Before the 20th century, the meaning of "Dimension" was obvious : a physical measurement, typically expressed with a vector of compass direction & measured magnitude. Then, Einstein muddied the waters by merging the three spatial (physical) dimensions with the singular temporal (mental) dimension. Next, Quantum Theory proposed the physically-vague-but-mathematically-useful notion of Meta-Physical (mathematical) Fields, imagined as extended in space, but consisting of 0-dimensional points that are defined only by reference to an imaginary grid. Eventually, the hypothetical notions of Many Worlds & Multiverses extended the range of discussable dimensions to infinity. Meanwhile, the Physical meaning of "Dimension" has been applied to various Meta-Physical (mental ; non-physical) postulations.I have heard many metaphysical people that believe in afterlife, psychics, and the like talk about other dimensions or even higher dimensions. But what exactly do they mean other than places that aren't here? To my knowledge dimensions are only things that have been applied to mathematics? — TiredThinker
I like to use the taboo term "Metaphysics" in the Aristotelian sense of Mental vs Material objects. So yes, when scientists use the term "Virtual" regarding particles of matter, they are obliquely referring to statistical potential (probability) as if those mathematical (imaginary) objects were already real & actual. The existence of Virtual particles (dimensionless points in an imaginary matrix) is Meta-Physical*1, in the sense that they have no physically measurable properties. Their mathematical properties are known by logical inference, not by physical observation. The ancients imagined that Life & Mind existed in some invisible parallel "spiritual" realm. But those abstract features of the real world are no more spiritual than mundane Mathematics*2.What is metaphysical? Just like virtual particles that can become real in our scientific sense? Is spiritual stuff outside of both physical and metaphysical stuff? — TiredThinker
Whenever I hear someone equate "astral projection" or "afterlife" with "higher dimensions" what I hear them really saying is "otherworldly" (i.e. woo woo-of-the-gaps). Folks just make shit up, especially when they don't know that they don't know what they're talking about. — 180 Proof
As you well know, thinks my use of the philosophical term "Meta-Physics" is a reference to "otherworldly" dimensions. Hence, his "woo-woo" sneers. This despite any "astral projection", "afterlife", or "higher dimension" assertions. My worldview is indeed BothAnd, which includes both empirical science and theoretical philosophy as overlapping magisteria. Apparently, his view is Either/Or (Black or White -- no overlap), so his snide responses are shooting at the wrong target, in the gray area ("the gap") beyond the scope of physical science. I hope you don't make the same mistake.Whenever I hear someone equate "astral projection" or "afterlife" with "higher dimensions" what I hear them really saying is "otherworldly" (i.e. woo woo-of-the-gaps). Folks just make shit up, especially when they don't know that they don't know what they're talking about. — 180 Proof
... says the guy whose astral projection is off the charts! :grin: — Agent Smith
:ok: Proves my point once again:My worldview is indeed BothAnd, which includes both empirical science and theoretical philosophy as overlapping magisteria. — Gnomon
:sweat:Folks just make shit up, especially when they don't know that they don't know what they're talking about. — 180 Proof
"Bark bark" at another strawman's shadow. :roll:Apparently, his view is Either/Or (Black or White -- no overlap) ... From his Physical vs Anti-physical perspective... — Gnomon
I have heard many metaphysical people that believe in afterlife, psychics, and the like talk about other dimensions or even higher dimensions. But what exactly do they mean other than places that aren't here? To my knowledge dimensions are only things that have been applied to mathematics? — TiredThinker
I don't agree. "Enformationism" is pseudo-science like "Intelligent Design" & "cold fusion" which, in my book, is worse than bad philosophy (i.e. sophistry) like p0m0.I keep an open mind - Enformationism isn't such a bad theory. I've seen worse (word salads of PoMo) and surely 180 Proof agrees. — Agent Smith
I keep an open mind - Enformationism isn't such a bad theory. I've seen worse (word salads of PoMo) and surely 180 Proof agrees.
— Agent Smith
I don't agree. "Enformationism" is pseudo-science like "Intelligent Design" which, in my book, is worse than merely bad philosophy (i.e. sophistry) like p0m0. — 180 Proof
I hadn't thought of myself as a "negotiator", but maybe I'm a navigator. Trying to negotiate a safe passage between the Scylla of Science and the Charybdis of Faith. seems to be unaware that I long-ago left-behind my childhood indoctrination in the philosophy of Faith. But I am also aware that empirical (materialistic) Science has a sort of blind spot (inherent in the philosophy of Materialism) : the non-physical (mental ; cultural ; informational) aspects of reality. To me, the advent of Rational Mind in a material world is much more important than the advent of a sentimental Savior in an imperial Roman world. However, I don't pretend to be so morally or intellectually superior to those who still cling to their Faith (including my own family), that has been stretched over 2000 years, but hasn't completely snapped yet.I view Gnomon as some sort of negotiator/arbiter, trying to find the middle ground between science and faith and, to my reckoning, he's made considerable progress - more needs to be done, but he regularly tests his ideas, against seasoned philosophers like yourself for example.
