Words and distinctions matter
This delightful article describes, explains and illustrates just how important – and delightful – appreciating distinctions can be. Here are the 10 ideas discussed in the article:
- Proof
- Theory
- Quantum Uncertainty and Quantum Weirdness
- Learned versus Innate
- Natural
- Gene
- Statistically Significant
- Survival of the Fittest
- Geologic Timescales
- Organic
And … I have a small personal quibble with #3 – Quantum Uncertainty and Quantum Weirdness.
Ok, so it’s true that, “Just because the universe is not deterministic doesn’t mean that you are the one controlling it.”
But, and here’s my minor quibble, Quantum Entanglement argues that I, in some way, affect that which I observe; the observer and the observed are “entangled.” There are many of “us” observing and acting all the time, throwing us into the domains of Chaos Theory and Complex Adaptive Systems, and they demonstrably have the capacity to create self-organizing, “emergent” (not seen before, novel or surprising) behaviors and systems – which in turn observe and interact with its/their surrounding environment … to infinitum.
If quantum (sub-atomic) particles (quarks, leptons, mesons, muons …) somehow created a complex adaptive system called “Tom” typing these words – and the computer I’m typing on – and the internet that transmits this blog – is pretty strong evidence to me of that emergent behavior I mentioned above.
And I find my participation with and interaction within all this very cool.
You can read the complete article here.