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Physicist David Snoke thinks that Christians should not use the kalaam argument for God’s existence

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The kalaam argument:

The Cosmological Argument or First Cause Argument is a philosophical argument for the existence of God which explains that everything has a cause, that there must have been a first cause, and that this first cause was itself uncaused. The Kalam Cosmological Argument is one of the variants of the argument which has been especially useful in defending the philosophical position of theistic worldviews. The word “kalam” is Arabic for “speaking” but more generally the word can be interpreted as “theological philosophy.” (All About Philosophy)

David Snoke, president of Christian Scientific Society, co-authored a paper with Michael Behe (2004).

From his article, “Why Christians should not use the Kalaam argument,”

The Kalaam argument is essentially as follows, although there are many nuanced variations of it. First, the argument is made that there cannot be any real infinity in the universe (real in the sense of physically obtained and occurring). It therefore follows that time cannot be infinite in the backward direction, since there are no real infinities. One therefore must have an initial starting point to time. But because something cannot come from nothing, that starting point must have some sufficient cause outside itself. That starting point, or sufficient cause, must be something outside of time, which can be identified with God.

My main problem with this argument is its starting point, in rejecting the idea of any real infinity. It may very well be that the universe has a definite starting point in time, which we can identify as the Big Bang. But in modern physics and mathematics, there is nothing inconceivable or illogical about the idea of an infinitely old universe. If we reject that, it is because of the data and observations, not because it is a logical impossibility. More.

See also: What becomes of science when the evidence does not matter?

Comments
DS, a moment, there is a glaring problem with the rearrangement of a full set of occupied rooms converting it into a half empty set. KFkairosfocus
August 28, 2017
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KF,
Talk about endless, completed pasts such that there is always a past infinity are just that, talk. The issue is whether our conception of that past, so easy to symbolise mathematically by an ellipsis can be credibly traversed in finite stage cumulative steps. to that, my answer remains, that the accumulation of actual finite stage causally successive steps will only ever be finite, as can be seen by counting them.
I overlooked this part, relevant to my post above. Recall that I'm not trying to argue that the past actually is infinite. (For the gorillionth time). Others have stated that an infinite past is definitely mathematically or logically impossible, and I'm asking them to substantiate this. So, I hypothesize that the past is infinite, and sit back and wait for the someone to show the premise of an infinite past entails a contradiction (and not mere "red flags"). Those who have claimed that an infinite past is mathematically or logically impossible own the burden for demonstrating this. If no one does this, then I simply say that their case has not been made.daveS
August 28, 2017
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KF,
DS, You just saw a case, which was already explained on the difference in meaning between cardinality of finite and transfinite numbers: rearranging “full” to get half-empty. That Hotel paradox is glaring.
But there is no logical contradiction here. There is nothing wrong with an infinite set being in one-to-one correspondence with a proper subset of itself. "Paradox", perhaps, in the sense of "a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth" (from dictionary.com).
On traversal of the transfinite, at any stage beyond some given point the number of steps will always be finite. Assign a count of steps (as I did with the aligned pink vs blue punch tape thought exercise): 1,2,3, . . . k, k+1, k+2, . . . is such that k, k+1, k+2, . . . can be put in 1:1 correspondence with it, and will always have the endless continuation still ahead. Align P and B tapes, then slide the B such that k, k+1 etc align with P’s 1,2,3 etc. Both tapes onward from 1 and k will remain in perfect alignment and correspondence, with the endlessness still in front. That is, finite successive steps only ever actually count up to finite values as we can see by counting.
