Paul Dirac on Dimensionless Numbers

"Electromagnetic Fields and Waves" by Lorrain & Corson (2nd Edition) contains two problems relating Electrodynamics and Cosmology. Problem 4-22 starts with: "In 1959 Lyttelton and Bondi [Proc. Roy. Soc. (London) A, vol. 232, p.313] suggested that the expansion of the Universe could be explained on the basis of Newtonian Mechanics if matter contained a [tiny] net electric charge." A follow-on problem, Problem 10-11, mentions that correction terms to curlB and divE due to the creation of this charge should be on the order of R^-2 where R is on the order of the radius of the Universe, so that the new terms would be negligible at all length scales but cosmological situations. This hypothesis is consistent with the linear velocity-distance observations. Rather thought-provoking questions from an Undergraduate E&M textbook!

Gravity keeps us from collapsing to the forth dimension.

How wonderful to hear Dirac speak while looking at his image.

the grandmaster himself speaks to us!

When was this originally recorded?

I think this might be the longest clip of the man talking I’ve ever seen, thank you!

A person worthy of great respect !

So it wasn't 42. It was either 137 or 10^39

Thanks so much for sharing...it's the first time I have heard his voice even though I've read his words.

Dirac's large number hypothesis was an interesting proposal (and his idea that it not a coincidence is correct). However, today the numerical coincidence has been explained. The requirement that stars are currently burning their fuel imposes a constraint on the ratio of the large numbers and fixes the time of observation (i.e., the age of the universe). Ignoring factors of order unity gives the sort of relationships between Dirac's large numbers that Dirac wanted to explain.

...FYI....Dirac predicted antimatter...the Dirac Equation is engraved in the floor of Westminster Abbey...he made fundamental contributions to Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Electrodynamics....

Dirac, might not been as well known as Einstein but to me he’s made of the same ilk. I guess this is what happens when you don’t have the easiest of personalities, but his mind is just as beautiful.

Thanks!

The Dirac Equation made me get into physics. He is my idol.

Dirac, making 10:01 youtube videos since 1902.

Truly a beautiful Man with the great ideas

Very interesting, I've never heard this before thank you

A fundamental insight at least hundred years ahead of his time.

The first Steam Engine for pumping water out of a mine worked by condensation and contraction of steam to water. You can identify the same mechanism of Cosmology in which the wave-packaging is like a linear-transverse spring matrix such that what appears to be accelerating expansion of Black-body "hot space" is counter balanced by accelerating Black Hole contraction in "Aidiabatic isolation" be-cause-effect in/of "it's always NOW". Students who have excellent memories and acceptance of lessons tend to have an aptitude to recite brilliantly assembled narratives such as those proposed by precision observation that Dirac's Number Theoretical approach has established as conventional knowledge.

The irony is that we no longer think matter is constantly created, but space is.