[From Dick Robertson, 2008.01.28.1450CST]
earthfiles.com/news.php?ID=1381&category = SCIENCE
Brian Whitworth, Ph.D., Information Systems,Senior Lecturer, Institute for Information and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University**,** Auckland**,** New Zealand**: ** The most co
They were brought up from childhood to believethis. And you one day had the idea that it was an objective reality that itwas not created by computer processing, that it was just actually there inexistence. And I said to you, OK, why dont you prove it? I think you wouldhave a bit of trouble proving it.
You could say, Well, I know the world isobjective because I experience it.
People would reply, But you only experienceyour input.
And someone might say, Well, I have lots ofmathematical laws that can predict things.
And the other says, Well, of course you dobecause its all based on mathematics.
Then you say, Look, the universe is enormous!Its huge!! How can it possibly be a virtual reality to be so big?
And the other would say, Its only big to you.Its only big to people inside it.
common comment you would expect is,You cant prove it. But if you think about it, lets suppose that everybodythought the world was a virtual reality.
And so on. He identifies why quantum theory is so unsatisfying even though its numbers keep coming out right.
It’s a fun article, and provokes some interesting thoughts.
Best,
Dick R.