natural theology > notes > 12 september 2004

Notes

[Notebook: Language DB 57]

[Sunday 12 September 2004 - Saturday 18 September 2004]

Sunday 12 September 2004

Monday 13 September 2004

Tuesday 14 September 2004

Wednesday 15 September 2004

[page 1]

Thursday 16 September 2004

Back from an interesting and thought provoking trip which centered on the preservation of the ancient languages and culture (stories) of the Aboriginal people living in and around Ngukurr. I can see another opening into academia. The first step is to take the MA in linguistics offered by UNE and then spend enough time living among the Aboriginal people to get a reasonable grasp of their stories about the experiences of existence.

A common feature of these stories is that they are represented in language, spoken and 'written' . . . as oral literature, music, dance, graphic art and so on. Here we consider language and art to be coterminous (better undifferentiated) a notion we capture in the sentences language is the art of communication; art is the language of communication.

Theology, like all other -ologies, is devoted to developing and communicating a certain set of models of the world. To do this it has over the centuries developed an expression of the nature of god in every language that has existed among humans since out time began. Since a theological model of the world has considerable practical import in the work of survival, and since the Aboriginal peoples of the world have survived for many millennia with what appear to have been substantially unchanging theological stories, we may hypothesize that these stories have considerable survival value in the environment in which these people lived.

[page 2]

Universal language embraces all particular languages. Linguists study many languages in order to identify common features and interesting differences between individual languages. It has been found through the study of similarities that languages fit an evolutionary tree in a way somewhat analogous to the tree of biological inheritance.

At the most general level of such study we have theories of abstract language devised by people like Chomsky. Chomsky It is at this level of generality that we want to introduce the transfinite network and substantiate (instantiate) it in all the -ologies from theology to physics. Here we find that language and linguistics are formally identical, even though language is concrete (cultural) and linguistics is theoretical (potential). Dynamics is related to statics as act and potential. (as Aristotle first mooted, although the made potential formally inferior to act. Modern physics says that potential (form) and act are formally identical. Language depends on formal (abstract) representations of things whose unique total representation is themselves. By truncating representations, we can create abstract versions of things, rather as we can delete the less significant digits of . . . numbers (replacing them with zeros as placeholders) and still get a pretty good representation of that number. Better to consider it in terms of the resolution of detail. Only the reality itself resolves every detail. Any linguistic representation leaves much to the imagination.

[page 3]

Friday 17 September 2004

Following Plato, we envisage a world of myriad forms. Following Cantor, we hypothesize that each of these forms can be represented by an ordered set of distinguishable symbols. Following Heracleitus, we also propose that this Universe of forms represented by a Universe of ordinal numbers is dynamic so that (possibly subject to certain rules) one form can be transformed into another. A mathematical device for transforming ordinal numbers into one another is the Turing machine or computer. A Turing machine moves from a given input state into a computed output state (or not state, if none exists for the input provided) in a deterministic way. It can transform a countable subset of all numbers into one another, either in a long winded way via a look up table, or more succinctly as an algorithm shorter than the look up table. Broader than the Turing machine, which deals with a countable set of discrete states, is the quantum machine which appears to constrain the physical transformations in the Universe, as, for instance, when an atom emits or absorbs a photon.

Sound religion is a public utility.

Saturday 18 September 2004

The old religions say that we are internally at war with ourselves, and tend to use the same warlike terminology and . . . actions in their relationships with one another,

So an article for the SMH 'A New Religion is the Only Answer'. For which, on order to overcome some of the associations of the words natural and

[page 4]

religion, we can coin the terms 'nare' and 'nate' for the religion and theology (respectively) proposed here.

The key to control is countability. One cannot control the uncountable. We can give a mathematical explication of these statements n terms of requisite variety and bandwidth. We postulate that observable == countable, and all observations are counts. What is being counted, however, may have uncountable quantities in its determination. So we postulate continuous wavefunctions defining with uncountable precision the possibility structure of a given set of (possible) events.

