Re: Mathematical Logic, Podnieks'page ...

[John M]

Thanks, George   (I find your argument close to a wholistic (complexity) vision, only stronger than the assumption how I tried to argue it. )   John M ----- Original Message ----- From: George Levy To: Everything List Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 1:28 PM Subject: Re: Mathematical Logic, Podnieks'page ... CMR wrote: >To the question "What is mathematics" - Podiek's (after Dave Rusin) answer: >Mathematics is the part of science you could continue to do if you woke up tomorrow and discovered the universe was >gone. Let me make an analogy by paraphrasing: Empty space is the part of the universe that would bew left if you woke up  tomorrow and discovered that all stars, planets and galaxies were gone. My paraphrase is only true in the context of classical physics. I don't think Podiek's statement should be so easily accepted and in fact whether it is true at all. As a model of what I am trying to express, think of a creature being simulated together with its own environment inside a computer. The creature wakes up one day to find out that the simulation has been  terminated. Obviously such a scenario is impossible. If there is no simulation there is no creature. And there is no math that the creature could do. George