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rational experiences

Veteran Member
Hmmm. Really? I disagree.
Exist to live.

Earth God living said humans owns microbiology in water in the stone. Chemical dusts position.

Man takes mass then burns it. Machine doesn't exist. Machine static also position one. Not alive.

Medical nature on earth owns all substances human wisdom as human to human aware to assist. Not science.

Science of man his own contrivance.
 

cladking

Well-Known Member
The world itself will work the way it always has and as we expect.

We are notoriously bad at making prediction and has not changed.

I find, however, that many of your posts advocate for an unreasonable level of skepticism in the scientific process on the whole.

Well... If I'm right the major problem in science is that it does not account for consciousness. Perhaps I'm wrong about how big the changes will have to be to fix this issue.

In the meantime though I can't make any argument that flies in the fact of anything anyone believes is science because they read it in a book. The amount of evidence and experiment I have is simply irrelevant to those who rely on expert opinion rather than knowledge and critical thought. I keep asking why is it I'm the only person who might be wrong. Everyone else appears to be absolutely certain no matter how irrational or unevidenced their premises and conclusions.

If all your *important* questions are things like, "How exactly did the universe begin, and if it began, what was before?", are hardly the most important questions. Such questions are beyond our current ability to answer with any satisfaction and we may never be able to completely answer such questions. The only option, therefore, is to make peace with not being able to know and leave it at that. There are many more pressing day-to-day problems that we can set our minds to and attempt to solve.

I don't find technology especially intriguing. Sure I like to invent things and see new inventions and ideas but technology is just a fascinating parlor trick. It does not answer any important questions like why are we here and how did it happen. Is there such a thing as infinity, God, or dividing by zero? What does random mean and does it exist?

We don't *need* to understand things, we *want* to understand things

I think we do need to; it's called curiosity

Again, you really agree with me here, but for some personal reason or bias you are unwilling to give science credit where credit is due. I wonder why that is.

I don't believe there is such a bias but if there were it's that I never jumped in the middle of it all.

Here we are saying the exact same thing, only you color degrees of confidence as uniformly wrong.

Science has come a long way but it is still in its infancy. I don't believe we even understand the formatting or nature of reality yet. I believe all other consciousness than homo omnisciencis has a better appreciation of the nature of reality than ANY scientist. I believe science will be multi-modal in less than a century and in its adolescence.

Why discontinue this process?

I'm saying that the process has been largely interrupted by it having been purchased and perverted for use in enriching the few. This perversion is not readily seen because so few understand how science really works. Scientists tend to not speak up because they need funding and it's foolish to bite the hand that feeds you.

That is why I say that scientific principles and standards mitigate this fallibility, they do not eliminate it.

Again, I believe you are simply wrong. All science is a solitary pursuit unless the scientist chooses or is forced to work with others. Science ois the scientific method as interpreted by each individual scientist. It has nothing to do with standards, Peers, corroboration, or consensus. That king is nekkid.

And I agree that we are essentially saying the same thing, and both acknowledging that science isn't perfect but that it works and is making progress.

I think our main difference is that you may have beliefs that you want to keep separate from the scientific process, scientific inquiry.

Yes. We've always generally agreed but I think you are missing my point. The nature of modern science is reductionistic and this is a very poor perspective for seeing vast swathes of reality. It couldn't be worse for understanding consciousness and consciousness is the most important single characteristic in the universe and it is fundamental to every single scientist as well as everyone who come to believe in science. Science has become a dangerous new religion and it affects every aspect of real scientific pursuit and the understanding of these pursuits by the general public.

There are numerous valid criticisms which are simply ignored by Peers et al. There are solutions to numerous of these problems but they are not being discussed. Probably science will answer any of the challenges within a few decades in any case but in the meantime we aren't doing the things that would allow science to progress faster or the things that would have the greatest effect on the commonweal. We destroy far more than we consume. Too many human practices are unsustainable and rather than address the problems we seek new ways through purchased science to reward the few.

