Hi Jorge I think quantum theory tells us that when the rock is not being measured it is spreading out as a mere probability of being a rock, so not so static or present?
David M ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jorge Goldfarb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 10:02 PM Subject: [MD] Patterns David M. writes: "Surely a rock recurs, just by going on being a rock, it repeats its rockness over time, a diachronic rather than synchronic pattern/repeat. " Hardly. Recurs in its sense:: "to happen, come up or show up repeatedly". is quite clear. If I show up repeatedly at a bar it means that I am not at the bar in between the occasions that "I show up". Diachronic is supposed to mean "change" over time, not constancy over time as in the case of a rock that is always there. A classic example of diachrony is the function (+_ sq. y) which gives a zigzag line, (once it is over 0 and next it is under 0). A continuous straight line is not considered a pattern, neither the light emitted by a (stable) electric bulb, etc. The same holds by a rock 'being there' always, all the time. A repeated 'rockness' or a repeated 'loneliness or a repeated 'smoothness' , if English doesn't fail me, implies a feature that appears, shows up, again and again. Not that it's always present. (From Latin "re-" again) Which brings to my mind what the fellow said when flattering his old auntie --- But auntie, your skin is remarkably smooth between your wrinkles!- If I were to draw this: _________________ I wouldn't be representing a pattern. Whereas if I drew this: ......................... it would be a pattern where the dot recurs, reappears at regular intervals. Those two examples lead to an interesting question; suppose we went on decreasing the gaps between the dots, at which point would a pattern become a non-pattern? Is the buzzing of a fly a sound pattern or a steady signal? How could we tell? __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail - a smarter inbox http://uk.mail.yahoo.com Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
