I watched the moon through a double layer of clouds on a cold Spring night. The lower layer was thick and black. It moved quickly across the skies. The upper layer was a thin cool gray. The upper layer moved slowly biding its dear time.
For the most part, the night was black. I admit, I was paying less attention clouds or moon and more to the thoughts of the day. During short breaks in the lower clouds I paused in the glory of the night and looked at the skies in the misted light of the high altitude clouds.
The occasional break in the upper mass lit the sky's map of grand scale of the storm to come. While the chilled wind blew, I could see that my brief encounter with the moon would soon be gone for the night. I prepared to turn in before the rains commenced.
As the skies turned their darkest, there was a unexpected break in the heavens. For a brief fifteen seconds both layers of the cloud drew into perfect alignment and I saw for the first time that night the full illumination of the lunar body. The three quarters shape of the moon stood out in perfect clarity glowing through a tunnel of light.
The world around me lit up in its multidimensional clarity. My mind moved completely to the beauty of a world that continues to bring day after day a sense of amazement. The troubles of a wasted day in an artificial world vanished in a brief encounter with the true beauty of reality.
This is exciting news. Richard Arenstorf of Vanderbilt submitted a paper claiming to a solution of the Twin Prime Conjecture. A few months ago I was working on web page with Twin Prime as the keywords. If I had finished it, I would be getting lots of web hits. Unfortunately, I got a call from someone wanting me to write a program that they had absolutely no intention of every using (grumble, grumble). Distracted, I never finished the article.
Anyway, the gist of what I was trying to do with the prime pattern article was to show that one of the easiest ways to process prime numbers is to record the primes with binary string. Using binary strings, it is easy to see a relation between the twin prime conjecture and Goldbach conjecture. The patterns also indicate that there are infinite twin primes.
I printed Professor Arenstorf's paper, and will see if I can add any of the ideas to the prime patterns article.
Anyway, the gist of what I was trying to do with the prime pattern article was to show that one of the easiest ways to process prime numbers is to record the primes with binary string. Using binary strings, it is easy to see a relation between the twin prime conjecture and Goldbach conjecture. The patterns also indicate that there are infinite twin primes.
I printed Professor Arenstorf's paper, and will see if I can add any of the ideas to the prime patterns article.
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
I just stumbled into the web site Permanent Peace. Failed ideas never seem to die. The thesis of the site is that the world is controlled by a universal conciousness, and that, through a new thing called transcendental idealism, we will be able to control the waves of the universal conciousness. Using quantum mechanics, a new set of gurus has created a new scientific foundation for the universal conciousness called the "Field Theory of Consciousness."
The group claims to be unifying science and the ancient Vedic tradition under a new guru "His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi." They have a school in Iowa called the "Maharishi University of Management." I suppose it is trying to cash in on both the business and religious guru trends. They even have a new thing called a "US Peace Government" in position ready for any power grabs the group might aspire to in the future.
Just like most of the other transcendental idealisms, this new transcendental idealism seems to be picking up the dialectics of Zeno as well.
The funny thing is how similar this new transcendental idealism is to the long list of transcendental idealisms of the last several centuries. Each have the formula where they claim to be tapped into the universal oneness. Each claim to be new.
The new group seems to be attracting adherents. I am just left wondering if people will ever realize that these groups seeking to manipulate the "universal conciousness" generally end up doing more harm than good. They end up doing things like ramming airplanes into buildings.
Gurus claiming working to manipulate the universal oneness tend to promote group think and the pack mantality in their followers. It seems to me that the better path to peace is to encourage individuality. Historically, it seems that the people promoting freedom, human rights and limited government tend to have a better track record for promoting peace and prosperity than those claiming scientific control of history.
Anyway, Permanent Peace shows how old ideas never die. They just claim to be new again as people forgot the lessons of history.
The group claims to be unifying science and the ancient Vedic tradition under a new guru "His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi." They have a school in Iowa called the "Maharishi University of Management." I suppose it is trying to cash in on both the business and religious guru trends. They even have a new thing called a "US Peace Government" in position ready for any power grabs the group might aspire to in the future.
a single unified field of intelligence (or consciousness) lies at the basis of all diversity in the physical world.
Just like most of the other transcendental idealisms, this new transcendental idealism seems to be picking up the dialectics of Zeno as well.
The funny thing is how similar this new transcendental idealism is to the long list of transcendental idealisms of the last several centuries. Each have the formula where they claim to be tapped into the universal oneness. Each claim to be new.
The new group seems to be attracting adherents. I am just left wondering if people will ever realize that these groups seeking to manipulate the "universal conciousness" generally end up doing more harm than good. They end up doing things like ramming airplanes into buildings.
Gurus claiming working to manipulate the universal oneness tend to promote group think and the pack mantality in their followers. It seems to me that the better path to peace is to encourage individuality. Historically, it seems that the people promoting freedom, human rights and limited government tend to have a better track record for promoting peace and prosperity than those claiming scientific control of history.
