On 7/29/2010 3:28 PM, Mark Buda wrote:
Quantum mechanics suggests maybe not. If there were no conscious
observers to collapse the wave function of the universe after the big
bang, then what, pray tell, would constitute an atom that might be
counted?
This assumes that conscious observers are necessary to collapse the
wave function, of course.
--
Mark Buda <her...@acm.org <mailto:her...@acm.org>>
I get my monkeys for nothing and my chimps for free.
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On Jul 29, 2010 2:01 PM, Brian Tenneson <tenn...@gmail.com> wrote:
Numbers existed before people on this rock began to understand them.
If not number of atoms in the universe, then the number of cells in
organisms one day prior to 10,000 years ago. or anything really, that
had the potential to be counted, one day prior to 10,000 years ago.
I don't think the existence of some number of distinct things is the
same as the "existence" of numbers. Numbers are defined by order and
successor - neither of which are present or implicit in a mere
collection of atoms or anything else.
Brent
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