Of course this doesn't mean Gnomon is correct, but he makes sense to me at some level. You seem to have found flaws, small & big, in Enformationism and hence your hostile pronouncements; alas, I'm not privy to them. — Agent Smith
Dude, stop ... :snicker:You like Star Wars, I know you do. — Agent Smith
:nerd: LLAPIn the summer '77 I was probably the only 13 y.o. in the Northern Hemisphere, at least, who wasn't WOW'd by Star Wars and grew to dislike it, even hate it, for being a flashy noisy live-action cartoon which insulted my already well-honed scifi nerdy intelligence ... — 180 Proof
No, it's not "clever"; as you suggest, it's just a stand-in for "The Force" from 70s era kiddie s/fx porn masquerading as "quantum" "information" "non-physical energy" blah blah blah. You're advocacy, btw, isn't doing Gnomon's "ideas" any favors, Smith. :sweat:The Enformer is an organizing energy/principle (opposed to entropy according to Gnomon) that's behind the order we see in the universe. This is likely not scientifically valid, but quite clever, wouldn't you agree? — Agent Smith
Complementarity is not "pairs in opposition", Smith. The latter negates the former. "BothAnd" is more coincidentia oppositorum (occult alchemy) than yinyang (nondual harmony). And I've asked @Gnomon more than a few times what exactly does "Enformationism", etc "explain" and s/he's yet to respond to my query or express clearly (in sum) that so-called "explanation". :yawn:Also, Enformationism, especially its BothAnd concept, a derivative of Chinese Taoist yin-yang does a good job of explaining reality - pairs in opposition ...
I say to "think holistically" is to think dialectically in Adorno's sense – not Hegel's sense – without "the telos", by which I mean 'knowns containing unknowns', such that the whole is infinite (unbounded) and not totalized (bounded) like this "Enformer"-of-the-gaps (aka "The Force" :lol:).What sayest thou?
180wooboo accuses Gnomon of "making sh*t up". And the gnarly gnome does make-up new terms to describe scientific terms that miss an important philosophical aspect of a physical concept. For example, Claude Shannon adopted the physics notion of Entropy for his theory of Information. But that only describes the negative un-informative result of disintegration of Information (e.g. disinformation). So the Gnome proposed the coinage "Enformy" to label the positive progressive feature of Nature that physicists dismissively mislabeled as "Negentropy" (negation of a negation). If creating new names for new concepts is "making sh*t up" then that's what philosophers and scientists do when faced with unprecedented concepts turned-up by pioneering investigators.The Enformer is an organizing energy/principle (opposed to entropy according to Gnomon) that's behind the order we see in the universe. This is likely not scientifically valid, but quite clever, wouldn't you agree? — Agent Smith
Thanks but I understand the geometry. I was just assuming ethereal lovers were imagining something real versus thought stuff only. — TiredThinker
Whew! These 180wooboo bushwacks are antithetical & polemic & off-topic. He seems to feel that an Idealistic or Holistic worldview is anti-science, and takes every opportunity to counter-attack what he interprets as an assault on "settled" Science. Yet, Enformationism is not presented on this forum as a scientific paradigm, so it makes no attempt to "explain" any scientific evidence. It does however interpret some bits of scientific evidence -- specifically Quantum Theory and Information Theory -- in terms of a personal philosophical worldview. So, Gnomon's Information-theoretic arguments are merely personal opinions, not assertions of physical fact. You are free to decide if a dualistic (complementary forces) & dialectic (decision tree) worldview makes sense for your own philosophical purposes --- higher dimensions or not.The BothAnd of Enformstionism surely does explain the, how shall I put it?, the dialectical (+ vs. -) nature of interactions in reality - from a cooling cuppa tea on your table to this debate the three of us are engaged in, it's all duality at work. — Agent Smith
And yet my critique still standsEnformationism is not presented on this forum as a scientific paradigm, so it makes no attempt to "explain" any scientific evidence. — Gnomon
The Enformationism thesis is indeed "exotic" and "non-standard". But that's only because it is on the cutting-edge of Information science & philosophy. — Gnomon
The Woo-lady doth protests too much, methinks. Reductionism of 'Its to Bits' is a speculative "scientific paradigm" (Wheeler, Wolfram et al). As I've pointed out (re: link above), Gnomon, your formulation is, however, pseudo-science akin to "cold fusion" & "intelligent design".The core idea of yyEnformationism is simple : everything in the world is a form of Generic Information. That's illustrated most succinctly in Einstein's formula E = MC^2 — Gnomon
You like Star Wars, I know you do.
— Agent Smith
Dude, stop ... :snicker:
In the summer '77 I was probably the only 13 y.o. in the Northern Hemisphere, at least, who wasn't WOW'd by Star Wars and grew to dislike it, even hate it, for being a flashy noisy live-action cartoon which insulted my already well-honed scifi nerdy intelligence ... — 180 Proof
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