Only if we assume the traversal has a beginning. The relevant traversal here has no beginning, so the total number of steps executed prior to any point is never finite. Unless some new approaches to this question emerge, I suggest we agree to disagree on this point for now; perhaps in the future we can come to some resolution.daveS
August 28, 2017
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DS, You just saw a case, which was already explained on the difference in meaning between cardinality of finite and transfinite numbers: rearranging "full" to get half-empty. That Hotel paradox is glaring. On traversal of the transfinite, at any stage beyond some given point the number of steps will always be finite. Assign a count of steps (as I did with the aligned pink vs blue punch tape thought exercise): 1,2,3, . . . k, k+1, k+2, . . . is such that k, k+1, k+2, . . . can be put in 1:1 correspondence with it, and will always have the endless continuation still ahead. Align P and B tapes, then slide the B such that k, k+1 etc align with P's 1,2,3 etc. Both tapes onward from 1 and k will remain in perfect alignment and correspondence, with the endlessness still in front. That is, finite successive steps only ever actually count up to finite values as we can see by counting. There is no finite n such that the n+1th step in succession = omega, and this continues to any actual value of n we attain by cumulative finite stage steps. The cardinality aleph null is defined on observing the endlessness property and seeing that this is a new type of quantity, the first transfinite value. In short, we can address and traverse parts of potential infinities in steps [and point onward to the endless continuation involved] but not actually complete the traverse. After k steps, a finite but potentially a very large value, one still has the endlessness in front, in effect receding like a mirage or the end of the rainbow. Turning this to speak of the past, the only way to actually reach the present from some past p, is that the steps beyond p to now will be finite. We are only warranted to speak of a finitely remote past accessible to now in a finite sequence of onward, causally cumulative, finite stage steps. (As we will recall from earlier discussions, infinitesimal steps do not count.) Talk about endless, completed pasts such that there is always a past infinity are just that, talk. The issue is whether our conception of that past, so easy to symbolise mathematically by an ellipsis can be credibly traversed in finite stage cumulative steps. to that, my answer remains, that the accumulation of actual finite stage causally successive steps will only ever be finite, as can be seen by counting them. Your warrant for the claim that one can in fact physically traverse such a sequence of finite stage steps and complete a transfinite span thereby from the deep past of origins is _______ (apart from oh we think so). KFkairosfocus
August 28, 2017
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KF,
DS, why yes, we agree there is a gap between mathematical operations — even described via a colourful metaphor — and what is physically realisable. That does not change the fundamental incoherence of an entity which being full can become half empty by rearranging guests without building new rooms. That is where serious logical issues arise that point to a serious problem with an actually manifest physical infinity.
Well, I don't know of any specific logical problems the HH presents. A bit strange? Sure. Can you derive a logical contradiction from the premise that a HH physically exists? I have yet to see one.
And back on the material case, a claimed actually infinite past, we see that finite stage stepwise traversal of a transfinite span is impossible.
Maybe not "we" :P At least David Snoke and I remain unconvinced of this.daveS
August 27, 2017
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DS, why yes, we agree there is a gap between mathematical operations -- even described via a colourful metaphor -- and what is physically realisable. That does not change the fundamental incoherence of an entity which being full can become half empty by rearranging guests without building new rooms. That is where serious logical issues arise that point to a serious problem with an actually manifest physical infinity. And back on the material case, a claimed actually infinite past, we see that finite stage stepwise traversal of a transfinite span is impossible. Indeed, that manifests itself in even imagining an actual Hilbert's hotel in action. KFkairosfocus
August 27, 2017
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Why don't we just have God pop the rooms and their occupants into and out of existence at will? Since time begins only for a specific universe when it begins to exist God can create an infinite number of universes in no time at all. It's not like they have to compete for the same space. :)Mung
August 27, 2017
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KF, Returning to the version of the HH that Snoke deals with, where he describes the shifting as a "moving excitation": Snoke clearly assumes the guests move in succession, but as you mentioned above, they could all move simultaneously. In that case, the process could be completed, apparently. All guests shift to the next room in the first step, then the new guest moves into the first room. I take it we would have to appeal to some divine assistance there, for example God could signal all the hotel guests to move at the appropriate time (or help them to synchronize their clocks at least). It's still not clear to me that God couldn't construct such a scenario. Edit: If we allow that God could instantaneously teleport people arbitrary distances, then this would also allow the scenario where guest n moves to room 2n to be completed in a finite amount of time.daveS
August 27, 2017
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KF,
DS, WLC simply spoke in the context of the usual descriptions of Hilbert’s Hotel, bringing out the absurdities that show why such cannot be actualised. For instance, a previously full hotel can open up room for infinitely many new guests by moving current guests from room n to room 2n — presumably in parallel by unspecified means for sake of argument — then putting the new ones in odd numbered rooms.
