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0 pointsJumpCrisscross2y ago0 comments

It’s pithy, but in the way of word play. Energy, colloquially, means useful energy. The question collides the conventional and technical definitions to create the illusion of profundity.

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lisper2y ago

Pithy != profound. The intent was to get people to think about the fact that the word "energy" means different things in different contexts, and that the thing that actually has value is not energy but the absense of entropy.

JumpCrisscrossOP2y ago

> intent was to get people to think about the fact that the word "energy" means different things

But the question posed is weaker at prompting that than the sequence of questions posed by the video. It's a strange response that doesn't add to the discussion.

lisper2y ago

> But the question posed is weaker at prompting that than the sequence of questions posed by the video.

You really think "what do we get from the sun" is a better prompt? I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree about that.

We get all kinds of things from the sun. Tides. Light. Tans. But there is only one correct answer to why we worry about "energy production" and "energy shortages" when energy is supposedly conserved.

"What do we get from the sun?" has a lot of correct but off-point answers, which makes it IMHO more a prompt for the questioner to exhibit their superior knowledge than a well-designed Socratic question.

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lisper2y ago

JumpCrisscrossOP2y ago

> intent was to get people to think about the fact that the word "energy" means different things

But the question posed is weaker at prompting that than the sequence of questions posed by the video. It's a strange response that doesn't add to the discussion.

lisper2y ago

> But the question posed is weaker at prompting that than the sequence of questions posed by the video.

You really think "what do we get from the sun" is a better prompt? I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree about that.

We get all kinds of things from the sun. Tides. Light. Tans. But there is only one correct answer to why we worry about "energy production" and "energy shortages" when energy is supposedly conserved.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse