Friday, January 24, 2014

A Charming Example

Chad Orzel . a science blogger, wrote recently these sensible words:

“Science Is Never Over,” ... there are a nearly infinite number of phenomena that you can investigate scientifically. The universe is a never-ending source of amazement and wonder, with surprisingly rich dynamics in the simplest of things. I mean, look at the thousands of words I’ve gotten out of talking about sticky tape."


This approach could take you far, I almost put this note in the american mysticism blog. What interested me is the evidence here of a certain stance: there is always the manageable spigot. Notice the word "nearly." What the heck does that mean. If you were getting near counting finits, you could characterize that point somehow, and yet he cannot, and one has to wonder if that 'nearly infinite' is not some deflection of a rigorous pursuit of the logic, or the evidence. He gets his infinites, notoriously hard to corral, and yet can twist the faucet whenever he gets panicky.  He gets to look out the plane window -- to change the metaphor mid altitude-- and know he won't have to use the parachute.

"A nearly infinite number' puts the reality of change in a squarely nouny [static] context. That spigot is binary thought, two options. To make sure, the mind, does not get overwhelmed by --- reality.

How true his words though---...[There is] an infinite number of phenomena that you can investigate scientifically. The universe is a never-ending source of amazement and wonder,

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