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> From everything-list-request.domain.name.hidden Tue Jun 1 18:41 EST 1999
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> Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 01:36:51 -0700
> From: Wei Dai <weidai.domain.name.hidden>
> To: everything-list.domain.name.hidden
> Subject: practical reasoning and strong SSA
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> When I learn a new way to thinking I tend to forget how to think the old
> way. I just typed into Mathematica "N[Pi]" and it displayed to me
> "3.14159". So I think that gives me reason to believe the first 6 digits
> in the decimal expansion of Pi is 3.14159 because if it wasn't the case
> my current experience would be very atypical. More formally, the
> probability that I am reading "N[Pi] = 3.14159" given that the first 6
> digits of Pi is not 3.14159 is very small compared to the probability that
> I am reading "N[Pi] = 3.14159" given that the first 6 digits of Pi IS
> 3.14159.
>
> This and similar kinds of reasoning depend on the Strong SSA (as defined
> by Hal and Nick). I think it's strange that something that seems vital to
> any kind of reasoning that takes into account sense experiences does not
> have a more prominent place in philosophy. How do people who have never
> heard of the Strong SSA or do not accept it justify believing that the
> first 6 digits of Pi is 3.14159 (assuming they have evidence but not proof
> of this fact) without reference to the Strong SSA?
>
>
Yah, but the same argument works with the weak SSA as well. Also, one
can have a belief in the consistency in the mathematical nature of the
universe, such as the constancy in the value of pi. This belief in
consistency does not depend on SSA at all, but may be justifiable on
the weak anthropic principle.
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Dr. Russell Standish Director
High Performance Computing Support Unit,
University of NSW Phone 9385 6967
Sydney 2052 Fax 9385 7123
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http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks
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Received on Tue Jun 01 1999 - 19:40:11 PDT