JP Barlow and Grey Mush

Ira Brodsky (ibrodsky@ix11.ix.netcom.com)
Tue, 24 Sep 1996 18:40:51 -0600


Sarah Marr wrote:

>Cling to black and white facts, and annoy an awful lot of very successful
>scientists working with statistical quantum mechanics.

Yes, but they would have never made it to that point had they not absorbed
entire libraries full of black and white facts. <g>

Seriously, I agree there are paradoxes, there is a time for doubting
certainty, and there is utility to fuzzy logic. But these are not useful
starting points -- especially not for children.

Which leads me to another thought: if at bottom the universe is just grey
mush, doesn't this suggest a limit to scientific progress? [He shudders.]
How do you control something that exists merely within a range of
probabilities? Perhaps there are some physicists around here who can
provide reassuring answers...

Ira Brodsky
Datacomm Research Company
Wilmette, Illinois