On Wed, Sep 05, 2012 at 06:23:57PM -0400, Stephen P. King wrote: > Hi Folks, > > I started reading the new Maudlin paper "Time and the Geometry > of the Universe". I got it and started reading. I stopped dead when > I read the following: > > "Empirical considerations cannot establish the existence of such > point events, but the geometrical tools discussed herein presuppose > them. It would be pleasant to construct mathematical tools of > geometrical analysis that do not rest on this presupposition, but > that is work for another time." > > So what is the point of this paper? The author explicitly > jettisons empirical considerations. How is there any hope for > falsification of anything in it? I will continue reading but I am > sad. :_( > > AH! Maybe this remark only applies to the discussion of > Newtonian Time.... >
Contrary to Richard's comment, I think he is saying there currently is not the technology to experimentally test the theory. As such, it is in good company. Most string theory is like that. As to whether the paper is worth reading, that is a personal taste. So long as it is possible to test experimentally, or provides a satisfactory explanation (ie non-instrumental) for existing phenomena that does not have that, it is not a waste of time. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) Principal, High Performance Coders Visiting Professor of Mathematics hpco...@hpcoders.com.au University of New South Wales http://www.hpcoders.com.au ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
