If we say that everything based on models, the question is then what physical laws are. For example, if quantum mechanics is just a model, then its interpretation, for example MWI, in my view, does not make too much sense.
Evgenii On 28.04.2012 03:00 meekerdb said the following: ... > Something like the latter. When you ask for an explanation of something, > you need to have in mind some terms that would satisfy that request. > They need to be something you understand better than the thing to be > explained. They need to provide you with manipulative or at least > predictive power. Otherwise they are just inventing names for things > (like Craig's 'senses'). Once you have that, you feel you have an > explanation. What you refer to as an 'intractable distinction' is no > more intractable than the question asked of Newton as to how gravity > pushed on the planets. When you study physics and engineering you learn > pretty quickly that questions about 'How does it do that' bottom out. At > some level, now QFT or GR, it just does. Everybody who isn't a physicist > or engineer, thinks, "Oh those physicists and engineers have got it > figured out." No, they don't. They've got good working models. So what I > mean is that in the end that's the best you can do - have a good working > model. And when we have a good working model of consciousness, we'll > have bypassed the 'hard problem'. > > Brent > The sciences do not try to explain, they hardly even try to interpret, > they mainly make models. By a model is meant a mathematical construct > which, with the addition of certain verbal interpretations, describes > observed phenomena. The justification of such a mathematical construct > is solely and precisely that it is expected to work. > --—John von Neumann > -- 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.