Well, again, the version of the HH where guests in room n shift to room 2n also cannot be completed, even if they travel in parallel, because the set of distances the guests have to travel is unbounded. So once more, he describes a process which cannot be completed---it's physically impossible (yet mathematically possible). It never will be the case that all the new guests will be singly housed; in fact, none of the new guests will *ever* enter the hotel, assuming they must wait for all the original guests to finish moving. I don't see why this would indicate the hotel itself could not be actualized by God.daveS
August 27, 2017
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DS, WLC simply spoke in the context of the usual descriptions of Hilbert's Hotel, bringing out the absurdities that show why such cannot be actualised. For instance, a previously full hotel can open up room for infinitely many new guests by moving current guests from room n to room 2n -- presumably in parallel by unspecified means for sake of argument -- then putting the new ones in odd numbered rooms. In short, due to the difference in meaning of the cardinality of a set between finite and infinite ones, we can put a strict subset in 1:1 correspondence with the original one. The humourously absurd result is that without building one new room, full can be rearranged to be half-empty. This parallels my point that an infinite spatial array of objects . . . a decade ago it was stars . . . can be half split with a mirror and half matched with the whole. That extends to the line of snooker balls too: half the balls have the same cardinality as all of them. And more, showing more and more red flags. KFkairosfocus
August 27, 2017
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KF, A correction to my #254: These "rearrangements" I refer to do not necessarily correspond to permutations; however I think you can formulate them all in terms of a one-to-one (but not necessarily onto) function from a set A to itself.daveS
August 27, 2017
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The Hilbert Hotel is a perfect example of infinity + 1, carried out to infinity!ET
August 27, 2017
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Consider an arrangement A of physical objects, conjectured to actually exist in our universe. For example, the infinite line of snooker balls, the Hilbert Hotel, or even a finite collection of objects.
Let's conjecture a square circle. Let's conjecture all sorts of physically impossible things. Then let's conjecture that they are physically actual. ok, i think I'm following ...Mung
August 27, 2017
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KF, Let me try to reframe the issues, suppressing some of the irrelevant details. Consider an arrangement A of physical objects, conjectured to actually exist in our universe. For example, the infinite line of snooker balls, the Hilbert Hotel, or even a finite collection of objects. We can then discuss "mathematically possible" rearrangements of A. By that I mean rearrangements where we can unambigously specify where each object in A ends up. This could be done by giving a giving a one-to-one mapping from A to itself (a permutation, in other words) or by giving a procedure (for example, the sequence of shifts in a HH rearrangement) or through some other means. We can also discuss "physically possible" rearrangements of A. As a first approximation, I will say these are rearrangements of A that can be accomplished in a finite number of steps, with only one object moved per step. For example, simply intechanging guests 1 and 2 in the HH is physically possible, but housing a new guest in an already full HH is not physically possible. The question then becomes: Suppose we have some arrangement A for which there is some rearrangement which is mathematically but not physically possible. Does this imply that the arrangement A could not actually exist in the physical universe?daveS
August 27, 2017
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KF, Here's an undeniable proof that biology is more interesting than other sciences, including physics and specially cosmological physics which sometimes sounds like voodoo stuff: After the war, brilliant scientist Leo Szilard switched to biology!!! :) PS. Physicists Uri Alon at the Weizmann Institute and Jeff Gore at the MIT got involved in Systems Biology.Dionisio
August 27, 2017
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KF, Kind of "out of the central theme" digression for a moment: I didn't know until now that Hungarian Leo Szilard was the first highly distinguished scientist to recognize the connection between thermodynamics and Information theory. Just thought you'll like to read about this too. BTW, very clever decision: After Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, Szilard urged his family and friends to flee Europe while they still could. He moved to England. Foreseeing another war in Europe, Szilard moved to the United States in 1938. Here's food for thoughts: Love your neighbor as yourself? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szil%C3%A1rd_petitionDionisio
August 27, 2017
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PS to #249:
me: To sum up, we agree that Snoke shows the Hilbert Hotel shifting operations to be infeasible.
To be clear, we already knew the shifting operations in the HH were infeasible, but Snoke nicely points out that WLC's discussion is misleading on this matter.daveS
August 27, 2017
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KF,
Many of the yesterday's "facts" and theories have been proven to be wrong, and many of the today's "facts" and theories will be shown to be obsolete tomorrow (Turner, 2013). Therefore, there is a constant need for new and original ideas
Similarities between basic mechanisms of cosmic and biologic systems Raphael Kleinmann International Journal of Physical Sciences Vol. 11(1), pp. 1-10 DOI: 10.5897/IJPS2015.4396 Article Number: C6523F656941
What else is new?Dionisio
August 27, 2017
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KF,
DS, not so. Snoke’s discussion actually brings out that the process of trying to work with infinities as physical entities leads to all sorts of problems. For example, the shift over to room number n*2 to free up odd numbered rooms and then to allow new guests to come in, has all sorts of procedural difficulties that make it physically infeasible though it is trivial in terms of mathematical operations.
