so did you hear about the philosophy major who read too many layman's articles on quantum mechanics?
There's this principle called the Weak Anthropic Principle. It's basically a response to the question people sometimes phrase as, "Wow, isn't it odd that the universe consists of the amazingly unlikely concatenation of circumstances that allowed humanity to come into being?" The Weak Anthropic Principle replies, "I guess so, but it obviously happened, since you're here to ask that question right now. Therefore, you can take for granted that the amazingly unlikely concatenation of circumstances did in fact occur, and you can use 'circumstances that allow humanity' as a basic assumption of all your attempts to describe reality."
At least, I'm pretty sure that's what it says. What I've been trying to wrap my head around for the past day or so is the fact that apparently, in much of science but particularly in quantum physics, the Weak Anthropic Principle is controversial. Why? What could possibly be controversial about it? It's so obvious it makes my head spin. I think I even remember going over this in my undergrad days, and it not being a problem. Maybe philosophers are just smarter than physicists. :grin:
Am I somehow misreading the Weak Anthropic Principle? Does it say something way more scandalous than, "When I am trying to explain the conditions of the world I exist in, I can at least assume that those conditions allow my existence"? I guess some people feel like it doesn't say anything at all, but it obviously does. It says that carbon exists, for instance -- that we are clearly not in a universe where carbon doesn't exist.
I guess it's pretty unlikely that any of you guys know much (or care) about the Weak Anthropic Principle, but I figured I'd toss it out there to see if someone can explain how anyone could possibly have a problem with it, or maybe how I'm misunderstanding it.
...
Art gallery opens in Second Life
I love what this guy is saying. Virtual reality isn't just for games, and it doesn't have to be another version of the real world: it's a totally new frontier that very few people are actually trying to explore as itself. Why have a virtual reality mimicking standards that don't need to apply?
from MCP.
The Blasphemy Challenge
It's not that I don't appreciate what these people are trying to do, or at least what they claim to be trying to do. But the presentation ... unnerves me. Am I alone in this? I mean, I'm certainly not a Christian, but their pitch is the one thing I've ever seen that came close to convincing me that there is definitely a Satan and he seeks to take our souls.
from lots of people.
The sea lamprey in the Great Lakes
So I was talking about swimming the other day, and my friend John's like, "Whoa dude, don't do that, there are lampreys!" I didn't believe him. But I should have.
Lampreys, dudes.
Yeah.
thanks, John. I think.
The Seattle Freeze
It seems people feel that Seattle residents are very kind and polite, but not friendly or willing to reach out. I would personally suspect that part of the reason they are so abstractly friendly is that they don't have other people claiming their headspace as much. I mean, I know I'm definitely nicer to strangers when I don't feel overwhelmed by the people I already know.
Regardless, sort of interesting in terms of city-identity.
from chemicallace.
That Times Square subway mystery: finally solved!
There's this poemlet that's been on display in the Times Square subway station for as long as I can remember. One encounters it while walking underground between the red and blue lines (yes, I think of New York subway lines in colours; I almost always use express stops, so it works for me). It comes in 8 installments, which read:
OVERSLEPT,
SO TIRED.
IF LATE,
GET FIRED.
WHY BOTHER?
WHY THE PAIN?
JUST GO HOME
DO IT AGAIN.
I have always found it hilarious, but I never could figure out why they deliberately posted that bit of doggerel over the heads of hundreds of commuters. Did the city want to encourage suicides or something? So I finally actually researched it -- and it turns out it's "art"! Right. Why didn't I think of that?
(Wikipedia also informs me that there was originally a picture of a bed at the end. I don't recall ever spotting it, though.)
At least, I'm pretty sure that's what it says. What I've been trying to wrap my head around for the past day or so is the fact that apparently, in much of science but particularly in quantum physics, the Weak Anthropic Principle is controversial. Why? What could possibly be controversial about it? It's so obvious it makes my head spin. I think I even remember going over this in my undergrad days, and it not being a problem. Maybe philosophers are just smarter than physicists. :grin:
Am I somehow misreading the Weak Anthropic Principle? Does it say something way more scandalous than, "When I am trying to explain the conditions of the world I exist in, I can at least assume that those conditions allow my existence"? I guess some people feel like it doesn't say anything at all, but it obviously does. It says that carbon exists, for instance -- that we are clearly not in a universe where carbon doesn't exist.
I guess it's pretty unlikely that any of you guys know much (or care) about the Weak Anthropic Principle, but I figured I'd toss it out there to see if someone can explain how anyone could possibly have a problem with it, or maybe how I'm misunderstanding it.
...
Art gallery opens in Second Life
I love what this guy is saying. Virtual reality isn't just for games, and it doesn't have to be another version of the real world: it's a totally new frontier that very few people are actually trying to explore as itself. Why have a virtual reality mimicking standards that don't need to apply?
from MCP.
The Blasphemy Challenge
It's not that I don't appreciate what these people are trying to do, or at least what they claim to be trying to do. But the presentation ... unnerves me. Am I alone in this? I mean, I'm certainly not a Christian, but their pitch is the one thing I've ever seen that came close to convincing me that there is definitely a Satan and he seeks to take our souls.
from lots of people.
The sea lamprey in the Great Lakes
So I was talking about swimming the other day, and my friend John's like, "Whoa dude, don't do that, there are lampreys!" I didn't believe him. But I should have.
Lampreys, dudes.
Yeah.
thanks, John. I think.
The Seattle Freeze
It seems people feel that Seattle residents are very kind and polite, but not friendly or willing to reach out. I would personally suspect that part of the reason they are so abstractly friendly is that they don't have other people claiming their headspace as much. I mean, I know I'm definitely nicer to strangers when I don't feel overwhelmed by the people I already know.
Regardless, sort of interesting in terms of city-identity.
from chemicallace.
That Times Square subway mystery: finally solved!
There's this poemlet that's been on display in the Times Square subway station for as long as I can remember. One encounters it while walking underground between the red and blue lines (yes, I think of New York subway lines in colours; I almost always use express stops, so it works for me). It comes in 8 installments, which read:
OVERSLEPT,
SO TIRED.
IF LATE,
GET FIRED.
WHY BOTHER?
WHY THE PAIN?
JUST GO HOME
DO IT AGAIN.
I have always found it hilarious, but I never could figure out why they deliberately posted that bit of doggerel over the heads of hundreds of commuters. Did the city want to encourage suicides or something? So I finally actually researched it -- and it turns out it's "art"! Right. Why didn't I think of that?
(Wikipedia also informs me that there was originally a picture of a bed at the end. I don't recall ever spotting it, though.)