Ambiguous or just uncertain

John K Clark (johnkc@well.com)
Wed, 3 Jun 1998 09:06:02 -0700 (PDT)


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On Tue, 2 Jun 1998 Daniel Fabulich <daniel.fabulich@yale.edu> Wrote:

>From this perspective, it seems that all you have to do is ask the
>right question and truth and falsehood become completely meaningless.
>indeed, one might argue that this is the whole point of the koan.

I like it, very good point.

>Fortunately for us, however, our observations are consistent and, as
>Hara noted, 100% true.

The observations are certainly true and they are consistent in the sense that
they are repeatable, but they are not consistent with the way our everyday
macro world seems to operate nor are they consistent with the classical laws
of logic as Aristotle understood them.

On Tue, 02 Jun 1998 Ian Goddard <igoddard@netkonnect.net> Wrote:

>Why is reality fuzzy?

I don't know and I very much doubt that a clear unambiguous non circular
answer to that question exists. In other words the answer would be fuzzy.

>Reality is reality.

And fuzzy is fuzzy.

>The fuzziness lies in the mismatch between concepts and the physical
>reality.

Like an exasperated parent trying to answer the questions of a very
intelligent but overly curious child, nature tells us that it's foolish to
ask if an atom went through one slot or two, but it can't tell us exactly why
it's foolish. I think if the question really is silly it's because even
nature doesn't know the answer.

>If the photon goes through both slits, that is 100% true.

Saying the particle went through both slits is no better than any of the
other 3 possible answers. One quality truth is supposed to have is
immutability, yet I can change what was true. Even though the photon passed
the barrier with the slots in it 10 years ago I can manipulate the truth
about what happened then and I can to it right now, it all depends on how I
set up my detecting equipment. I can make whatever you want to be "true"
10 years ago. If you want me to make it true that a photon went through one
slit or both slits back in 1988 just tell me which you prefer and I'll make
it happen.

John K Clark johnkc@well.com

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