This is the issue for me; efficiency. Not only in operating and constructing systems but in furthering the goal of science; eliminating ignorance.
 

rational experiences

Veteran Member
If just a human says I cosmic thesis outside of earth for a new machine reaction in space nothing direct.

The thesis is about heavens natural mass position. Earths natural mass position historic. One with heavens one without heavens total non presence.

The thesis not owner of either mass first infers coldest space no thing zero then mass by two terms. Different terms.

Jesus then Moses both reacting bodies temple science changed had stopped mass science had caused as other reactions.

But didn't nor hadn't stopped natural reactions both bodies already pre owned.

Is what lying means by thesis.

Science said the saviour stopped the reactions of science. Notified. In fact could care less what was happening to family. As in thesis other life isn't important to your group.

Hence if the thesis says I will own saviour ice wisdom why sealed existed it is not involved direct.

Instead thesis is thought the saviour position why sciences reaction was stopped. Science today doesn't want it stopped. Yet reactions do stop.

Scientist says I don't want it stopped my machine by my constant. Says as I knowingly want saving history removed. Saviour thought in science.

Claim I'll force it by machines purpose.. reacting position. I'll go out of time and put my reaction before themed any type machine history on earth.

Is the saviour you themed to have removed first.

As Moses ... Not. Not stopped.
As Jesus...not. Not stopped sciences saviour thesis.

As you claim your two new machines position will react differently to the outcome of the saviour history.

Themed I review reactive earth reactive heavens. It stops naturally. I want the reactions constant. By energy released themes in both bodies.

Saviour body stopped natural reactions as it stopped science caused reactions.

Idea you overcame it to control. Now it is new input into human memory of the nuclear power plant held reaction as compared to ancient machine outcomes.

Your theist human mind congratulates it's own success of beating earths nature.
 

cladking

Well-Known Member
There are numerous valid criticisms which are simply ignored by Peers et al. There are solutions to numerous of these problems but they are not being discussed. Probably science will answer any of the challenges within a few decades in any case but in the meantime we aren't doing the things that would allow science to progress faster or the things that would have the greatest effect on the commonweal. We destroy far more than we consume. Too many human practices are unsustainable and rather than address the problems we seek new ways through purchased science to reward the few.

This is the issue for me; efficiency. Not only in operating and constructing systems but in furthering the goal of science; eliminating ignorance.

As Native said in the opening post; "Modern science is highly specialized into lots of branches to dig deep into everything. In this historic and present process, it seems to me that a former overall natural knowledge of interconnections are philosophically, theoretically, and cosmologically lost.". This is very much the problem. Specialization has served to reduce the understanding of reality rather than to improve it. One can't understand reality by studying a very narrow spectrum of it and ignoring philosophy. If I am right about "consciousness" then much of what science has produced in the last century applies principally to that which is unconscious and is removed from reality.
 

rational experiences

Veteran Member
We are notoriously bad at making prediction and has not changed.



Well... If I'm right the major problem in science is that it does not account for consciousness. Perhaps I'm wrong about how big the changes will have to be to fix this issue.

In the meantime though I can't make any argument that flies in the fact of anything anyone believes is science because they read it in a book. The amount of evidence and experiment I have is simply irrelevant to those who rely on expert opinion rather than knowledge and critical thought. I keep asking why is it I'm the only person who might be wrong. Everyone else appears to be absolutely certain no matter how irrational or unevidenced their premises and conclusions.



I don't find technology especially intriguing. Sure I like to invent things and see new inventions and ideas but technology is just a fascinating parlor trick. It does not answer any important questions like why are we here and how did it happen. Is there such a thing as infinity, God, or dividing by zero? What does random mean and does it exist?



I think we do need to; it's called curiosity



I don't believe there is such a bias but if there were it's that I never jumped in the middle of it all.



