REH said:
> I have questions. Is this duality virus related to the issue of
> wave and particle in Quantum Mechanics?
I don't think so. Duality is the basis of logic. Given any
particular thing, real or abstract, absolutely everything else in the
universe (or in the universe of discourse) becomes a new abstract
thing, the thing that is NOT-this-particular-thing.
It's risky to extrapolate metaphors from quantum theory -- both the
humanists and the physicists rage and sneer. But as a source of
metaphor, the wave/particle ambiguity of QT is suggestive of somthing
very unlike logical duality. QT say that stuff -- both matter and
energy -- is not infinitely divisible but is composed of discrete
bits. But the wave equation says that one of those bits -- an
electron, say -- isn't in any particular place. It's just more
probably here than just over there and waaay more probably here than
in the next galaxy. While it may be said to exist, as a thing it's
very un-thing-like, not a very good referent for a noun. It's a much
better referent for a verb because you can only say that it's in a
particular place when you interact with it -- when you observer it in
some way. So observable thingness only arises as a result of process.
Sorry if this sounds weird -- I'm no mathematician but an introductory
theoretical physical chemistry course was one of my more enlightening
experiences. And it has influenced my artistic efforts to the extent
taht I always think of an art object as an embodiment of mind and
process. Umm...better (or worse, much worse from the perspective of
efficiency and profit) I think of all satisfying work that way.
Probably why I drive the same model of Porsche the Ray does. ;-)
- Mike
--
Michael Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
URL: http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/mspencer/home.html
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