More to the point, the product of the two cycles gives a much greater period than what their predators can track - in effect implementing the linear congruential pseudo random number generation algorithm.
Evolution is very smart! Cheers On Tue, Dec 24, 2013 at 12:43:01PM -0600, Jason Resch wrote: > There is also a 13 year cicada. Is it a coincidence they cycle > their mass appearances on large prime numbers? > > It is thought that this strategy prevents predators from tuning > their population cycles to those of the cicadas. > > Jason > > On Dec 24, 2013, at 12:19 PM, "Edgar L. Owen" <edgaro...@att.net> wrote: > > >Cowboy, > > > >The fact that cicadas tend to emerge at 17 year intervals has > >nothing at all to do with the fact that 17 is a prime number. It's > >simply counting. If I find 17 cents in my pocket that's just > >counting - nothing at all to do with primes or prime theory. > > > >That should be obvious... > > > >Edgar > > > > > > > >On Tuesday, December 24, 2013 7:48:24 AM UTC-5, Edgar L. Owen wrote: > >All, > > > >Both Roger and Bruno took issue with my definition of reality to > >include theories about reality. But the proper definition of > >reality is that reality includes everything that exists and > >theories of reality most certainly exist. Roger and Bruno seem to > >be coming from the old dualistic definition of reality in which > >some things (generally the 'physical' world) are real and some > >things aren't real (generally thoughts e.g. about the physical > >world). > > > >While this dualistic definition of reality may be useful in daily > >life it fails on the philosophical level. In truth the entirety of > >reality is computational and both 'physical' events and mental are > >both part of that same single computational nexus. Roger gives the > >example of hitting a table with his fist as something that is real > >as opposed to a theory about reality which isn't but in fact the > >reality of the experience of both is electrical signals > >(information computations) in the brain. They are both > >computations in the brain. > > > >The proper definition is that everything that exists is real and > >therefore part of reality. Everything that exists is a > >computationally evolving information state in reality and that is > >why it is real, however its reality is exactly what it actually > >is, what its computational forms actually are, and this is true > >for everything including both what our minds interpret as > >'physical' events and 'mental'. If you must make that distinction > >then of course everything without exception in our thoughts and > >experience is mental, but the deeper truth is that its all > >computationally evolving information however it's interpreted by > >our minds. > > > >Thus the only philosophically consistent definition of reality > >includes everything that exists without exception, including > >thoughts and theories. > > > >But there is a deeper truth here in that reality itself exists > >independently of its particular contents as a thing in itself. In > >fact prior to the big bang it was empty of any actualized > >information at all, but it still existed in a state similar to a > >generalized quantum vacuum. > > > >This reality itself is what makes the computations that occur > >within it real and actual and have being, it is what gives them > >life. It is what I call 'Ontological Energy' which is simply the > >(non-physical) space of reality whose presence manifests as the > >present moment in which we and everything exists. All the > >computationally evolving information that exists exists like > >waves, ripples and currents in the sea of existence itself, in the > >ocean of ontological energy, the logical space or locus of reality > >and actuality. > > > >Reality is a single ocean of ontological energy and everything > >that exists exists as a computationally evolving information form > >within it. There is nothing outside of it because there is no > >outside. Therefore there is no possibility of anything being 'not > >real' or not part of reality. There is only the different > >categories of reality of different information forms within > >reality. > > > >Edgar > > > > > > > >-- > >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 everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > >To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. > >Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. > >For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > -- > 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 everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) Principal, High Performance Coders Visiting Professor of Mathematics hpco...@hpcoders.com.au University of New South Wales http://www.hpcoders.com.au ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. 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