From a quantum mechanical point of view, what physics gives us us a set of carefully specified events, each of which is assigned a given probability. The total probability of any given set, no matter how many elements it contains may be normalized to one. If the set is countable, we arrange that that all the probabilities of the individual events sum to 1. In not-countable situations, the sum is replaced by an integral

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Chomsky, Noam, and Adriana Belletti, Luigi Rizzi (editors), Nature and Language, Cambridge University Press 2002 Amazon book description: 'In On Nature and Language Noam Chomsky develops his thinking on the relation between language, mind, and brain, integrating current research in linguistics into the burgeoning field of neuroscience. Following a lucid introduction is a penetrating interview with Chomsky, in which he provides the clearest and most elegant introduction to current theory available. It makes his Minimalist Program accessible to all. The volume concludes with an essay on the role of intellectuals in society and government. A significant landmark in the development of linguistic theory, On Nature and Language will be welcomed by students and researchers in theoretical linguistics, neurolinguistics, cognitive science and politics, as well as anyone interested in the development of Chomsky's thought. '
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Chomsky, Noam, and Nirmalangshu Mukherjee, B. N. Patnaik, R. K. Agnihotri, Rama Kant Agnihotri (editors), The Architecture of Language, Oxford University Press 2000 Jacket: 'Chomsky ... has consistently maintained that human beings are genetically endowed with an innate language faculty - a set of principles that constitute what he calls 'Universal Grammar'. Particular languages are generated by specific environmental conditions. This approach to the study of languages has been called a 'generative enterprise' and has revolutionised our understanding of human languages and other cognitive systems. This book consists of the edited transcipt of a lecture, delivered at the University of Delhi in January 1996, where Chomsky reflected on the history of the enterprise and related it to some strikingly novel advances in recent grammatical theory called the 'Minimalist Program'. Integrating philosophical and conceptual isses with empirical research, he sketched some of the key issues that have characterised generative grammar in recent years to chart out the agenda for future research in language theory.'
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Chomsky, Noam, and Mitsou Ronat, On Language: Chomsky's Classic Works Language and Responsibility and Reflections on Language in One Volume, New Press 1998 Amazon book description: 'Two of Chomsky's most famous and accessible works, back in print in one ... volume. ... On Language features some of the noted linguist and political critic's most informal and highly accessible work, making it an ideal introduction to his thought. In Part I ("Language and Responsibility") Chomsky presents a fascinating self-portrait of his political, moral, and linguistic thinking. In Part II ("Reflections on Language") Chomsky explores the more general implications of the study of language and offers incisive analyses of the controversies among psychologists, philosophers, and linguists over fundamental questions of language.'
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Dawkins, Richard, The Selfish Gene , Oxford UP 1976 Amazon: Editorial review: 'Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The Selfish Gene. Suppose, instead of thinking about organisms using genes to reproduce themselves, as we had since Mendel's work was rediscovered, we turn it around and imagine that "our" genes build and maintain us in order to make more genes. That simple reversal seems to answer many puzzlers which had stumped scientists for years, and we haven't thought of evolution in the same way since.' Rob Lightner
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Freud, Sigmund, Civilization and its Discontents, Wilder Publications 2010 'Newly designed in a uniform format, each new paperback in the Standard Edition [of Freud] opens with a biographical essay on Freud's life and work—along with a note on the individual volume (Peter Gay, Sterling Professor of History at Yale )
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Peacock, John A, Cosmological Physics, Cambridge University Press 1999 Nature Book Review: 'The intermingling of observational detail and fundamental theory has made cosmology an exceptionally rich, exciting and controversial science. Students in the field — whether observers or particle theorists — are expected to be acquainted with matters ranging from the Supernova Ia distance scale, Big Bang nucleosynthesis theory, scale-free quantum fluctuations during inflation, the galaxy two-point correlation function, particle theory candidates for the dark matter, and the star formation history of the Universe. Several general science books, conference proceedings and specialized monographs have addressed these issues. Peacock's Cosmological Physics ambitiously fills the void for introducing students with a strong undergraduate background in physics to the entire world of current physical cosmology. The majestic sweep of his discussion of this vast terrain is awesome, and is bound to capture the imagination of most students.' Ray Carlberg, Nature 399:322
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Pinker, Steven, How the Mind Works, W. W. Norton & Company 2009 Editorial review from Library Journal 'MIT's Pinker, who received considerable acclaim for The Language Instinct (LJ 2/1/94), turns his attention to how the mind functions and how and why it evolved as it did. The author relies primarily on the computational theory of mind and the theory of the natural selection of replicators to explain how the mind perceives, reasons, interacts socially, experiences varied emotions, creates, and philosophizes. Drawing upon theory and research from a variety of disciplines (most notably cognitive science and evolutionary biology) and using the principle of "reverse-engineering," Pinker speculates on what the mind was designed to do and how it has evolved into a system of "psychological faculties or mental modules." His latest book is extraordinarily ambitious, often complex, occasionally tedious, frequently entertaining, and consistently challenging. Appropriate for academic and large public libraries.' Laurie Bartolini, MacMurray Coll. Lib., Jacksonville, Ill. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc
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Tanenbaum, Andrew S, Computer Networks, Prentice Hall International 1996 Preface: 'The key to designing a computer network was first enunciated by Julius Caesar: Divide and Conquer. The idea is to design a network as a sequence of layers, or abstract machines, each one based upon the previous one. ... This book uses a model in which networks are divided into seven layers. The structure of the book follows the structure of the model to a considerable extent.'
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Yancey, Philip, I Was Just Wondering, Strand Publishing 2003 Amazon customer review: 'I Was Just Wondering is a collection of essays that Phil Yancey wrote for Christianity Today; he still writes the essays for the magazine. While I haven't read all of his books, I have read many. I read this book on my first sitting because I could see the genesis of his ideas for his other GREAT books (What is So Amazing About Grace, The Jesus I Never Knew, Where is God When it Hurts, etc.) So if you haven't read his other "true" books, read this book first. If you have read his other books, read this one as well. One sees that Yancey's ideas and theses are consistent, uplifting and God-inspired. I enjoyed the book and I am looking forward to reading Yancey's new book (The Bible Jesus Read).' A Customer
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Links

