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Dave Bacon is a theoretical ski bum who is also a pseudo 
An old friend from my undergrad days sent me a link to Physics discussion ends in skateboard attack:
A homeless man is on trial in San Mateo County on charges that he smacked a fellow transient in the face with a skateboard as the victim was engaged in a conversation about quantum physics, authorities said today.No word on whether it was Bell's theorem which set off the brawl, or a debate about the validity of string theory.Jason Everett Keller, 40, allegedly accosted another homeless man, Stephan Fava, on the 200 block of Grand Avenue in South San Francisco at about 1:45 p.m. March 30.
At the time, Fava was chatting with an acquaintance, who is also homeless, about "quantum physics and the splitting of atoms," according to prosecutors.
Keller joined in the conversation and, for reasons unknown, got upset, authorities said. He picked up his skateboard and hit Fava in the face with it, splitting his lip, prosecutors said.
Comments
"Hidden variables?! That for your hidden variables, sirrah!"
Posted by: john S. Wilkins | June 24, 2009 7:41 PM
This is San Francisco for you. Replace "quantum physics" with just about anything and the story would be just about as ordinary.
Posted by: Jon | June 25, 2009 12:44 AM
"And *I* say the many-worlds interpretation is ontologically excessive!" <thwack >
Posted by: Andrew White | June 25, 2009 10:29 AM
and he thought the wave-particle duality was a doosey...
Posted by: Aaron | June 25, 2009 10:29 PM
Maybe they were discussing quantum tunneling and wanted to see if a skateboard could tunnel through a head? WKB approximation is probably pretty good. Maybe they forgot the exponential...
Posted by: Dave Bacon | June 25, 2009 10:41 PM
What's that ringing in my ears? Resonance.
Posted by: Jonathan Vos Post | June 26, 2009 1:33 PM