Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA00558 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 14 Apr 2001 14:31:33 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [209.240.220.223] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Is Suicide Contagious? A Case Study in Applied Memetics Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 09:27:34 -0400 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F104RPQIWDO3hRDT6Z300007a9c@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 14 Apr 2001 13:27:35.0237 (UTC) FILETIME=[AABC6750:01C0C4E6] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: "J. R. Molloy" <jr@shasta.com>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>Subject: Re: Is Suicide Contagious? A Case Study in Applied Memetics
>Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 14:01:45 -0700
>
>From: "Robin Faichney" <robin@reborntechnology.co.uk>
> > So analog computing is a proposal intended to explain certain facts
> > or observations?
>
>No, I don't think so, and I'm surprised that you could come up with such a
>conclusion.
>(Actually, I suspect you're being deliberately obstinate, but it doesn't
>really matter.)
>There is no such thing as an "analog computer" and hypothesizing such an
>imaginary structure is a useless waste of time.
>The little list of useless hypotheses is a way to help folks avoid wasting
>time and resources on these dead ends.
>
Philosophy is an hypothesis? I thought it more of a discpline or field of
thought which might contain hypotheses within it. Thanx for warning me that
philosophy is a dead end. I wonder if I can use this argument as a means of
securing a refund of several books I've bought.
>
>τΏτ
>
>Stay hungry,
>
>--J. R.
>
>Useless hypotheses:
> consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
>analog computing, cultural relativism
>
> Everything that can happen has already happened, not just once,
> but an infinite number of times, and will continue to do so forever.
> (Everything that can happen = more than anyone can imagine.)
>
>
There are things that could happen, but haven't yet because the appropriate
context hasn't arisen. Think of the future and what will result as evolution
continues to take place. Those species which could happen haven't yet and
will probably not happen an infinite number of times. There is parallelism
or convergence in evolution, but those creatures are only superfically
similar. Compare marsupials and placentals.
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