Greetings Bruno,
This is equivalent to say yes in the test for "platonism" given in the Podnieks page.
CMR, do you believe that a running program (on an ideal computer) will stop, or will not stop?
Would it not be more to the point to ask whether I believe in an "ideal" computer, the affirmation of which might be construed as an essentialist view? If in fact all "things" are subject to entropy, including quantum objects (
http://www.maths.nott.ac.uk/personal/vpb/research/ent_com.html), then would not any "hardware" eventually degrade to a "halt"? I suppose if the decrepit computer remained structurally complex enough to be potentially universal (Wolfram has suggested "a bucket of rusty nails" is, for instance !?!) than it could (would?) eventually re-self-organize and start running a new "routine".
Cheers
CMR
<- insert gratuitous quotation that implies my profundity here ->
Received on Fri Jul 02 2004 - 14:20:29 PDT