Science has come a long way but it is still in its infancy. I don't believe we even understand the formatting or nature of reality yet. I believe all other consciousness than homo omnisciencis has a better appreciation of the nature of reality than ANY scientist. I believe science will be multi-modal in less than a century and in its adolescence.



I'm saying that the process has been largely interrupted by it having been purchased and perverted for use in enriching the few. This perversion is not readily seen because so few understand how science really works. Scientists tend to not speak up because they need funding and it's foolish to bite the hand that feeds you.



Again, I believe you are simply wrong. All science is a solitary pursuit unless the scientist chooses or is forced to work with others. Science ois the scientific method as interpreted by each individual scientist. It has nothing to do with standards, Peers, corroboration, or consensus. That king is nekkid.



Yes. We've always generally agreed but I think you are missing my point. The nature of modern science is reductionistic and this is a very poor perspective for seeing vast swathes of reality. It couldn't be worse for understanding consciousness and consciousness is the most important single characteristic in the universe and it is fundamental to every single scientist as well as everyone who come to believe in science. Science has become a dangerous new religion and it affects every aspect of real scientific pursuit and the understanding of these pursuits by the general public.

There are numerous valid criticisms which are simply ignored by Peers et al. There are solutions to numerous of these problems but they are not being discussed. Probably science will answer any of the challenges within a few decades in any case but in the meantime we aren't doing the things that would allow science to progress faster or the things that would have the greatest effect on the commonweal. We destroy far more than we consume. Too many human practices are unsustainable and rather than address the problems we seek new ways through purchased science to reward the few.

This is the issue for me; efficiency. Not only in operating and constructing systems but in furthering the goal of science; eliminating ignorance.
Science in biological conscious studies answer. I compared a human to an ape that commonly shares a lot of humans bio terms.

It's consciousness devoid of knowing what I know what I do or how I behave. My conscious human is exact not universal just with myself as evidence.

Self survival the humans motivation always.
 

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
Which is more likely; Every one of those people is wrong about a fundamental concept in physics or you are mistaken in your understanding of what they say? :cool:


The history of science suggests that any current consensus may indeed be built on fundamental misconceptions about the natural world.
 

Native

Free Natural Philosopher & Comparative Mythologist
Which is more likely; Every one of those people is wrong about a fundamental concept in physics or you are mistaken in your understanding of what they say? :cool:
Anything is equally likely as long as the standing cosmology cannot find and conclude a consensus Grand Unified Theory or a Theory of Everything.
So your or my take is just as good as anything else, especially when the standing cosmology works with an unexplained gravity, unexplained dark matter, unexplained dark holes, and an unexplained dark energy.
 

Native

Free Natural Philosopher & Comparative Mythologist
One of the fundamental feature of the Sciences is its acceptance that we as individual observers and investigators of the world around us are both flawed and fallible. As a result, no scientific endeavor can trust the report of a single individual . . .
As a result of this your claim, science would never have evolved at all as all new knowledge comes from individuals who´re thinking outside the squared black consensus boxes.
 
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Native

Free Natural Philosopher & Comparative Mythologist
There are numerous valid criticisms which are simply ignored by Peers et al. There are solutions to numerous of these problems but they are not being discussed. Probably science will answer any of the challenges within a few decades in any case but in the meantime we aren't doing the things that would allow science to progress faster or the things that would have the greatest effect on the commonweal.
Agreed. Fellowship Peer Reviewing is just another way to practice censorship which hinders new alternate thinking and solutions.
 

Native

Free Natural Philosopher & Comparative Mythologist
OP Subject: Patterns and Theories of formation.

Three examples of formation perceptions.

1) Ancient stories of creation.

As a Comparative Mythologist I´ve studied ancient creation stories for about 35 years, and I´ve come to the overall conclusion, that these stories at the largest tell of the pre-conditions and factual formation of the Milky Way and the Solar System, as several cultural myths describe a symbolism which clearly is connected to the Milky Way contours on both hemispheres.

