tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148573551417578681.post7885478844863288012..comments2024-03-27T19:47:13.475-07:00Comments on Dark Buzz: Aaronson says Tegmark devoid of contentRogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474078324293158376noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148573551417578681.post-90385824852223103162014-03-25T11:02:50.516-07:002014-03-25T11:02:50.516-07:00The ultimate scientific theory bullshit detector i...The ultimate scientific theory bullshit detector is 'hypostatization'. If your theory of 'whatever' depends upon a theoretical abstraction somehow becoming (hand waving magic) an actual physical anything to allow it to function, it's a fallacy and it's wrong. In essence, to use a counterfactual, 'if wishes were horses then beggars would ride', but wishes are NOT horses or even remotely close to horses (wishes = wistful abstraction, horses = actual things), and so beggars hoof it...so to speak. Math is not physical reality, it is a descriptive abstraction that like all abstractions requires a mind to reside within in order to have any meaning, purpose, or function, exactly like any other human language. The question I have is, why do mathematicians feel so qualified to spout such nonsense about physical extension and existence when they don't seem to even know what the words actually mean? Confusing or conflating abstraction and actuality is pretty sloppy conceptualization. If you have sloppy language skills, your mathematical ability will be severely hindered by your mind's inability to logically manage and manipulate abstract concepts which are necessary preconditions before further abstraction can be extrapolated. CFTnoreply@blogger.com