Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id LAA03633 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 5 Apr 2001 11:03:38 +0100 Message-ID: <3ACC4226.3EAE45CA@bioinf.man.ac.uk> Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 11:00:06 +0100 From: Chris Taylor <Christopher.Taylor@man.ac.uk> Organization: University of Manchester X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.76 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Determinism References: <3AC904E5.10167.246146@localhost> <3AC9A569.258C00E9@bioinf.man.ac.uk> <20010403122328.A661@reborntechnology.co.uk> <3AC9D88B.47D228B1@bioinf.man.ac.uk> <20010403214234.A699@reborntechnology.co.uk> <005c01c0bc8e$bc8e6380$5eaefea9@rcn.com> <20010404090223.A10999@reborntechnology.co.uk> <3ACAECEF.D15F5D69@bioinf.man.ac.uk> <20010404111615.B679@reborntechnology.co.uk> <3ACAFB62.B359F31D@bioinf.man.ac.uk> <00ce01c0bcf5$4b3d6ca0$5eaefea9@rcn.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> There could exist no such thing as meaning in a superdetermined world, nor could
> there have been any reason for our self-conscious awarenesses to have evolved
> without the ability to reflect not conferring someevolutionary advantage, which
> it certainly wouldn't if (and this is the absurd consequence of superdeterminism)
> every motion of all our bodies was indelibly written on ths parchment of the
> universe one nanosecond after the Big Bang.
Many futures for the universe are equally valid looking forward (to us
and anything else but a godlike philosophical construct), but looking
back, you can find reasons. How would you know, before the fact, that
your superdetermined path wasn't randomly determined rather than
inevitable? Therefore why would it make any difference to us simple folk
(or organic evolution)?
As for proof - push your coffee cup to the edge of the table, watch it
fall. Cause, effect. I can think of more if you want...
> Actually, the idea that perfect knowledge of the present would allow
> perfect prediction of the future omits the fact that some events are
> indeed random, i.e. uncaused, such as positron-electron pairs
At the start of this I specifically said that, ignoring the quantum, I
could find no *other* ghosts in these machines; this was defensive
posturing, but to my surprise I am assured that the quantum may well be
just as determinable as the classical but requires methods to examine
Planck scale phenomena. The guy who assures me is a rather heavyweight
physicist, so I have to believe him...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BTW what word suits better for evolution's 'official' status?
[that 'sic' really got my back up]
Hypertext Webster Gateway: "provisional"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Provisional \Pro*vi"sion*al\, a. [Cf. F. provisionnel.] Of the nature of
a provision; serving as a provision for the time being; -- used of
partial or temporary arrangements; as, a provisional government; a
provisional treaty.
From WordNet (r) 1.6 (wn)
provisional adj : under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed
upon; "probationary employees"; "a provisional government"; "just a
tentative schedule" [syn: {probationary}, {provisionary}, {tentative}]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Taylor (chris@bioinf.man.ac.uk)
http://bioinf.man.ac.uk/ »people»chris
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