Of course it can be very tricky for mythical unfamiliar debaters to go into these ancient stories, but they shall be interpreted in the light of modern cosmological concepts of basic understanding of fundamental elements and fundamental forces and and their natural behavior. I´ll try to interpret and quote the following Egyptian telling.

The Egyptian story of creation, the Ogdoad.
In Egyptian mythology, the Ogdoad (Ancient Greek: ὀγδοάς "the Eightfold"; Ancient Egyptian: ḫmnyw, a plural nisba of ḫmnw "eight") were eight primordial deities worshiped in Hermopolis.
The eight deities were arranged in four male–female pairs. The names have the same meanings and differ only by their endings. The names of Nu and Naunet are written with the determiners for sky and water, and it seems clear that they represent the primordial waters.

Ḥeḥu and Ḥeḥut have no readily identifiable determiners; according to a suggestion due to Brugsch (1885), the names are associated with a term for an undefined or unlimited number, ḥeḥ, suggesting a concept similar to the Greek aion. From the context of a number of passages in which Ḥeḥu is mentioned, however, Brugsch also suggested that the names may be a personification of the atmosphere between heaven and earth (c.f. Shu).

The names of Kekui and Kekuit are written with a determiner combining the sky hieroglyph with a staff or scepter used for words related to darkness and obscurity, and kkw as a regular word means "darkness", suggesting that these gods represent primordial darkness, comparable to the Greek Erebus, but in some aspects they appear to represent day as well as night, or the change from night to day and from day to night.

Scholarly difficulties of determine the myto-cosmological names and qualities:
If egyptologists, scholars and authors have no clues of astronomical or cosmological informations in the ancient myths, they of course cannot make the correct interpretations and determinations of the mythical meanings.

Quote:
The fourth pair has no consistent attributes as it appears with varying names; sometimes the name Qerḥ is replaced by Ni, Nenu, Nu, or Amun, and the name Qerḥet by Ennit, Nenuit, Nunu, Nit, or Amunet. The common meaning of qerḥ is "night", but the determinative (D41 for "to halt, stop, deny") also suggests the principle of inactivity or repose.[5]

There is no obvious way to allot or attribute four functions to the four pairs of deities, and it seems clear that "the ancient Egyptians themselves had no very clear idea" regarding such functions. Nevertheless, there have been attempts to assign "four ontological concepts" to the four pairs.
For example, in the context of the New Kingdom, Karenga (2004) uses "fluidity" (for "flood, waters"), "darkness", "unboundedness", and "invisibility" (or "repose, inactivity"), end of quote.

This clearly show me that the interpreters don´t have a clue of the cosmic knowledge extend in ancient myths.

My mytho-cosmological interpretation:
The Egyptian "4-pairs of deities represent opposite but complementary cosmological principles, conditions and qualities of formation and the initial telling deal with the chaotic pre-conditions BEFORE the very FIRM creation of the Milky Way take place.

When the Egyptian 4-pair forces and qualities is set in a whirling motion and come together in a swirling center, a "fiery light" (Amun-Ra) occurs in the center, and this central light is physically forming everything in the coming Milky Way from the chaotic clouds of gas and dust.

Conclusion: In the Egyptian creation story (and others), it is the very concept of LIGHT which creates everything, but otherwise this telling have several similarities with the modern creation or formation story. The main exception from the Standard Cosmology explanation, is that the ancient stories includes the Milky Way formation. Which of course is correct as the Solar System is an integrated part of the galactic rotation and formation.

Important ancient perceptions:
The ancient Egyptians (and other cultures) had the Universe to be infinite and eternal of nature, but ALSO a perception of a cyclical formation of everything in the Universe via formation, dissolution and re-formation i.e. a cyclical world perception in general, hence a cyclical time perception, opposite the modern Big Bang linear time perception.

More elaborated mythical texts here.