I agree with much of what you say about Snoke, but recall that WLC, in his discussion of the Hilbert Hotel, speaks as if all these shifting operations are actually feasible in the real world. In his description of the simplest scenario where just one new guest must be accommodated, he states that: Guest 1 is shifted to room 2, guest 2 is shifted to room 3, and so on to infinity; then the new guest is placed in room 1, and all guests are housed. Snoke correctly points out that this is not what would happen in the real world, so WLC's account is misleading. Snoke argues that one simply cannot carry out the operations implicit in the Hilbert Hotel paradoxes, but does that imply that a "Hilbert Hotel" structure of some sort could not exist? I don't see how.
Indeed even your suggestion above that God can instantly create a linear array of balls across an infinite cosmos shows this: this is a thinly disguised form of saying, we may describe mathematically and specify a mathematical operator that can do this, however the physical manifestation requires much more to the point where you have appealed to a miracle of creation, i.e. beyond laws of physics.
Yes, I certainly am invoking a miracle beyond the laws of physics with the snooker balls. To sum up, we agree that Snoke shows the Hilbert Hotel shifting operations to be infeasible. I don't see how that shows that an actually existing Hilbert Hotel itself is logically, mathematically, or even physically impossible. (Edit: By that I mean it's not clear God could not create a HH-type arrangement of matter).daveS
August 27, 2017
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@246 misspelling correction It should read: "reductionist bottom-up reverse engineering in lieu of top-down system-wide research"Dionisio
August 27, 2017
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KF, Do we see in biology the level of pseudoscientific hogwash in its central narrative as we see in cosmological physics?
[...] cosmology still seems to be at its first steps. Main issues such as, which theory for its birth is correct, the Big Bang or the String theory [or Penrose's CCC?], if it was born by an explosion or by bouncing, the meaning of time and constants, the number of universes, its shape, the number of its dimensions, its age, how to reconcile the general theory of relativity with the quantum theory, black holes or black stars, or weather it is only an illusion, are still widely debated. We do not know what is the composition of 95% of the universe, if it is going to collapse because of the gravitation, or fall apart due to its accelerated expansion, just to mention a few of the major mysteries [...]
Similarities between basic mechanisms of cosmic and biologic systems Raphael Kleinmann International Journal of Physical Sciences Vol. 11(1), pp. 1-10 DOI: 10.5897/IJPS2015.4396 Article Number: C6523F656941
Yes, perhaps we do too many times, but we've started to see more papers where that kind of nonsense is very limited and sometimes at the minimum required just to pass the establishment censorship.Dionisio
August 27, 2017
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KF @245, You wrote:
In both cases, analysis can be carried out and issues derived.
Yes, agree. But we have to admit that empirical data is becoming relatively easier to gather in biology than in cosmological physics. In biology many researchers, who were educated with a narrow-minded way of looking at their object of study, cannot think out of wrongly preconceived dogmatic paradigms, thus automatically seeing things through the distorting Darwinian lenses. That's why often they write papers sprinkled with so much pseudoscientific hogwash. Also their deficient academic preparation regarding scientific humility and open-mindedness leads them to do reductionist bottom-up reverse engineering in lieu of to-down system-wide research. Certainly in many technological constraints and/or data accessibility practically force them to take the reductionist bottom-up reverse engineering approach to researching. However, despite all those issues we see, still the produced reports usually contain valuable information about interesting discoveries --which too often the researchers describe as unexpected and surprising-- shedding more light on beautiful cellular and molecular choreographies (regulatory networks and signaling pathways) orchestrated within the robustly designed biological systems. Many biology researchers are unaware of the fact that their own papers clearly point to enormous amounts of complex functionally specified information being processed within the biological systems. Perhaps that's a reason why we see electrical engineers, control systems engineers, computer engineers, physicists and other non-biologists getting involved in biology-related research projects these days, at least in dry labs. Cosmological physics seems to present a different situation, because their inquirers are probing space-time realms beyond the linear historical narrative of our universe, hence they rely on mostly abstract multidimensional concepts that seem like pie in the sky daydreaming. Sometimes one gets the false impression that those folks are on heavy drugs or mentally exhausted after many sleepless nights. :) The cosmological physics research literature seems more convoluted, abstract, only accessible to an academic elite that barely can handle the mathematical formulations presented in their papers, hence rarely --or never-- can reach any logically coherent and fully comprehensive conclusion that could move scientific knowledge further in the right direction. @211 I was walking out the exit door from this thread, but turned around and remained a little longer after seeing you posting comments here, specially a timely correction to one of my misunderstandings. Biology research discoveries confirming the undeniable presence of complex functionally specified informational complexity within the robustly designed biological systems with their masterfully embedded variability framework, is what should keep the leash on the other areas of science, including cosmological physics, so that they don't run away so wildly into obscure ideas devoid of empirical confirmation as they seem to be doing these days.Dionisio