Extended Backus-Naur Form - Wikipedia Extended Backus-Naur Form - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 'In computer science, Extended Backus–Naur Form (EBNF) is a family of metasyntax notations used for expressing context-free grammars: that is, a formal way to describe computer programming languages and other formal languages. They are extensions of the basic Backus–Naur Form (BNF) metasyntax notation. The earliest EBNF was originally developed by Niklaus Wirth. However, many variants of EBNF are in use. The International Organization for Standardization has adopted an EBNF standard (ISO/IEC 14977). This article uses EBNF as specified by the ISO for examples applying to all EBNF:s. Other EBNF variants use somewhat different syntactic conventions.' back

Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics Chanda :: About Chandra :: Telescope system 'X-ray telescopes must be very different from optical telescopes. Because of their high-energy, X-ray photons penetrate into a mirror in much the same way that bullets slam into a wall. Likewise, just as bullets ricochet when they hit a wall at a grazing angle, so too will X-rays ricochet off mirrors. The mirrors have to be exquisitely shaped and aligned nearly parallel to incoming X-rays. Thus they look more like glass barrels than the familiar dish shape of optical telescopes.' back

Klein-Nishina formula - Wikipedia Klein-Nishina formula - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 'The Klein–Nishina formula[1] gives the differential cross section of photons scattered from a single free electron in lowest order of quantum electrodynamics. At low frequencies (e.g., visible light) this is referred to as Thomson scattering; at higher frequencies (e.g., x-rays and gamma-rays) this is referred to as Compton scattering.' back

Peruvian Inquisition - Wkipedia Peruvian Inquisition - Wkipedia, the free encyclopedia 'The Peruvian Inquisition was established on January 9, 1570 and ended in 1820. It was reinstated under King Felipe II of Spain in 1569. The Holy Office and tribunal of the Peruvian Inquisition were located in Lima, Peru.' back

Thompson scattering - Wikipedia Thompson scattering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In physics, Thomson scattering is the elastic scattering of electromagnetic radiation by a free charged particle, as described by classical electromagnetism. The electric field of the incident wave accelerates the particle, causing it to in turn emit radiation at the same frequency as the incident wave, and thus, the wave is scattered. Thomson scattering is an important phenomenon in plasma physics and was first explained by the physicist J.J. Thomson. back