article summary is wrong, I think."

[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4108857](http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4108857)

"Phys.org is vacuous and often flat wrong."

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4890900](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4890900)

"And note that the gravity lamp was announced on physorg.com, famous for how
wrong it is about science topics."

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5106145](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5106145)

"I try and debunk/explain [shady] biological science news wherever possible
here. In fact, it's typically my only contribution, but one I feel is highly
important.

"Your perpetual (and totally correct) crusade against PhysOrg reminds me there
are others doing the same, and for that I thank you."

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5276327](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5276327)

"Physorg? Ugh.

"Didn't even bother click, came here to read comments instead.

"Can HN please ban Physorg like everyone else?"

Comments about both PhysOrg and ScienceDaily:

[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3689185](http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3689185)

"Why hasn't sciencedaily.com or physorg been banned from HN yet?"

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3867348](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3867348)

"A useful rule of thumb is that whenever you see anything on sciencedaily.com
or physorg.com, unless it's absolute nonsense there's another more direct (and
often more informative) source you should link to instead."

[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3875529](http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3875529)

"Original source:

[http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hinode/news/pole-
asymmetry...](http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hinode/news/pole-
asymmetry.html)

"What ScienceDaily has added to this: (1) They've removed one of the figures.
(2) They've removed links to the Hinode and SOHO websites. (3) They've added
lots of largely irrelevant links of their own, all of course to their own
site(s).

"Please, everyone: stop linking to ScienceDaily and PhysOrg."

[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3867361](http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3867361)

"Those sources don't have RSS feeds, and ScienceDaily and PhysOrg have a bad
habit of not linking to such things."

[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4083766](http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4083766)

"Added value in PhysOrg article: zero.

"Please, everyone, stop submitting links from PhysOrg and ScienceDaily. I have
never ever ever seen anything on those sites that isn't either (1) bullshit or
(2) a recycled press release with zero (or often negative) added value.
(Sometimes it's both at once.) It only takes ten seconds' googling to find the
original source."

~~~
frozenport
Yes, we need to make a block list.

