Open Ended Stream of Knowledge
[part 3 of 4]
© David Moorhead — January 2007
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In his entertaining talk presented at TED dot com, legendary physicist David
Deutsch weaves a compelling and complex stance for the study of quantum theory
as zenith for survival of the human species. My delight and much fascination
inspired this essay [part 3 of 4], highlighting a few of his revelations in
a 20-minute talk videoed in Oxford, UK, July 2005. Refer TEDTalks at ted dot
com.
The human species is creating an open ended stream of knowledge, because we’re
becoming aware of and recording happenings—as they happen and have happened
billions of years ago—in our physical environment and in the physical
universe.
Imagine using a telescope to view a further distance than we’ve just
been in our travels, and we’ll see quasars. (Quasars are quasi stars;
they look like stars but aren’t quite the same thing.)
Billions of years ago and billions of light years away, some matter in a quasar
collapsed in just the right moment, in just the right way that tremendous jets
of light bolted outward, with lobes as bright as a trillion suns. Here it is
billions of years later and billions of light years away on the other side of
our universe, some chemical scum can accurately describe, model, predict and
above all explain what was happening in physical reality in one of those jets.
As unlike as they could possibly be, the human brain contains an accurate
working model of that quasar, not just a superficial image of it, but an explanatory
model embodying the same mathematical relationships and causal structure.
That information is called knowledge.
And, if that weren’t amazing enough, the faithfulness with which the
brain and the quasar resemble each other is increasing with time, which creates
an open ended stream of knowledge. The laws of physics, with the knowledge
we are able to glean from them, create and show us that humans are indeed
special and vulnerable in our universe.
Earthlings, right now, are the particular chemical scum that contains universality;
our structure, with ever increasing precision, has evolved to contain the same
structure as every other thing within the physical universe. Our planet is a
hub of existence. One of the most important things about the physical world
and an open ended stream of knowledge is the laws of physics mandate our watchfulness.
Go to Inevitable
Opportunities [part 4].
Our constant curiosity
is key
to watching what’s being created.
~ David Moorhead |