August 27, 2017
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Dionisio, I hear you. In both cases, analysis can be carried out and issues derived. The world of life is chock full of information and cybernetic systems that point to mastery level design, but that is all we can say on the empirical data. Evidence that the physics and substance of our observed cosmos are set to a deeply isolated operating point in the space of evident possibilities points to extra-cosmic, supremely clever and life-supporting design backed up by ability to build a cosmos. The rhetorical reactions, worldviews alternatives and comparative difficulties that come up on serious discussion are revealing and point to yet wider issues. For instance, the linked logic of being and the way our rationality needs conscience as a compass jointly call for a necessary being world root capable of bearing the weight of ought. Notice how, over years, we have never seen a serious alternative to the candidate put up by ethical theism, God. Also, how -- post Plantinga (cf. Free Will Defense etc) -- how atheists routinely dodge the issue that God is a serious candidate necessary being so that if you claim of imply warranted non-belief in God (as opposed to non-rational or even irrational disbelief and rhetorical dismissal) you have a responsibility of providing a reason to hold the God of ethical theism to be an impossible being even as a square circle is infeasible of being or as a finite stage stepwise cumulative process cannot actually finish traversal of a transfinite span. Further, notice, the habitual resort of all too many objectors to the trifecta of distraction, distortion and denigration: red herrings led out to strawman caricatures soaked in ad hominems and set alight to cloud, confuse, poison and polarise the atmosphere. Cumulatively, such patterns speak volumes as to the true balance on the merits and as to where the factions we see would take our civilisation. As in, march of ruinous folly enforced by ruthless manipulation and intimidation. As in, look all around you starting with the TV news channels and their increasingly sickening resort to the ruthless agit prop game. When we cannot even get an honest discussion of exactly what the national socialist german workers party manifestly was and what anarchism is i/l/o Marx's model of civilisational evolution to the capitalist, socialist and communist state on withering of the totalitarian socialist government, we must know that nothing good is afoot. KFkairosfocus
August 27, 2017
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DS, not so. Snoke's discussion actually brings out that the process of trying to work with infinities as physical entities leads to all sorts of problems. For example, the shift over to room number n*2 to free up odd numbered rooms and then to allow new guests to come in, has all sorts of procedural difficulties that make it physically infeasible though it is trivial in terms of mathematical operations. Snoke is CONSISTENT with the impossibilities of operationalising infinity. Indeed even your suggestion above that God can instantly create a linear array of balls across an infinite cosmos shows this: this is a thinly disguised form of saying, we may describe mathematically and specify a mathematical operator that can do this, however the physical manifestation requires much more to the point where you have appealed to a miracle of creation, i.e. beyond laws of physics. Physical instantiation of mathematical operations within our cosmos requires materials, organisation, controls, effectors, and processes, just like how we can make a logging amplifier, but then have to live with limitations of the device physics. The limitations Snokes points to imply physical infeasibility. The Hilbert Hotel paradoxes point to the implausibility of an actual infinity. The further issue of the actual case our cosmos would present -- temporally successive, causally linked cumulative finite stages that have to span the transfinite -- directly points to serious logical difficulties of any causal/dynamical process that would face a span the transfinite in space or time. Such processes include even the telecommunications that Hilbert's Hotel would require: HOW are guests to be told, move to room 2*n, where propagation of signals with embedded information requires feasible wave group velocity and energy transfers, thus finite, sub lightspeed rates of propagation. Infinite rooms implies infinite mass, and if that is not dispersed more or less nearly isotropically and expanding apart, that looks like triggering cosmos-scope gravitational collapse. Infinite mass also implies infinite energy and the sourcing of such is an open question. So would be handling such. And so forth. For one more thing, many years ago now I once pondered such a cosmos then suggested, do a half virtual world by imposing a mirror in the midst. In an infinite cosmos, stars on one side can be exhaustively matched 1:1 with those in the cosmos as a whole -- not, in principle and we cannot complete the potentially infinite operational process, but in actuality. And more. KFkairosfocus
