From: Mark Phillips (clay8@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Apr 27 1999 - 17:12:47 MDT
Dear Anders:
Your point(s) is (are) well-taken. Nevertheless, you and our
Extropian compadres should be aware of and appreciate the fact that
Sirag, in particular, has, over the last 20-odd years, published
several very innovative and important papers in some of the most
(deservedly) well-respected and competently referee'd science journals
in the world. Among them, NATURE, and, if I'm not mistaken, PHYSICS
LETTERS. He's got a book out, HYPERSPATIAL Crystallography (sorry,
can't recall the publisher), and a condensed version of his overall
stuff appears as an appendix in a volume on consciousness edited by
Jeff Mishlove (sorry, yet again I can't recall the name of the darn
book). I think it's worth checking out. In basic terms he's arguing
that there is, essentially, one hyperspatial realm (or, perhaps
better, meta-realm) which has a very high number of dimensions
(indeed, is, perhaps, n-dimensional) but which has two utterly
distinct (yet interactive) algebras. One algebra describes (indeed,
more or less IS) spacetime and (more or less n-dimensional)
hyperspacetime. The other algebra describes (various levels and/or
realms of) consciousness. Now, harking back to mainstream,
garden-variety philosophy 101, this means that Sirag's stuff is indeed
in one sense quite monistic (there's ultimately only one
(hyper)space), but it is utterly dualistic algebraically. Now I'm
sure as heck no Gauss or Euler, but anyone with higher math training
can follow Sirag's stuff (at least to a fairly significant extent),
and it certainly seems promising. Indeed, the algebra(s) involved is
essentially similar to the stuff already used in super-string
theory(s).
Now, admittedly, the monistic aspect does strike me as uncomfortably
Parmenidean, but, hey, if the math works, and ultimately can bring
forth some useful technology, then I'm cool with it. But, again, I
agree whole-heartedly that one should be constructively skeptical
toward this sort of stuff. But, in all fairness, Sirag is a competent
(if not, indeed, brilliant) mathematical physicist who's trying to
develop an operational physics of consciousness (among other things).
I applaud him for this; and rather obviously, it may have profound,
PRACTICAL implications for uploading, personal identity preservation,
time travel (even!) and perhaps even more-or-less complete mastery of
(hyper)spacetime! Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. I'm just
trippin'--Sounds damned near utterly fantastic (i.e., impossibly
fanciful, if not bull manure). But then, hey, so did even simple
(much less fully matured, full-blown) nanotech as recently as, say, 10
years ago! And, besides, isn't that ultimately what Extropianism,
Venturism, Esfandiarianism, etc. is all about?!?! Attaining
"god-like" powers over (the ultimate constituents of) reality itself
(for the joy of self-actualization, or whatever)!!
As for Bearden, well, he's attempting to re-organize (or, perhaps
better: reconstruct) meta-physics (i.e., the (meta)theoretical
foundations of physics itself). Now this may seem a rather
high-falutin', almost egomaniacal project---but, HEY, SOMEONE'S GOTTA
DO IT! Bearden's papers cite several turn-of-the-(20th)century papers
which, he contends, if properly appreciated and understood, would go
far both toward revolutionizing current theorizing as well as in the
bargain integrate quantum theory and (general) relativity. And, no,
once again, I don't have the citations handy (MEA CULPA!!), but
they're readily findable on the net in Bearden's articles. He, like
Sirag, should be respected and check out seriously. Yet, he should be
studied critically (if not, indeed, skeptically), but also without
mainstream prejudice.
In sum, Anders, you're right about the critical/skeptical approach to
this stuff, and I respect your opinion(s), but we Extropians should,
in my opinion, seriously check Bearden and Sirag's stuff, as it is
relevant to extropian themes and aspirations (even if much of this
stuff IS, admittedly, in the nascent stages of its development).
ONWARD AND UPWARD! TOWARD META-COSMIC HORIZONS!
Best regards to all,
Mark aka CLAY8
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