Near the end of this amusing article, In Physics, Telling Cranks from Experts Ain’t Easy, John Horgan raises an interesting point about theories of physics: Great scientists are great because they discern patterns in the flux of nature that elude us ordinary mortals; we should not be surprised when some patterns turn out to be … [Read more…]
Einstein, Feynman, and perhaps other major scientists have made the claim that “philosophers of science” have contributed nothing that’s useful to scientists. While not sure exactly what the contexts of their comments really were, I’d generally say in response, “Yes, and why would anyone expect anything different?” I would think philosophers of science move in … [Read more…]
In order to move on in my work, I’m studying advanced physics and mathematics, concentrating for now on general relativity — broadly speaking since I have to take various diversions to refresh my old knowledge or to acquire new knowledge in basic physics and matrix algebra and differential geometry and so forth. One of the … [Read more…]
The wavefunction is the vehicle of our understanding of the quantum world. Judged by the robust standards of classical physics it may seem a rather wraith-like entity. But it is certainly the object of quantum mechanical discourse and, for all the peculiarity of its collapse, its subtle essence may be the form that reality has … [Read more…]
A silly question in a way, but also a serious one. In fact, it’s a question forced upon us by the importance of cosmological physics as popularized by the so-called Big Bang model of cosmological physics. Live in the Big Bang world, die in the Big Bang world. Even be resurrected in a world part … [Read more…]
Henri Bergson provides an interesting discussion where he tells us: Why, in other words, is not everything given at once, as on the film of a cinematograph? The more I consider this point, the more it seems to me that, if the future is bound to succeed the present instead of given alongside of it, … [Read more…]
I have read a lot of vague arguments that claim to shoot down scientistic attacks upon Christianity. I have read a smaller number of very good arguments of that sort. From a certain viewpoint, those arguments — good or vague — are beside the point. We can divide human knowledge in various basic ways, and … [Read more…]
The claim in the title of this entry is currently a vague idea, one based on a recent reading of Time and Free Will and a currently ongoing reading of Creative Evolution — I’m about halfway through. A little intellectual history: Etienne Gilson studied under Henri Bergson. At some point, perhaps after finishing his studies … [Read more…]
[Adaptive Thinking: Rationality in the Real World, Gerd Gigerenzer, Oxford University Press, 2000] In the introduction to Part IV, Professor Gigerenzer tells us: The “discovery” of cognitive illusions was not the first assault on human rationality. Sigmund Freud’s attack is probably the best known: According to him, the unconscious wishes and desires of the human … [Read more…]
I’ll start by asking two seemingly strange questions: Should we expect Heaven, the world of the resurrected, to be a magical world as in pagan myths of other worlds? Should we expect to spend time without end gallivanting around with all sorts of strange winged creatures and looking down into the Abyss of Hell — … [Read more…]