Questions tagged [scope]
For discussions about the site's scope - what questions and topics should and should not be on-topic on the site.
349
questions
1
vote
1
answer
90
views
Advice on appropriateness of question for physics stack
A little while ago I asked a question on the Matter Modeling SE, and it has not received any answers. This question is regarding the way anharmonic force fields are calculated in computational ...
- 17.5k
5
votes
1
answer
317
views
Should questions with obvious answers on the web be closed?
I am referring to those questions whose answers can be found easily by googling the question. For eg: This question.
I feel like such questions show very little research effort and should be closed ...
- 47.3k
3
votes
1
answer
115
views
Why is my question off-topic?
The question doesn't involve the application of any physical principles to the design or manufacture of any real-world product, nor does it involve any consideration for practical utility*, costs, ...
- 45k
4
votes
1
answer
82
views
Mainstream Physics: Unconfirmed Particles
Asking regarding potential questions I might pose soon. While asking a well formulated question about tachyons in special relativity is allowed (as I did last week), I’m wondering how far that goes.
I’...
BuzzMod
- 15.5k
1
vote
3
answers
153
views
Is it valid to ask for a brief translation for a paper in a foreign language?
I have been deterred to ask for a brief translation of an old physics Russian paper in the stack. Is it valid to ask such a question according to the policies of the site? If not, could it be worth to ...
- 2,578
3
votes
2
answers
294
views
Site recommendation - basic question concerning Ohm's law
Taking in to account the majority of posts and comments concerning very basic (not homework) questions here: What can be done about the (current) ongoing flood of homework and very basic questions ...
- 45k
-1
votes
2
answers
141
views
What is the definition of fringe science/was someone like Bruno Augenstein a fringe scientist?
Years ago, I posted a question about using transfinite arithmetic in relation to renormalization, and if memory serves me right, my question was closed for being "fringe." So imagine my ...
BuzzMod
- 15.5k
0
votes
0
answers
73
views
How do we deal with interdisciplinary questions?
As the borders between various disciplines are slowly vanishing with the advent of interdisciplinary areas like Biophysics, Environmental and climate studies, and Complex systems, how do we deal with ...
- 9,618
0
votes
0
answers
138
views
Formally asking for allowing this *specific* list like question about divergent series
So I'm interested in formally asking if this question to collect examples of divergent series in physics can be opened:
There are examples of this that come up in QFT and I found one example closer to ...
QmechanicMod
- 196k
21
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Good list, bad list
The Stack Exchange model does not work well for "big list" questions, and these are banned network-wide for good reason. However, many of the other Stack Exchange sites allow or even ...
- 2,352
12
votes
3
answers
349
views
Some doubts about the coherence between rules and practice
Observing the behavior of many community members about closing votes, I feel more and more doubtful about the coherence between the rules written in the help center and the practice. The last example ...
- 5,773
-3
votes
1
answer
218
views
Asking if a post deleted on MathOverflow could be suitable for the main site Physics Stack Exchange [closed]
I've asked 9 months ago the post below on MathOverflow. The post with identifier 423567 and same title (see below) was closed and deleted, there was an answer from a professor, and several comments ...
2
votes
1
answer
93
views
Are questions about specific mechanical systems off-topic?
I recently posted the following question about a mechanical system described in an exercise:
Acceleration of masses connected by a leaning pole
I am emphatically not looking for someone to check my ...
- 28k
31
votes
3
answers
927
views
Should history of physics questions be on topic?
When we last visited the issue of history questions, the dedicated History of Science and Mathematics Stack Exchange was in its early stages. At that time, we decided against closing questions for ...
- 27
11
votes
2
answers
344
views
Questions about physics teaching pedagogy
Are questions that relate to how physics is being presented in teaching on topic in this site?
4
votes
1
answer
94
views
How should we handle "multidisciplinary" questions with subparts that are appropriate for different SE networks?
This question was closed as "not suitable for" Physics SE. Based on the comments, the voters seemed to think that it belongs to Biology SE instead.
I don't understand this reasoning. ...
QmechanicMod
- 196k
2
votes
0
answers
82
views
Why is "this" question physics, but "that" question is not?
