Seeing Is Unbelieving

[longship]

31. Actually I see no problems there

Gödel? Any significantly powerful system of number theory has propositions which are unprovable, etc. So what!? Gödel is a non sequitur in the context of mathematical physics. Do you honestly think that theoretical physicists are unaware of the abilities of the mathematics they are using?

Strings? M-theory? Multi-dimensional universes? These are a different approach to finding solutions to quantum physics, but as Gell-Mann and every physicist would admit, they would have to reproduce all the results of the extant quantum field theory, the standard model. So far it doesn't. Sic transit gloria mundi. Another non sequitur.

Scaling? The experiments you describe are indeed macro systems. So what! They are still single quantum systems which of course behave... (wait for it) quantumly! because they were designed to do so, using exotic materials like Bose-Einstein condensates, etc. what does this say about top-down causality? Oh, uh, nothing at all. They just act like normal quantum interactions, which granted may not be normal for our every day experiences, but says nothing at all about quantum entanglements in, for instance, your brain. We don't have Bose-Einstein condensates in our brain, or in any other normal materials we experience. Another non sequitur.

I agree that my terminology may be a bit loose here. But if you think that events at the macro (defined as "above the quantum level&quot can effect outcomes at the quantum level, go for it. There's probably a Nobel Prize there. And I would be cheering you on. You see I have no dog in this hunt. But when people make up science that ain't there, I feel I have the obligation to call them on it.

I'm not trying to be a jerk about it, but there is a lot of crapola out there about quantum and I don't like that because it causes people to think that it's all magic, or something. Well, it isn't. It may be difficult and seem strange, even to those who study it, but that doesn't mean you can assign just any attributes you want to it.

I guess I don't know what else to say except that these conversations have been a lot of fun. Plus, I'm getting better at keying on my iPhone -- no broadband here in the Manistee Nat'l Forest, barely have cell coverage here.