Why should there be only one correct TOE? Can't we simultaneously inhabit alternative universes that are currently indistinguishable to us yet differ on a fundamental level?
--------- 3-line Narnia --------- C.S. LEWIS: Finally, a Utopia ruled by children and populated by talking animals. THE WITCH: Hello, I'm a sexually mature woman of power and confidence. C.S. LEWIS: Ah! Kill it, lion Jesus! --------- McSweeney's --------- 2008/9/15 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > On Sep 15, 6:08 pm, Brent Meeker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > But the question is whether there would be any *functional* difference. > > > > Brent Meeker > > Sure, if reductionism were true, half of physics wouldn't work. > > Yudkowsky claims: "It is not that reality itself has an Einstein > equation that governs at high speeds, a Newton equation that governs > at low speeds, and a "bridging law" that smooths the interface. > Reality itself has only a single level, Einsteinian gravity." > > Ref: http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/09/excluding-the-s.html#more > > But this another non-sequitur in a long long of misconceptions, > superficial analysis and non-sequiturs from him. > > In his example, of course it's true there's only one correct equation > (the Einstein one), but this mathematical *equation'* references > *physics concepts* on several different levels of abstraction. It's > the *concepts* that are non-reducible, not the *equations*. > > The physics of forces (Newtonian mechanics is not reducible to the > physics of simple geometric solids (Greek physics) , nor is the > physics of space-time fields (Relativity) reducible to the physics of > forces. Each of these (greek physics, newtonian mechanics, > relativistic physics) introduced new physical concepts which weren't > reducible to the earlier ones. It's not so much that new physics > concepts *replaced* the older ones, rather that the new concepts were > at * a higher-level of abstraction* than the old. > I > Also note that modern String Theory says that the fabric of theory > itself is composed of concepts of Category Theory, which are high- > level mathematical representations of lower-level ones. > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---