On Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 12:06 AM, meekerdb <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 12/16/2013 10:02 PM, Jason Resch wrote: > > > > > On Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 11:56 PM, Stephen Paul King < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Yes, but why are you being anthropocentric? >> > > I thought that was your position, or at least (observer-centric), in > that numbers only have properties when observed/checked/computed by some > entity somewhere. > > >> If there can exist a physical process that is a bisimulation of the >> computation of the test for primeness, then the primeness is true. >> Otherwise, we are merely guessing, at best. >> > > When we check the primaility of some number N, we may not know whether > or not it is prime. However, eventually we run the computation and find > out either it was, or it wasn't. > > My question to you is when was it determined that N was or was not > prime? Any time we re-check the calculation we get the same result. > Presumably even causally isolated observers will also get the same result. > If humans get wiped out and cuttlefish take over the world and build > computers, and they check to see if N, is prime is it possible for them to > get a different result? > > My contention is that it is not possible to get a different result, that > N was always prime, or it was always not prime, and it would be prime (or > not prime) even if we lacked the means or inclination to check it. > > > That's fine. But it's a leap to go from the truth value of 17 is prime, > to 17 exists. That's what I mean by mathematicians assuming that > "satisfying a predicate" = "exists". > > All you need are truth values. If it is true that the recursive function containing an emulation of the wave function of the Hubble volume contains a self-aware process known as Brent which believes he has read an e-mail from Jason, then it is true that the aforementioned Brent believes he has read an e-mail from Jason. We don't need to add some additional "exists" property on top of it, it adds nothing. Jason -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
