(c) Dr Paul Kinsler. [Acknowledgements & Feedback]
Real-time conversation areas devoted to the latest developments in research, the philosophy of physics, and questions and answers. Now on EFnet, Undernet, and IRCnet!
Discussion on #physics covers a wide variety of physics related topics - ranging from the latest developments in research, the philosophy of physics, asking and answering questions, as well as the usual chat that IRC is renowned for. If you are interested in specific information, then either ask someone on the channel, or try out some of the sites listed on our physics information page. Regulars on the channel hail from many different countries, from Australia, the US, the UK, Europe and Japan.
These are relatively specialist channels, and are not buzzing with activity 24 hours a day. If you join, and there is no one else there, or they dont seem to be answering, try waiting around for a while. Many people join and leave quite quickly if they see nothing happening ... thus missing the person who does the same thing a few minutes later. If you get bored easily, type the command /set novice off, and do not /leave #physics, but just /join #newchannel. Since you will be able to talk on #newchannel, or any others you care to join, you can save yourself from boredom (hopefully), but still be able to notice when the activity on #physics restarts.
In some of the apparently slack times, the wait might only be 5 or ten minutes. Alternatively, the lack of response might be due to lag or even just apathy. Otherwise, you might like to try the (EFnet) channels #science, #math, or #astronomy. Other scientific channels are #biology and #chemistry. If #physics is too crowded, or talking about something you are not very interested in, then try joining (or starting) another physics channel, such as #physics.relativity, or #physics.help, or some other appropriate name. Because there might be other physics channels, you might try the command /list physi* which should list all physics channels that are there at the time.
There are now many different IRC networks, and there are physics channels on three of them. These networks are Undernet, EFnet, EUnet. There are subpages devoted to information specific to the #physics channels on each of Undernet, IRCnet, EFnet, which contain suggestions for good times to join, any network specific news, and other information.
Physics is the most basic of the physical sciences. From chemistry and geology through to biology and cosmology, we understand science in terms of the concepts developed in physics. Not only this, but many of the tools on which the advances of science and technology depend are direct product of physics. The interests and concerns of physicists have always formed the basis of future technology. In medicine we use X-rays, radioisotope and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, lasers, electron microscopes, synchrotron radiation, and electronics all depend on advances made in physics. Where would our modern western economies be without computers? -- we could not build the electronics that modern computers rely on without a knowledge of quantum mechanics.
These are net-friendly web pages, without browser specific commands or pointless graphics and silly gimmicks which waste bandwidth and slow down your access. Feel free to email any suggestions about the format or content of this web page to me at Dr.Paul.Kinsler@physics.org, or just drop into a #physics* channel sometime when I am around.
Paul Kinsler (haberman)
( Finding Information; Info-maze; Graphics etc; Channel logs; Solved problems; Suggested Reading; Researchers on IRC )
Date=20010721 0702 0610 19990125 19980108 Author=P.Kinsler Created=1995
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