Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neocon who wrote (84701)	8/3/2000 2:00:53 PM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

Quantum mechanics prevents this level of metaphysical certainty, ever. Hence the "many worlds" contingent in QM... The syllogism notwithstanding, is not a proof but an example of a speculative IF/THEN relationship. What if some men are not mortal, and Socrates is usually a man, then he may or maynot be mortal and maynot even be a man. This is where logic breaks down. Metaphysical certainty ends and QM-like principles address this as probabilities. So, restating, men are probably mortal (men haven't found the fountain of youth yet), Socrates is probably a man (and hasn't undergone a sex change), therefore, Socrates is probably mortal (he could be a woman and women have found the fountain of youth). This probability is calculable based upon the other probabilities in the relationship chain (a Markov Chain). A and B = pr(A) x pr(B) = pr(c) So knowledge is never absolute in our universe but only a matter of what is its relative likelihood. This is a much more accurate description of how we "know" things that the syllogism would lead us to believe. We really can't know crap about men or Socrates, except as a probability.