Freedom of Science

Are mixed proportionalities legal in physics? If you are a physicist with scientific temperament I would like to hear from you.

To me Mass/Radius is a mixed proportionality and it is absurd.

But physicists believe that

F = G (M/r) (m/r)

is a proportionality where G is a proportionality constant.

This famous thing¹ is triply absurd.

1. It is absurd to multiply M with m. It makes no sense to multiply two pieces of matter.

2. Mass divided by distance (M/r) is absurd. You cannot compare mass with distance.

3. F is a placeholder not a quantity. F is a placeholder because it is eliminated in the next step. Physicists write F solely to save Newton’s sacred authority. Therefore, F = G (M/r)(m/r) is not a proportionality since F is a label which cancels.

I understand that the triple absurd in this case does not even move the needle in physics absurdometer since unless the absurd is knee-deep physicists do not consider it physical. What would you expect from the great chain of the absurd!

1. this is not an equation, it is not a proportionality, it is simply a definition but physicists read it both as a proportionality and an equation, among other ways they like to read it. So “thing” is an appropriate definition of F = G Mm /rr. [↩]

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