2. In physics, Quantum Mechanics is the product of 'relating the elements statistically against time' - yet, according to Paul Davies, "quantum cosmology ... makes no reference at all to time ... time has totally vanished!" ('About Time', Penguin Books, 1995, p. 180)
This would seem to falsify the proposition that "time" is of the essence in "the scientific approach." ------------------------------ Time may have indeed vanished in contemporary quantum theory, as it did in the economists' "general equilibrium." But remember that Einstein was one of the pioneers of the theory, and he said God doesn't play dice with the universe. I am inclined to agree with Einstein's statement. Contemporary quantum theory, as I understand it, is purely a statistical theory based on concepts of probability, that we can predict the probable position or state of a particle (but not its position or state definitely). So I'm not sure Davies is correct in saying time has vanished from their calculations. It may have; their stuff is quite obtuse and obscure, and seems - to me at any rate - to have largely departed science into the domain of metaphysics and pure speculation. To say that because we cannot predict that a specific particle is here or there or in this state or that, and leap from that to saying we cannot say definitely that a man cannot walk through a brick wall and somewhere in this universe or some other universe it will happen or may have already happened - is farcical, and represents a quantum leap into illogic. Remember that statistics is the study of the concatenation of phenomena through time. We do that through sampling, which means we are dealing with probability that our sample is large enough to make generalizations that are meaningful. Even then they are mere generalizations that say nothing about individual behavior. --------- Original Message --------- DATE: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 10:01:55 From: Gunnar Tómasson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Gang8" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Bill: > >Re. the following: > >It is not scientific to arbitrarily choose any single >element from a dynamic process as a starting point, >for that starting point becomes the axiom to the >exclusion of everything else that determines the >conclusion. You can come to an infinite number of >conclusions by assuming an infinite number of >starting points. The scientific approach is to >relate the elements statistically against time, so >that every observable process becomes the function of >their singular commonality, time. Time is the one >reality that ties everything in the ponderable world >together, and makes them comprehensible. > >Therefore, there are no employment functions; there >are no meaningful production functions. And there >are no functions of functions, like the "bastard" >Keynesian ISLM, that are meaningful in the scientific >sense, because time is abstracted from their >equation. > >Comment: > >1. What you term "the scientific approach" would seem to mirror the modus >operandi of Econometricians - in his 1937 review of Tinbergen's econometric >work for the League of Nations, Keynes questioned its "scientific" worth on >grounds which many regard as solid. > >2. In physics, Quantum Mechanics is the product of 'relating the elements >statistically against time' - yet, according to Paul Davies, "quantum >cosmology ... makes no reference at all to time ... time has totally >vanished!" ('About Time', Penguin Books, 1995, p. 180) > >This would seem to falsify the proposition that "time" is of the essence in >"the scientific approach." > >Gunnar > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "William B. Ryan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Friday, October 31, 2003 4:50 PM >Subject: Re: [SOCIAL CREDIT] National dividend? > > >> First, many thanks to Professor Gunning [snipped] > ____________________________________________________________ FREE ADHD DVD or CD-Rom (your choice) - click here! http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;6413623;3807821;f?http://mocda2.com/1/c/563632/131726/311392/311392 AOL users go here: http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;6413623;3807821;f?http://mocda2.com/1/c/563632/131726/311392/311392 This offer applies to U.S. Residents Only --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84IaC.bcVIgP.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------