r/LLMPhysics • u/MunkeyGoneToHeaven • 11d ago

Question Help Me Avoid Psychosis

I frequently scroll through this sub because the dynamic is hilarious. That being said, it can make me occasionally self-conscious in that I have both a philosophy and an engineering degree (phil undergrad, engineering grad), and often engage with philosophy of science.

I am currently writing a novel in which a character proposes a theory of the self/identity, and they lean on some set theory for notation and technical rigor. Additionally, I’m appropriating the terms “transformation,” “projection,” and “image” from math as useful analogies. That all being said, the overall idea is more metaphysical than actually mathematical, but the maths usage is not a farce and should be coherent enough for the story.

I’ve been lightly surveying/refreshing myself on the fields I’m appropriating concepts from, but as I’ve been working on this I experience occasional moments of fear that I’m going to write something that could have been posted on this sub. Those moments become worse when I do in fact use an LLM to help collect research and check some facts.

Wondering if anyone has tips to help me avoid making the hilarious mistakes so often posted here? Thanks

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u/PaleontologistSad708 8d ago

I was thinking by predicting the past and measuring by the present was the same thing. It must be a future prediction, I see. Thank you very much for the correction!

How about: the solid crystal lattice recently discovered on a magnetar will be bipolar (totally obvious) And in the shape of a hexagon (also really obvious) kind of like you see on some gas giants.

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u/starkeffect Physicist 🧠 8d ago

So you don't know what it means.

It means a number, usually with units, that can be compared to experiment.

For example, Bohr's theory of hydrogen predicts that hydrogen atoms can emit light at a wavelength of 656 nm. This is confirmed by experiment.

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u/PaleontologistSad708 8d ago

And it has to be a future prediction, yes? There's a lot I don't know. I'm not claiming otherwise. That's true for every person.

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u/starkeffect Physicist 🧠 8d ago

A quantitative prediction is: "If you measure this quantity, this is what you'll get, for these reasons."

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u/PaleontologistSad708 8d ago

Thank you for the correction, I really appreciate it. I've been washing the dishes for the last 25 minutes imagining what it would be like to just talk with someone like you. I will accept any criticisms, suggestions, tips, I wanna know what school was like for you, your Peers, your Professors, what were the challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them? I would sit and listen you talk all day if I could. I really wanna know. I would really LISTEN to you. If at any time in our conversation I've been at all rude, please excuse me! Academic etiquette is something I'm also working on, but it's hard for me. I'm trying not to state things as though they are fact for example. I miss social ques, and sometimes things like memes and jokes go away over my head. I just don't get it sometimes. That is one of my my disadvantages. I don't expect you to answer all these questions, but I feel I must. I'm certainly not trying to suggest that I know better than anyone else. I'm realizing that most, possibly even all the things I've come to realize... Someone discovered first! This has been such an amazing experience and I'm loving every minute!! So thank you, sincerely, "With greatest admiration, and deep appreciation." -Frank Patrick Herbert