Talk:James Jeans

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Untitled[edit]

What about Sir James Jeans' 1943 work, Physics and Philosophy, which is still considered a significant and relevant means of bridging the gap between the two fields. Is it possible to insert anything on this work?

Fair use rationale for Image:JAMES jeans 1933.png[edit]

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BetacommandBot (talk) 23:08, 13 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Jeans criterion[edit]

many physics textbooks refer to Jeans criterion, as do many webpages. Should not this somehow be incorporated into this article in some fashion? Elmsgrover (talk) 20:43, 8 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It's mentioned in the article as Jeans instability. Praemonitus (talk) 23:56, 29 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Clerihew[edit]

Clerihew Bentley, who wrote comic verse about famous people of his time, wrote this one for Jeans: "Sir James Jeans/ says exactly what he means./ He is being perfectly serious/ when he talks of the universe being mysterious". 2601:C2:201:4612:D54E:E641:9AE8:6ECC (talk) 01:33, 19 May 2019 (UTC)

Idealism[edit]

Three editors (Miskaton, 2PeterElls, and 174.3.155.181) supported retaining the sections that had been removed. They acknowledged that although the sections need work, the article is better off with the content. Two editors (Pincrete and DrkBlueXG) recommended discussion before opening an RfC. DrkBlueXG recommended improving the sourcing of the "Idealism" section.
Cunard (talk) 00:08, 1 August 2016 (UTC)

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

I think that this edit, while it removed sections that certainly needed work, has done more harm than good. I would strongly suggest that the material be put back as it is fairly important to understanding the man's lasting impact. -Miskaton (talk) 22:27, 3 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with Miskaton and have therefore reinstated the Idealism section. It would be good to have a proper reference for the Observer quotation. Also, in the final paragraph, I'm not sure if JJ is expressing his own views, or speculative views, or is just commenting on someone else's views. After all, according to the article he is an agnostic. Peter Ells (talk) 22:01, 25 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

@2PeterElls, Miskaton, and Solomon7968: hey guys, i noticed that User:Solomon7968 tried removing the idealism section, and didn't see any obvious discussion before removal. given that this removal has been attempted before, don't you guys think it's best we sort out the issues to prevent any further miscommunication? 174.3.155.181 (talk) 18:57, 19 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks IP for pinging me to this discussion. And others, edit summaries are there for a reason, learn to use them as most editors don't check talk pages before editing an article. Solomon 7968 20:28, 19 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Comment An RfC is meant to ask a specific question AFTER discussion on talk has failed to get an answer. Suggest you close, discuss, then do another RfC with a clear question if needed. Pincrete (talk) 22:50, 23 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that this is not a proper request since no discussion has been made about it. But from looking at it, the Idealism section is not properly sourced; and the way it is worded, it is coming from three different sources. So that would be a suggestion to fix. DrkBlueXG (talk) 15:14, 26 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Quotations under Sources[edit]

Two sources are followed by quotations, one from Jeans himself (about the world being mathematical), one from Teilhard about Jeans (and the phenomenon of Life). This feels strange to me. If these are interesting, the matter should be treated in the main text. If the amazement (?) (or not) of Jeans about Life is not worth mentioning, it should not be introduced indirectly in a quotation from a source, especially with a quotation alluding to opinions that are not given. --Dominique Meeùs (talk) 15:21, 26 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Idealism: Part 2[edit]

After several years (the better part of a decade it seems) I returned to find this section still mostly a dumping ground for raw quotes. I took the initiative to address these issues by reducing the number of bare quotes to one and otherwise adding in context and citations as needed. The section now proceeds in a chronological order and takes its overall sense of the progression of Jeans's views from a Physics Today review of The Mysterious Universe from 2020. I hope this edit is taken in the constructive spirit in which it was intended, but if anyone sees problems or mistakes, obviously do feel free to comment or pitch in. -Miskaton (talk) 20:47, 20 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Agnostic Freemason[edit]

I've not read Milne or Khan, but https://enlightenedcrowd.org/james-jeans-and-religion-a-universe-in-the-mind-of-god/ does not seem to support this, or perhaps agnosticism was but one stage in his life. Either way, it seems that a fair article would reference more of his philosophy or theology than "Agnostic Freemason." Mar5604 (talk) 13:47, 12 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]