2) Nebular hypothesis:

The nebular hypothesis is the most widely accepted model in the field of cosmogony to explain the formation and evolution of the Solar System (as well as other planetary systems). It suggests the Solar System is formed from gas and dust orbiting the Sun.
According to the nebular theory, stars form in massive and dense clouds of molecular hydrogengiant molecular clouds (GMC). These clouds are gravitationally unstable, and matter coalesces within them to smaller denser clumps, which then rotate, collapse, and form stars. Star formation is a complex process, which always produces a gaseous protoplanetary disk (proplyd) around the young star. This may give birth to planets in certain circumstances, which are not well known. Thus the formation of planetary systems is thought to be a natural result of star formation.
The protoplanetary disk is an accretion disk that feeds the central star. Initially very hot, the disk later cools in what is known as the T Tauri star stage; here, formation of small dust grains made of rocks and ice is possible. The grains eventually may coagulate into kilometer-sized planetesimals. If the disk is massive enough, the runaway accretions begin, resulting in the rapid—100,000 to 300,000 years—formation of Moon- to Mars-sized planetary embryos. Near the star, the planetary embryos go through a stage of violent mergers, producing a few terrestrial planets. The last stage takes approximately 100 million to a billion years".

My comment:
This gravitational hypothesis is excluding natural and obvious observed facts as gas and dust naturally disperses in free space and cannot do work on itself and fall into itself and give origin to a rotational formation in such a cloud.
Furthermore, the weak gravity cannot make a force which produces strong electromagnetic gamma- and x-rays as observed in galaxies and measured from the Sun i minor scales.
This gravitational hypothesis is in fact cosmologically useless as it also excludes the rest 3/4 part of the other stated and stronger fundamental forces and their qualities to explain cosmic issues and possibilities.

3) Creation by E&M forces.
As all atoms have electromagnetic charges and qualities or can be externally electromagnetic affected, it is natural and logical to assert an overall hypothesis of electromagnetic formation of gas and dust in cosmic (plasma) clouds to form stars and planets and everything else.

Electromagnetic currents flow in a double helical pattern which provide rotations everywhere when the E&M attractive polarity works on plasmatic gas and dust. When this happen, gas and dusts is ionized and heated up to such degree that very strong electromagnetic frequencies sort out gas and dust and bind it all together in a nuclear process where all kinds of stars and planets are formed. All according to the actual available gas and dust in a random cosmic could.

My overall comment and conclusion:
Cross-scientific pattern seeking, and multiple comparisons is a very important tool to discern what collectively ideas can be valid.

Ad 1) I have the ancient telling to be very valid indeed with all its natural explanations and universal perceptions.

Ad 2) This gravitational model is useless and highly exclusive, and it is bases on the unexplainable gravity and produces lots of unexplained forces and dark this and that.

Ad 3 ) In modern times, the old Greek atom, and its natural E&M qualities, the Electromagnetic Formation Model is the logical and naturally updated cosmic formation model and it explains lots of the hypothesis and unknown matters in the Standard Model.

4) Besides A Big Bang is also useless as it violates the basic scientific law of energy- and information conservation. Things doesn´t come from nothing and all thing undergoes an eternal process of changes.

OK, here we have a three way attempt to use cross-scientific pattern rekognitions to look for a natural and logical collective perception - and DON´T tell me that thousands of years of empirical ancient knowledge doesn´t qualify as astronomical and cosmological informations and genuine knowledge.

What do you say to all this?

Regards
Native
 
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RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
In the most general terms, I would say the following;

That we have always been looking at the stars. Together with the development of complex languages, this is one of the defining characteristics of the naked ape.
That millennia ago, seafarers harnessing the winds and tides to power their wooden vessels, were able to navigate the oceans by observing the skies.
That while our ancestors did not have powerful telescopes, satellites or computers with huge data storage and processing capacity, neither did they have light pollution.
That our human ancestors were not in any way materially different to us, nor was their intellectual capacity inferior to ours.
That great visionaries have come along in every generation, and shared revolutionary insights, revelations and understanding, with those few who would listen.
That dismissing our bronze age and earlier ancestors as ignorant, unsophisticated, and devoid of wisdom, is symptomatic only of the arrogance and superficiality of our own materialistic culture.
 

