Thread

1. general_reveal · 1789632157 · focus · HN ↗

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   1. n4r9 · 1789634153 · focus · HN ↗

      This is probably a reference to Hume's problem of induction, i.e. that observing a regularity in the past cannot justify assuming that it will hold in the future. It's vaguely related to the article, but talking about "time windows" and "Mathers" muddles the point.

      1. general_reveal · 1789634390 · focus · HN ↗

         Is it vaguely related? He wondered why measuring anything even works. Why wouldn’t the measurement disappear, thus making all this measuring pointless? Because, apparently the measurement(s) are true each time-step, and it will be true for that time, until it’s not true. Why it reasonably works well for us? Well, God , I guess. Same way the Sun doesn’t burn our skin off (God, I guess, but some have issues with that).

         Sorry, I had to critique that immediately because I could already see that other second paragraph I quoted coming, as in, this author probably worships Math, Science, and those that do it, certainly not God, because he was unable to characterize the phenomena of it as related to God.

         1. GoblinSlayer · 1789639659 · focus · HN ↗

            Measurement works because universe moves in a simple way. As Hume indicates, you need very complex motion for irregularity, maybe even sentient, but sentient universe is fairy tale.

            1. n4r9 · 1789723712 · focus · HN ↗

               Could you cite your reference to Hume here please? I'm not aware of him linking complexity to regularity.

               1. GoblinSlayer · 1789725199 · focus · HN ↗

                  Chicken and farmer.

                  1. n4r9 · 1789726564 · focus · HN ↗

                     That's Russell rather than Hume, and I don't see how it links to complexity.

                     1. GoblinSlayer · 1789806305 · focus · HN ↗

                        The chicken has a problem with prediction of future because of intelligent behavior of the farmer, i.e. the farm is a conspiracy of sorts.

                        1. n4r9 · 1789830329 · focus · HN ↗

                           I wonder if you're reading too far into one example. Hume's original example was of the sun rising every day - nothing to do with sentience or arguably even complexity. The chicken/farmer example is one that Russell came up with to make it easier to imagine.

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