Re: "Free Will Theorem"

From: John M <jamikes.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 17:04:39 -0400

Dear Brent,
I wish I had the insight into future development of our knowledge-base. Or
am I rather happy, not to have it?
Of course I do not contemplate dualism or any other 'expired' folly.

I had a hint lately that 'determinism' can be thought of in more than one
way. On the other side: random was mentioned as absolute and relative
(this was not the proper word, sorry).
Did the accolades of Ptolemy foresee the Big Bang cosmology (whether we
consider it 'proper', or not)?

Cheers

John Mikes

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brent Meeker" <meekerdb.domain.name.hidden>
To: <everything-list.domain.name.hidden>
Cc: <ncsamish.domain.name.hidden>
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 8:20 AM
Subject: RE: "Free Will Theorem"


>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: John M [mailto:jamikes.domain.name.hidden]
> >Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 10:04 PM
> >To: Russell Standish; Stathis Papaioannou
> >Cc: ncsamish.domain.name.hidden; everything-list.domain.name.hidden.com
> >Subject: Re: "Free Will Theorem"
> ..
> >[JM]:
> >I am sure you do a decent job. Tierra, however, does not include facts
> >that will be discovered (observed?) centuries from now. So the system
> >is based on a limited model of today's (yesterday's?) modeling. It may
> >give valuable answers to situations we face now, but your remark about
> >applying the unknowable (RNGs) does not secure the outcome to match
> > the future ways we may find later on.
> >Of course this is the way to do research, science and the (limited model
> >based) results are treasures for the further work. Our entire technology
has
> >been developed this way.
> >
> >John Mikes
>
> You make much of the fact that our knowledge is incomplete and the
possibility
> that our most fundamental theories of the world may change. But change to
> what? What third possibility is there between random and deterministic?
Do
> you contemplate dualism, which is not a future theory but one of the past?
>
> Brent Meeker
>
Received on Wed Apr 13 2005 - 17:14:44 PDT