August 27, 2017
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KF, "...notions such as metaphysical boundaries have become so blurred." "...empirical data is more difficult to gather (at higher energies and probing deeper than ever before)." "...inquirers are probing space-time realms beyond the linear historical narrative of our universe." "... non-empirical [...] emerge as fair game in the scientific community." A reason I prefer biology is that WYSIWYG, hence no much room left for speculation and obscene gossiping like we see in cosmological physics these days. The Darwinian fans speculate in order to keep their boat afloat. They do their exuberant extrapolations from micro to macro and other dirty tricks that are quite embarrassingly obvious sometimes. But still one can extract valid data from many research papers, while ignoring the pseudoscientific hogwash sprinkled through the text. Also empirical data is becoming relatively easier to gather in biology with the advance of technology, hence more data is coming out of both wet and dry labs, thus causing a big data problem in life science. That seems more difficult to achieve in cosmological physics literature, doesn't it? Biology is the area of science where the complex functionally specified information is much easier detectable. The biological narrative is independent of the cosmological models being discussed. The questions remain in all models.Dionisio
August 26, 2017
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KF,
I suggest that Snokes’ remark is little more than accepting that the Hilbert Hotel paradoxes involve incomplete-able supertasks, directly connected to the implication of a claimed actual infinity. All of that adds to the force of the paradoxes and the implication that we should not jump too readily from assertions about abstract sets to the physical world.
I think it also undermines WLC's claim that the Hilbert Hotel shows convincingly that an actual infinity cannot exist in the universe. As Snoke explains, in the physical world (where supertasks cannot occur), you simply end up with an uncompletable shifting process rather than a straightforward paradox.daveS
August 26, 2017
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Inflation is an example of a speculative idea that is generally accepted by cosmologists today, even if they agree that it is somewhat post hoc and will potentially be replaced in the future. It is unclear whether scepticism towards metaphysics constitutes the norm in cosmology, especially as notions such as metaphysical boundaries have become so blurred. Non-empirical criteria are beginning to play a major role, especially when empirical data is more difficult to gather (at higher energies and probing deeper than ever before). The same could be said for cosmology, where inquirers are probing space-time realms beyond the linear historical narrative of our universe. Where empirical methods are contested, it appears that non-empirical ones emerge as fair game in the scientific community.
“Why These Laws?”—Multiverse Discourse as a Scene of Response Jacob Pearce doi: 10.1162/POSC_a_00245 Perspectives on Science Volume 25 | Issue 3 | May-June 2017 p.324-354
Dionisio
August 26, 2017
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Dionisio, yes, the aeons become finite stages in cumulative causal succession, which is where the entropy runaway question comes from, an issue with oscillating universe claims. Entropy, energy quality degradation, is fundamentally irreversible for reasons connected to the relative abundance -- statistical weight -- of clusters of microstates in systems, thence probability of clusters. The overwhelming trend is to move towards more likely clusters, which degrades available energy to drive changes. KFkairosfocus
August 26, 2017
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DS, I got back up for a moment, to follow up on a point I forgot about 1,000 mi from here . . . I have some new assignments similar to my Dad's where he was working for 35 years and was not able to get all through for his Dad. I suggest that Snokes' remark is little more than accepting that the Hilbert Hotel paradoxes involve incomplete-able supertasks, directly connected to the implication of a claimed actual infinity. All of that adds to the force of the paradoxes and the implication that we should not jump too readily from assertions about abstract sets to the physical world. KFkairosfocus
August 26, 2017
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By the end of the twentieth century, many prominent cosmologists were fascinated by the questions why is the universe the way it is, and why does the universe appear to be just right for life to emerge. Indeed, the shift to posing questions beginning with why rather than what or how is a relatively recent development in modern cosmology.
“Why These Laws?”—Multiverse Discourse as a Scene of Response Jacob Pearce doi: 10.1162/POSC_a_00245 Perspectives on Science Volume 25 | Issue 3 | May-June 2017 p.324-354
Dionisio
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