Let Us Assume a Spherical "Dog"

Let Us Assume a Spherical Dog

In one of the first physics classes that I took in college, a professor introduced the class to the concept of the spherical chicken; "Let us assume a spherical chicken" he said, with the implication that theoretical physicists often reduce problems to simple forms in order to make calculations more feasible. If you bounce a spherical chicken off the wall, you can calculate exactly where it will end up. And no, I'm in no way suggesting to bounce this cutie off the wall. As Voltaire said, a dog is the best friend man can have.

In contrast, the catchphrase "assume a can opener" is used to mock economists, who often tend to oversimplify problems. The story goes, a physicist, a chemist and an economist are stranded on a desert island with cans of food, but no tools. The physicist and the chemist come up with ways to open the can, while the economist just says "assume we have a can opener"! Kenneth E. Boulding, an economist, educator, poet, religious mystic, devoted Quaker, systems scientist and interdisciplinary philosopher, said that: "Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist". However, this should be no joke. Essentially the whole world economy runs on "growth", at the expense of, well, "life".
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