One day a physics professor presents the standard physics 101 material on gravity and Newtonian mechanics: g = 9.8 m/s^2, sled on a ramp, pendulum, yada yada.

Later that week, the class has a lab session. Based on the standard physics 101 material, they calculate that a certain pendulum will have a period of approximately 3.6 seconds.

They then run the experiment: they set up the pendulum, draw it back to the appropriate starting position, and release. Result: the stand holding the pendulum tips over, and the whole thing falls on the floor. Stopwatch in hand, they watch the pendulum sit still on the floor, and time how often it returns to the same position. They conclude that the pendulum has a period of approximately 0.0 seconds.

Being avid LessWrong readers, the students reason: “This Newtonian mechanics theory predicted a period of approximately 3.6 seconds. Various factors we ignored [...]

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.