OK. I was rowing my apparently virtual boat merrily down the stream. But apparently that's not interesting enough. :-)
VIRTUAL is just a word. "AS-IF" would be a good synonym. The physicists in question are trying to make sense of a *model* of appearances (how the world appears to them when they look). They can be 100% predictive (in the article now, 98% predictive) and be 100% not talking about what reality is made of. The reason is that they build the phenomenal consciousness of the scientists into all laws whilst creating a set of laws of appearances that entirely and permanently fail to predict phenomenal consicousness. A system I am entirely fed up with and choose mostly to resign myself to (in the sense of I give up arguing about it). Reality can be made of interacting 'somethings', where that 'something' has not even been uttered yet in any physics ever, and the results in the paper would still be as they are because all the scientists are doing is organising appearances. So in terms of the use of the word 'virtual' you seem to want to discuss ... yes, it is 'as-if' the universe were made of <pick your fave from the zoo of particle/antiparticle pairs>. But the universe could _actually_ be made of something completely different and they'll never know because they never let them consider the possibility of separation of "appearance" and "structure"(that creates appearances in humans made of the structure). So .... "According to this article, the best we can do is to VIRTUALLY CONFIRM something. But since reality is VIRTUAL, according to this VIRTUAL CONFIRMATION, is not VIRTUAL CONFIRMATION equivalent, in reality, to CONFIRMATION?" 'Confirmation' (insofar as consistency with a model does that) of virtual particles as a model of appearances cannot be confused with a 'virtual' or 'AS-IF' confirmation. Scientists don't act 'as if' they do science. They actually do it, even if it's only the 'appearances' half of the pair of possible science models). So the above sentence conflates terms, which is why I thought you weren't serious. Getting back in boat, assuming merrily mode. It's as if I am rowing, downstream. :-) cheers, colin hales Kim Jones wrote: > Oh, somebody will stick their head up soon and disagree. Where would > all the fun and games be if some rash, working scientist actually > confirmed something? > > Counting angels on pinheads is a very satisfying intellectual pastime > for some - always was, always will be... > > K > > On 24/11/2008, at 7:18 AM, Tom Caylor wrote: > > >> I posted a comment to this article: >> >> "According to this article, the best we can do is to VIRTUALLY CONFIRM >> something. But since reality is VIRTUAL, according to this VIRTUAL >> CONFIRMATION, is not VIRTUAL CONFIRMATION equivalent, in reality, to >> CONFIRMATION?" >> >> On Nov 22, 6:45 pm, Colin Hales <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>> I knew it.... >>> >>> "Row row row your boat >>> Gently down the stream >>> Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily >>> Life is but a dream." >>> >>> Is actually a law of nature... >>> >>> cheers >>> >>> Colin Hales >>> >>> >>> >>> Kim Jones wrote: >>> >>> >>>> http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16095-its-confirmed-matter-is-m >>>> ... >>>> >>>> What's your definition of "reality"? >>>> >>>> It is whatever it is. >>>> It should be the roots of our knowledge and beliefs. It is what >>>> makes >>>> us bet on the physical realities, on the psychological realities, on >>>> the arithmetical realities and many other related realities, ... >>>> (Bruno >>>> Marchal) >>>> >>>> Email: >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> >>>> Web: >>>> http://web.mac.com/kmjcommp/Plenitude_Music >>>> >>>> Phone: >>>> (612) 9389 4239 or 0431 723 001- Hide quoted text - >>>> >>> - Show quoted text - >>> >>> > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
