Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA07626 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 17 Apr 2001 14:21:41 +0100 Subject: Re: The Tipping Point Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 09:17:26 -0400 x-sender: wsmith1@camail2.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas Est Veritas From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20010417131744.AAA15955@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Joe said-
> That is because, unlike the TV, we are dynamically recursive, and
> feed back (and forward). A TV cannot change the picture sent to it
> by a camera, but we can take actions which result in perceptual
> change, just as all perception involves some action.
That TV/camera dynamic can also be made to feedback, (and change the
picture sent to it), by pointing the camera at the monitor. Controlling
the 'tipping points' of luminosity and color can result in some rather
beautifully kinetic images.
Robin said-
>Surely each [grain] is directly affected only by its immediate neighbours
Surely each grain is also directly affected by its location in the
universe- gravity, pressure of the mass around it, even perhaps tidal
forces, at extreme levels of influence.
The idea that this is a universe of causes, one cause leading to another,
cause into cause, with some result waiting for us at some omega point, is
interesting- leading me to wonder if 'effect' is not the illusion.
>So how can you also claim that events on one level influence those on
>another, when the former *is* the latter?
At any reasonable level of explanation, calling the universe the ultimate
cause is unwise, if not untrue. But there is also some real reason for
this scientific ape to deal with the universe from a single perspective.
Such I think is the reason people like gods so much, although any unified
theory is godlike. Bringing all explanations, levels, and causes together
is the want of consilience, since scientific perspective is 360.
- Wade
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