HonestJoe

Well-Known Member
Anything is equally likely as long as the standing cosmology cannot find and conclude a consensus Grand Unified Theory or a Theory of Everything.
So your or my take is just as good as anything else, especially when the standing cosmology works with an unexplained gravity, unexplained dark matter, unexplained dark holes, and an unexplained dark energy.
Your question wasn't about what is actually correct though, it is jut about the technical details of the theory of gravity being presented. You are suggesting that the scientific consensus is telling you that gravity alone is the reason the atmosphere exists (which you rightly say wouldn't make sense). The counter is that isn't what anyone is actually saying and that you are just misunderstanding the scientific concepts being presented to you (which could well be just due to them not being presented very clearly - I certainly don't pretend I could explain it with enough detail or clarity).

So, as I said, the different chances are between loads of professionals being wrong about a fundamental principle of science for decades or you alone being mistaken in your understanding of a singular aspect of it right now.
 

MikeF

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
The history of science suggests that any current consensus may indeed be built on fundamental misconceptions about the natural world.

This is misleading, which I am coming to realize is the intent. Our experience of the natural world remains unchanged. Your statement is certainly true for problems in which we have insufficient information to make a definitive determination. Scientific investigation is a process, and this process takes time. The history of science clearly *shows* that problems that were once as you suggest have been firmly resolved.

Your statement implies that the whole of scientific understanding and knowledge can be overturned in an instant. Nothing could be further from the truth.
 

MikeF

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
As a result of this your claim, science would never have evolved at all as all new knowledge comes from individuals who´re thinking outside the squared black consensus boxes.

Creativity in problems solving and "thinking outside the box" is absolutely essential to making progress in solving difficult problems. However, once an idea is postulated, it must be demonstrated. It must be shown to represent the world of our experience, of reality, and until then it can only be considered imaginative fiction.
 

Native

Free Natural Philosopher & Comparative Mythologist
You are suggesting that the scientific consensus is telling you that gravity alone is the reason the atmosphere exists
Except I didn´t say that. I said the Earth´s magnetosphere could be the cause of holding the atmosphere at place over the Earth.
The counter is that isn't what anyone is actually saying and that you are just misunderstanding the scientific concepts being presented to you (which could well be just due to them not being presented very clearly
Cosmological "presenting something clearly", requires natural and logical explanations which fits into an overall connection (a GUT or a TOE). As long as this isn´t the cosmological cases, no one can accuse anybody for not understanding the delivered consensus and cosmologically disconnected ideas.
 

Native

Free Natural Philosopher & Comparative Mythologist
Creativity in problems solving and "thinking outside the box" is absolutely essential to making progress in solving difficult problems. However, once an idea is postulated, it must be demonstrated. It must be shown to represent the world of our experience, of reality, and until then it can only be considered imaginative fiction.

Well it succeeded well without with Newtons gravity, who was accused for using an "occult agency" which isn´t scientifically explained by what dynamic means it should work. And it never will be either.

In this sense, Newtons gravity is nothing but "an imaginative fiction".
 

MikeF

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Well... If I'm right the major problem in science is that it does not account for consciousness. Perhaps I'm wrong about how big the changes will have to be to fix this issue.

Are you implying a universal consciousness? If so, there is no data to support such a conjecture. There is nothing to point to such a conclusion.

I don't find technology especially intriguing. Sure I like to invent things and see new inventions and ideas but technology is just a fascinating parlor trick. It does not answer any important questions like why are we here and how did it happen. Is there such a thing as infinity, God, or dividing by zero? What does random mean and does it exist?

There is no harm in speculating on such issues as long as you realize that what ever conclusion you draw is merely unsupported speculation. There is simply insufficient information to answer such questions at this time.

What can be answered is where our concepts of gods and other fictional entities came from, in my opinion. There is plenty of data that explains those stories.

Science has come a long way but it is still in its infancy.

