I have always feared those lapsing regularly into dead languages are concealing tempting parts that contain teeth. I'm inclined Pat, to think the 26 dimensions were somewhat ready-to-hand due to the influence of Hilbert - they sort of 'tensored-out'. If there is something like god and it is rather decent, I have to wonder why we are left with so much to find out. I'm not inclined towards teaching children about pain by sticking their hands in fire. I incline to think life did not begin on Earth and that our being here might be part of some plan, information about which we couldn't bring on our travels, but that some 'design' components could be sent with us (that there is a strange teleological development aspect that is to come, but immanent in evolution).
I have a view of 'Broken Britain' (or any society) that isn't about 'lust for great Empire' and other myths of 'greatness'. The promise of a genuinely democratic society has been broken, and my science fits substantially in that view. Science has tended to be used by people who don't understand it and democracy has been manipulated as a form of human resource management. I believe we are distracted from working out how we might live in peace and why we should want to. I remember Craig saying something about how boring this might be, but when I wonder about the great interests I have in England beating Australia at cricket (god intervening with Flintoff's run out of Ponting) and Warrington beating Huddersfield tomorrow, I have to wonder just how little excitement is on offer. Star Trek versions of peaceful societies tend to be very boring. Pat's speculations are, of course, entertaining and rather erudite. I tend towards the need to find a form of dialogue in which we can expose as obvious what we are doing wrong and what we would have to accept for radical transformation. I see this as 'scientific' - but essentially knowledge of esoteric science would not be needed - better understandings of evidence would be. Honesty is key, yet can't be that form of accepting word without evidence - the 'face' issues. On 28 Aug, 03:45, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > ROFLMAO!! > > On Aug 27, 3:47 pm, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > That's why I practice diphallia terata. Helps to have a spare. > > > On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 4:45 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I'll triple the ante with "vagina dentata"! > > > > On Aug 27, 11:02 am, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I'll up the ante and say "Venus flytrap"! > > > > > On 27 Aug., 15:42, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > good one > > > > > > On Aug 27, 9:08 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > In one of my ant stories they invent nuclear weapons - this causes > > > > > > much ethical concern in the colony, until someone steps on them. > > > > > > > On 27 Aug, 13:56, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Another trick is to change to ant perspective. The primitive > > > sucking > > > > > > > is done by the aphids, whereas they, the ants, in their clearest > > > and > > > > > > > cleanest form of conciousness of the Oneness of all, are able to > > > > > > > do > > > > > > > the milking. > > > > > > > > On 27 Aug., 14:22, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I suspect every epoch of man is the time where a handful with > > > guns can > > > > > > > > screw things up. Do they screw things up, of instantaneously > > > > > > > > deconstruct and make way for what is next? We don't know, until > > > we > > > > > > > > get to what is next and, in retrospect, understand the > > > opportunity. > > > > > > > > In the moment, our leadership, cohesiveness as a group, and > > > creativity > > > > > > > > lead the way into our progress or downfall. Either way, we > > > continue > > > > > > > > on, we always do. > > > > > > > > > On Aug 27, 4:48 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Ten dimensions, and we finally reach the fabled land of string > > > > > > > > > theory. String theory is for the moment the only real game in > > > town > > > > > > > > > when it comes to attempts to bundle up quantum mechanics and > > > general > > > > > > > > > relativity into a "theory of everything". It holds that all > > > particles > > > > > > > > > that make up matter or transmit forces arise from the > > > > > > > > > vibration > > > of > > > > > > > > > tiny strings. Those strings are one-dimensional. The space > > > > > > > > > they > > > wiggle > > > > > > > > > about in is not. In fact, it has 10 dimensions: nine of space, > > > and one > > > > > > > > > of time. The theory doesn't work with any fewer: mathematical > > > > > > > > > anomalies crop up that translate into violent fluctuations in > > > the > > > > > > > > > fabric of space-time at scales smaller than the Planck length > > > of 10-35 > > > > > > > > > metres. 