While I think this question
On the definition of positive linear supermaps on Hilbert spaces
may be an interesting mathematical question about Hilbert spaces, why is it not closed for belonging ...
- 2,352
-1
votes
5
answers
351
views
Allowing mathematical and homework questions on this site
I'm about to complete my four-year physics degree and want to write briefly on the topic of this site.
I've spent a lot of time on the physics Stack Exchange site (not on this account) and believe, ...
- 2,352
0
votes
0
answers
93
views
Can we ask for the physics summer internships options on the 'Physics' Stack Exchange site?
I am trying to find summer internships for physics in the USA and as an international student, I am having a tough time finding more options. I was planning to ask this question on the Physics Stack ...
- 2,352
4
votes
2
answers
228
views
Can I explicitly ask for a specific proof that involves a long calculation?
Recently, I was unable to perform a physical calculation correctly, and I could not find any explicit proof of it, not online or in any book, to understand what I was doing wrong.
This calculation ...
- 41.1k
2
votes
1
answer
52
views
Can I ask for an example?
I'd like to ask for an example in which the minimum energy principle is used (thermodynamics). However, I've never seen a question in which examples are required, so I got the doubt that it's not ...
- 2,352
-4
votes
2
answers
123
views
Why don't we allow check-my-work questions?
John Rennie's answer in the meta thread currently has ~3x the upvotes of ACuriousMind's accepted answer. This seems to indicate we should allow check-my-work questions.
Why do we still consider these ...
- 2,352
-3
votes
2
answers
135
views
Questions being responded to negatively
I know that there are some similar questions like this one, but I have a genuine concern. For example, the question A puzzling simple question on thermodynamics or another I had deleted.
Apparently ...
- 296
9
votes
2
answers
346
views
Is sharing recreational physics models allowed?
As someone interested in physics and creating theories for games, I tend to develop realistic physical models that might explain them out of curiosity. However, I do not know if it fits the Physics ...
- 2,352
15
votes
0
answers
195
views
Education tag and questions on physics education
Today, I have seen this question closed as an opinion-based question.
I have read previous (short) discussions about the issue of questions on physics education topics in SE (see also this), but I do ...
- 2,352
-6
votes
5
answers
358
views
Is the purpose of physics.stackexchange to teach or to provide a stage?
I question the purpose of some Internet websites which include the present. As a now returning student of physics, admittedly with slower or less remembered skills, I find that the answers offered ...
QmechanicMod
- 196k
-9
votes
3
answers
106
views
Has it become time to change the homework policy?
I believe at this point the strict homework policy is reducing the ability of the site to grow. The initial idea of banning homework so that people don't use this site as course help has been long ...
- 45k
-2
votes
2
answers
241
views
Where is a statement of the purpose of physics.stackexchange?
Where is a statement of the purpose of physics.stackexchange?
- 131k
7
votes
1
answer
233
views
Is a "how should these experimental results be interpreted?" question admissible?
I can't remember seeing posts about the interpretation of experimental results on SE, so I am not sure whether such a question is SE-legitimate. Concretely, after reading some rather old and largely ...
- 2,578
30
votes
6
answers
9k
views
Should any check-my-work questions be made on topic?
It's long overdue that I make this post revisiting our policy on "check-my-work" questions. These are questions, often (but not necessarily) homework-like, that present a complete mathematical or ...
- 2,352
1
vote
1
answer
151
views
Measurement of mass increase doesn't concern physics. Really?
This question has been closed:
How was mass increase measured?
because:
I’m voting to close this question because it concerns the history of physics – Bob D
and then:
Closed. This question is off-...
QmechanicMod
- 196k
-2
votes
1
answer
50
views
Is this question on-topic? Infinitely fast and strong laser targets the Earth
I would like to ask a purely hypothetical question regarding the following:
What if I had an infinitely strong and fast laser that can cut through anything it passes. If it has a fixed diameter (let's ...
QmechanicMod
- 196k
-7
votes
3
answers
186
views
Are future physics discoveries properly categorized as mainstream or not? [closed]
"Non-mainstream" physics is often equated to fallacies and fringe theories, including on this forum. Mainstream physics is rigorously categorized in specific historical scientific contexts, ...
- 53
11
votes
1
answer
384
views
Why was this entanglement-harvesting question closed as off-topic?