Probably very true. The issue with the unknown is that we have no idea what it contains nor its boundaries. We have know way of estimating what it is that we do not know.

I'm saying that the process has been largely interrupted by it having been purchased and perverted for use in enriching the few. This perversion is not readily seen because so few understand how science really works. Scientists tend to not speak up because they need funding and it's foolish to bite the hand that feeds you.

Science is expensive for the most part. You can complain about it but it will always be an issue. It is simply one of the problems that must be mitigated as best we can. With limited resources, how society distributes resources is a constant political negotiation. There is no way around it.


Yes. We've always generally agreed but I think you are missing my point. The nature of modern science is reductionistic and this is a very poor perspective for seeing vast swathes of reality. It couldn't be worse for understanding consciousness and consciousness is the most important single characteristic in the universe and it is fundamental to every single scientist as well as everyone who come to believe in science. Science has become a dangerous new religion and it affects every aspect of real scientific pursuit and the understanding of these pursuits by the general public.

There are numerous valid criticisms which are simply ignored by Peers et al. There are solutions to numerous of these problems but they are not being discussed. Probably science will answer any of the challenges within a few decades in any case but in the meantime we aren't doing the things that would allow science to progress faster or the things that would have the greatest effect on the commonweal. We destroy far more than we consume. Too many human practices are unsustainable and rather than address the problems we seek new ways through purchased science to reward the few.

This is the issue for me; efficiency. Not only in operating and constructing systems but in furthering the goal of science; eliminating ignorance.

This does not illustrate a problem with science, rather, it illustrates the flaws and fallibilities of human beings themselves. If there were to be political consensus on solving our present unsustainable course, then science can provide those solutions. But the majority of humanity must get on board with recognizing the problem and be willing to accept short term sacrifices in order to make appropriate changes. If you can solve that problem, I see a Nobel prize in it for you.
 

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
This is misleading, which I am coming to realize is the intent. Our experience of the natural world remains unchanged. Your statement is certainly true for problems in which we have insufficient information to make a definitive determination. Scientific investigation is a process, and this process takes time. The history of science clearly *shows* that problems that were once as you suggest have been firmly resolved.

Your statement implies that the whole of scientific understanding and knowledge can be overturned in an instant. Nothing could be further from the truth.


No, you’ve misunderstood. I realise this was probably unintentional.

The history of scientific discovery is characterised in part by occasional, revolutionary paradigm shifts in which old ideas are shown to be erroneous; a commonly cited example is the rejection of the Ptolemaic astronomical model in favour of the heliocentric Copernican model - something which certainly did not happen “in an instant”. Our experience of the motion of the stars may remain unchanged, but our understanding of the cosmos has undergone a complete alteration; old ideas, shown to be ontologically unsound, are discarded in favour of the new.

Your mistake is in assuming that this process is somehow at an end, that we understand everything much better now, and that we are no longer vulnerable to the possibility that our current perspectives may be shown to be similarly illusory.

Everything we think we know now will, if history is any sort of guide, one day be shown to be at some profound level, illusory. That does not mean that all the wisdom, knowledge and insight of our culture is of no value; Newton’s laws of motion still work, his theory of gravity was used to plan Apollo missions. But we have known for some time that the notion we live in a deterministic, mechanical universe where forces act on objects locally through contact, is ontologically untenable at the fundamental level.

What we see is all symbol and metaphor; how we interpret these is a function of our subjective position in time and space. Accumulated knowledge and observed regularities allow as to manipulate the material environment, but this does not at all imply that our scientific theories tell us definite, objective facts about the nature of the world, or our experience of it.

Consciously and unconsciously, we are decoding a blizzard of bewildering information, constructing convenient narratives to navigate the world, exactly as our ancestors did. We may see ourselves as enlightened super beings, standing astride the frontiers of knowledge, the universe and all her secrets laid bare by the white heat of our technological mastery; but in reality we are still monkeys looking at the stars.
 
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