10 is not necessarily the magic number. Indeed, one > > > now > > > > > > > > > unfashionable early variant of string theory had 26 > > > > > > > > > dimensions. > > > There > > > > > > > > > are five broadly defined brands of 10D string theory that > > > compete to > > > > > > > > > explain the universe, with no indication as to which, if any, > > > is the > > > > > > > > > right one. But these disparate theories can be unified into > > > > > > > > > one > > > > > > > > > overarching theory, known as M-theory. M-theory has 11 > > > dimensions. In > > > > > > > > > here, we might call all this 'Harrington's String Bag'. > > > > > > > > > > It is assumed that the extra dimensions of M-theory must in > > > some way > > > > > > > > > be squashed down to a size that we can't see. The bad news is > > > that > > > > > > > > > there is an almost unlimited number of ways in which this can > > > be done. > > > > > > > > > How to single out the one way that produces our universe > > > remains a > > > > > > > > > problem. Some say we'll work out the trick eventually, but > > > others are > > > > > > > > > into the "multiverse" the notion that all possible universes > > > > > > > > > do > > > > > > > > > actually exist. The universe we know is as it is because it > > > just > > > > > > > > > happens to be the one we are living in. > > > > > > > > > > None of this seems to give us much grok of how we should be > > > trying to > > > > > > > > > live. It probably does tells us that Star Trek style science > > > fiction > > > > > > > > > has little science and is a very old genre of soap opera. We > > > just > > > > > > > > > don't have the biology to be zipping around the galaxies, let > > > alone > > > > > > > > > the technical expertise to flout the laws of physics as we'd > > > know > > > > > > > > > them if we had the education (which would entail close > > > engagement in > > > > > > > > > its practice). > > > > > > > > > > Biology (increasingly maths-based) does now allow us to > > > > > > > > > 'create > > > > > > > > > life'. We can model DNA quite literally and create real bits > > > of the > > > > > > > > > stuff from chemicals. We know fatty acids are 'out there' in > > > space, > > > > > > > > > and pre-date the formation of Earth. We know that they form > > > proto- > > > > > > > > > cells when mixed with water, and that we can create components > > > of > > > > > > > > > cells like ribosomes using our man-created DNA. We will soon > > > create > > > > > > > > > cells from what we considered not to have life. Such life may > > > well > > > > > > > > > allow us to extend our biology and sensing. We are already > > > speeding > > > > > > > > > up processes to produce oil and other stuff we have previously > > > only > > > > > > > > > been able to use because it was created without us over aeons. > > > > > > > > > > My sense is that we are distracted by this technology because > > > we don't > > > > > > > > > understand it and have a society in which knowledge is very > > > much part > > > > > > > > > of competitions that are out of hand. There is no modern life > > > because > > > > > > > > > we can't imagine what this would be and try to live it because > > > we are > > > > > > > > > hampered by very old ideas and traditions as badly as Darwin > > > was in > > > > > > > > > beginning to advance something beyond myth. I would say > > > 'capitalism' > > > > > > > > > is the current myth we need to 'explode', but that we need to > > > do this > > > > > > > > > from what we know now, recognising it is a religion and that > > > > > > > > > alternative religions, or alternatives adopted as religions > > > (including > > > > > > > > > science as religion) have already failed. The need is for > > > sustainable > > > > > > > > > peace in the recognition that we can't make peace whilst our > > > > > > > > > understandings of the temptations of power remain low priority > > > in > > > > > > > > > public scrutiny. We are distracted from this dialogue by > > > almost > > > > > > > > > everything from science and entertainment because of a madness > > > - > > > > > > > > > sometimes described as the 'paranoid-schizoid' position > > > (economics as > > > > > > > > > 'Dr. Strangelove's Game'). > > > > > > > > > > I hope we will be able to find a new form of honesty, but we > > > need to > > > > > > > > > develop this in the knowledge that we are often roused to > > > organisation > > > > > > > > > by madness and myth that quickly distract us from evidence. > > > > > > > > > We > > > need > > > > > > > > > genuine transparency, but this 'urge' is not enough as we > > > approach a > > > > > > > > > time at which any Tom, Dick or Harriet terrorist could use > > > knowledge > > > > > > > > > to reek devastation, and a few men with guns can screw > > > everything. > > > > > > > > > Our politics needs overhaul and we are continually distracted > > > from > > > > > > > > > this. The need to to structure freedom - but on its own this > > > is just > > > > > > > > > another slogan. My guess is that we run scared from this, > > > always > > > > > > > > > thinking peace exposes us to groups who retain power > > > > > > > > > strategies > > > or > > > > > > > > > scrotes. I suspect this is biological in form. There are > > > times when > > > > > > > > > even I miss my gun. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" 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/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
