You are very welcome Ian. He apparently made many contributions in many fields and mathematics, among other accomplishments he stated Wilson's theorem. The latter provides yet another method, for producing the prime numbers, which is as inefficient (particularly in J) as it is straightforward,
}.@:I.@(0 = (| !&.<:))@:x:@:i. 72 NB. Which are prime numbers between 0 y 71? 2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19 23 29 31 37 41 43 47 53 59 61 67 71 On Thu, Jun 20, 2019 at 9:54 PM Ian Clark <[email protected]> wrote: > Jose – thank you for introducing me to Alhazen. > Significantly predates René Descartes, whom I recall being taught was the > originator of the Method of Systematic Doubt. > Quite clearly the priority belongs to Alhazen. > > I wrote: > > Like the reason why the human eye couldn't have arisen by blind chance. > > That was a serendipitous blunder. Pun not intended, and not even noticed, > until Raul pointed it out. > > Yes, the Devil's Dictionary is a work of splendid absurdity, and that > particular entry a topic for dangerous meditation… > Perhaps we'd had gills – and lost them? > Perhaps we were supposed to evolve them all by ourselves? > After all, the Elohim only gave themselves a day to create us (…albeit they > wasted the following day). > Come to think of it, nobody ever explained to me where the Garden Of Eden > actually was – or where it disappeared to after the Fall. > :-D > > > On Fri, 21 Jun 2019 at 00:35, Jose Mario Quintana < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > " > > Science is only ever 'settled' in the sense of "it looks stable for now". > > " > > > > The following is a translation of what was reportedly written around > 1,000 > > years ago: > > > > *The duty of the man who investigates the writings of scientists, if > > learning the truth is his goal, is to make himself an enemy of all that > he > > reads, and attack it from every side. He should also suspect himself as > he > > performs his critical examination of it, so that he may avoid falling > into > > either prejudice or leniency.* > > > > > > *— Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham)* > > > > More recently, the following is attributed to Karl Popper: > > > > *No number of sightings of white swans can prove the theory that all > swans > > are white. The sighting of just one black one may disprove it.* > > > > " > > My vision of TABULA is as a tool to show students what's possible. Not to > > chisel out idols to bow down to. > > " > > > > Amen ;) > > > > " > > Like the reason why the human eye couldn't have arisen by blind chance. > > " > > > > For some reason that reminded me of the following entry in the *Devil's > > Dictionary*: > > > > *Ocean, n. A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for > > man—who has no gills.* > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Jun 20, 2019 at 12:41 PM Ian Clark <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > (…"the science is settled"). > > > > > > Science is only ever "settled" in the sense of "it looks stable for > now". > > > > > > My vision of TABULA is as a tool to show students what's possible. Not > to > > > chisel out idols to bow down to. > > > > > > And I mean it primarily for students. What I recall of school was > > enduring > > > impatience with debates on matters where we knew the answer was known. > We > > > wanted to be told what was so and what wasn't. And when it wasn't, we > > > wanted to be given one reason why not, to hurl back at critics. Battle > > > cries, not debates. > > > > > > But some of the "reasons" we were given don't stand up to simple > > modelling. > > > Like the reason why the human eye couldn't have arisen by blind chance. > > Or > > > that natural selection can give rise to sterile worker ants (Darwin > > spent a > > > lot of time on these topics: > > > http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22764/22764-h/22764-h.htm#page171 ). > > > > > > Maybe that's just the cultural bubble I was brought up in? I hope > that's > > > the case, and it's a bubble long burst. But I see little evidence of it > > > with my children, and now grandchildren. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