I just noticed that the question
What happens to the vacuum when entanglement is harvested?
was closed as off-topic a couple of months ago, and I don't understand why. The topic is basic quantum ...
BuzzMod
- 15.5k
2
votes
2
answers
190
views
Isn't "video documentaries about physics?" too broad?
This question was recently bumped to the front page: Video documentaries about physics?. It lay dormant for many years, which explains why it wasn't closed under the previous absolutely-not books ...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
73
views
Should we take the terminology an asker might be unfamiliar with into consideration when it comes to expectations for research effort?
The reason I would suggest that an askers knowledge of terminology should be taken into consideration is that if by research effort we mean looking something up on the internet before asking a ...
- 45k
9
votes
4
answers
174
views
Would original posts meant to share knowledge instead of ask questions be on topic on the site?
For a long time the way I tended to see the Schrödinger equation written, some of the notation was like a foreign language to me, and so I couldn't work out how to actually use it to model anything, ...
- 10k
9
votes
1
answer
257
views
Are "check my understanding" questions permitted?
I know that "check my work" questions are off-topic, I understand the reasons behind that, but does this also apply to "check my understanding" questions?
For example:
My ...
- 2,578
10
votes
4
answers
352
views
Why would my question on tachyons be closed as off topic if most other questions on tachyons are still open?
When I type tachyons into the search engine of the site I find a lot of open questions about tachyons but my question about tachyons was closed as off topic
If electrically charged tachyons exist, ...
- 53.6k
5
votes
2
answers
215
views
How is this question about a black hole passing through the solar system non-mainstream?
A question of mine was closed on the grounds of being non-mainstream. Mainstream is defined below:
Mainstream physics is physics which has been accepted by a significant portion of the physics ...
- 4,829
-8
votes
3
answers
441
views
Is EM theory appropriate on Physics.SE?
I'm having trouble posting anything relating to EM theory derived from Maxwell on this site. I'm continually having posts deleted 7 day ban's refusing to accept references particularly my own work, ...
- 304
2
votes
1
answer
51
views
Is a question about whether something is possible on topic?
Is a question that asks whether something is possible within the laws of physics on-topic here?
(Very vague) Example: assuming any level of technology, can you do this within the laws of physics, or ...
- 55.8k
2
votes
1
answer
121
views
Posting and self answering basic derivations
It can be difficult at times to find quality derivations for 'some' of the basic formula used in high school physics, so I thought what if I post and self answer the basic derivations. Does this sound ...
- 2,578
40
votes
12
answers
1k
views
Folks, we need to talk about the surface-area-of-a-chicken question
This question
How do I find the approximate surface area of a chicken?
underwent a severe close/reopen yo-yo cycle. It was closed once by a moderator, then reopened by community members, then re-...
CommunityBot
- 1
8
votes
3
answers
283
views
Why is it so difficult to apply the site policy consistently for opinion-based questions?
I already noticed a certain number of times that some questions have been closed based on the policy for "opinion-based" questions. Reading the rationale for that policy, I find:
Many good ...
CommunityBot
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
84
views
Why has my question about the Einstein field equation been closed? [duplicate]
I would not have wanted to write this. In fact, I am so sorry of the fact that many times some questions are not considered as they are too stupid.
My question Scalar curvature is $0$ for ...
- 2,352
-3
votes
1
answer
99
views
I think that this question is not off-topic
The following question has been closed because it is off-topic:
An approximation for path integral kernels
However, I'm presenting a new idea in that post: Set N=2 in the formula of the path integral ...
- 2,578
5
votes
1
answer
306
views
Textbook questions
There seems to be quite a lot of questions that demand for textbook answers. These are technically not homework questions - i.e., they are not asking for solutions to problems - but grounded in not ...
- 57.4k
7
votes
0
answers
154
views
Soft-question or off-topic question?
Where is the boundary between a soft-question and an off-topic question?
The issue has come up in connection to question Does physics explain why the laws and behaviors observed in biology are as they ...
- 57.4k
0
votes
4
answers
138
views
Should "fun questions" be considered on- or off-topic?
There are a number of questions on this site that start with a fun, sometimes ironic context. Here are some more recent examples
How do I find the approximate surface area of a chicken? (meta ...
- 101k