Yes, I think that’s all really solid. I’m definitely going for a ‘simple explanation’ rather than ‘an explanation based on simple rules’. It hasn’t even occurred to me that I can describe what’s going on mathematically.
And one should be very careful indeed of such ideas, especially if they have human consequences. Which is why I mentioned people who were probably trying to do their best to make the world a better place, who would probably have not been too pleased with how their ideas turned out.
But I keep thinking about atomism. Democritus worked it out thousands of years ago, from simple observations: ‘By convention there is colour, by convention there is sweetness, in reality, only atoms and the void’.
The essence of the truth. What Feynman called the one fact that he would like to communicate to an ignorant civilization.
And yet it took two thousand years to prove. And the answer was found by looking carefully into a cup of tea (poetically speaking!).
I do wonder whether the Greeks would have worked it out, if they’d had a real go instead of just believing their a priori assumptions.
There are many such examples.
In my particular case (which I am not claiming is anything like as important, even if it is bang right!):
Easy to understand
I think so, but everyone seems to think it’s absurd
Sometimes partly correct as they can be true some of the time even though they don’t describe the whole picture
That’s what I’m claiming. We should take it seriously and have a look!
Often overly broad so that they are hard to disprove
A great danger. Luckily I’ve suggested a simple experiment that would refute the whole idea beyond doubt.
Yes, I think that’s all really solid. I’m definitely going for a ‘simple explanation’ rather than ‘an explanation based on simple rules’. It hasn’t even occurred to me that I can describe what’s going on mathematically.
And one should be very careful indeed of such ideas, especially if they have human consequences. Which is why I mentioned people who were probably trying to do their best to make the world a better place, who would probably have not been too pleased with how their ideas turned out.
But I keep thinking about atomism. Democritus worked it out thousands of years ago, from simple observations: ‘By convention there is colour, by convention there is sweetness, in reality, only atoms and the void’.
The essence of the truth. What Feynman called the one fact that he would like to communicate to an ignorant civilization.
And yet it took two thousand years to prove. And the answer was found by looking carefully into a cup of tea (poetically speaking!).
I do wonder whether the Greeks would have worked it out, if they’d had a real go instead of just believing their a priori assumptions.
There are many such examples.
In my particular case (which I am not claiming is anything like as important, even if it is bang right!):
I think so, but everyone seems to think it’s absurd
That’s what I’m claiming. We should take it seriously and have a look!
A great danger. Luckily I’ve suggested a simple experiment that would refute the whole idea beyond doubt.