Anyway, Permanent Peace shows how old ideas never die. They just claim to be new again as people forgot the lessons of history.
Monday, May 24, 2004
I finally gave in and downloaded Matrix Revolutions from Movie Link. (The actual download took six hours. It gave my computer something to do while I was asleep.)
I did not enjoy Matrix Reloaded. Stylish thugs are still thugs. The first Matrix presented interesting characters in an interesting situation. The second movie presented stylish thugs with God complexes.
Having heard negative reviews for Matrix Revolutions, I didn't bother seeing it in the theaters. Of course, having lower expectations made Matrix Revolutions much more enjoyable event. After downloading, I watched the fool thing twice. It turns out that "the architect" is something similar to the Black-Scholes pricing formula that simply tries to balance out equations. By trying to balance Neo with Agent Smith, the Matrix had created two rapidly diverging trends that it could not balance and was in the midst of a market crash similar to the Trillion Dollar Bet placed by Long Term Capital Management.
The human dramas of people trying to get back together, the swarming sentinnels and
The swarming sentinnels, APUs and other special effects made a good DVD event.
I did not enjoy Matrix Reloaded. Stylish thugs are still thugs. The first Matrix presented interesting characters in an interesting situation. The second movie presented stylish thugs with God complexes.
Having heard negative reviews for Matrix Revolutions, I didn't bother seeing it in the theaters. Of course, having lower expectations made Matrix Revolutions much more enjoyable event. After downloading, I watched the fool thing twice. It turns out that "the architect" is something similar to the Black-Scholes pricing formula that simply tries to balance out equations. By trying to balance Neo with Agent Smith, the Matrix had created two rapidly diverging trends that it could not balance and was in the midst of a market crash similar to the Trillion Dollar Bet placed by Long Term Capital Management.
The human dramas of people trying to get back together, the swarming sentinnels and
The swarming sentinnels, APUs and other special effects made a good DVD event.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
I've come across several reports on the trials of the US soldiers who abused Iraqi prisoners. Many of the reports begin by stating that the trials are a major embarrassment to the Bush Administration and might undermine the peace process.
It is strange how little people understand the dynamics of an open society. The very fact that trials are happening is one of the very few bright lights in the occupation of Iraq. The trials themselves are adding more legitimacy to the efforts to rebuild the nation than almost any other activity at the moment.
Democracy does not magically make abuses go away. It is as imperfect as all other forms of government. The truly important thing is that there are mechanisms to bring out the abuses.
Personally, I think Rumsfeld did a great deal of damage by sending prisoners to Guantanimo Bay where they are in legal limbo, and by ignoring the Geneva convention and out right rejection of all efforts to have an international legal body that could try war crimes. Rumsfeld is playing Saddam's game, a game one could argue that Saddam learned from George Bush the first.
The prisoner abuse really is not that great of an obstacle to the aims of democracy in Iraq. The real threat to peace came early when Rumsfeld tried to grant blanket immunity to American soldiers from war crimes. Dammit, when a true crime occurs, the US military wants the guilty parties tried as much as anyone else. Rumsfeld hubris in assuming that American soldiers were incapable of what they did is more of a problem than the trials.
Fortunately, Al Quaida is even more inept than the US. The abuse of Iraqi prisoners was turning international sentiment against the US. Beheading a US contract worker was one of the few acts that could turn international sentiment.
The warlords from the US are no better than the warlords ruling the middle east. Our best hope as a civilization is that open courts and a free press can eventually expose the ongoing abuses that take place in the US and abroad.
Speaking of misguided conservative meanderings. I tossed up a Socrates Meets Machiavelli. The work does not provide a substantive refutation of Machiavelli as I had hoped. It might convince people who are already convinced that Machavelli is a nefarious character that Machiavelli is a nefarious character...but does not go any further than preaching to a choir. It is an easy read, but that in itself is not a justification for reading the work; so I gave it a big thumbs down.
It is strange how little people understand the dynamics of an open society. The very fact that trials are happening is one of the very few bright lights in the occupation of Iraq. The trials themselves are adding more legitimacy to the efforts to rebuild the nation than almost any other activity at the moment.
Democracy does not magically make abuses go away. It is as imperfect as all other forms of government. The truly important thing is that there are mechanisms to bring out the abuses.
Personally, I think Rumsfeld did a great deal of damage by sending prisoners to Guantanimo Bay where they are in legal limbo, and by ignoring the Geneva convention and out right rejection of all efforts to have an international legal body that could try war crimes. Rumsfeld is playing Saddam's game, a game one could argue that Saddam learned from George Bush the first.
The prisoner abuse really is not that great of an obstacle to the aims of democracy in Iraq. The real threat to peace came early when Rumsfeld tried to grant blanket immunity to American soldiers from war crimes. Dammit, when a true crime occurs, the US military wants the guilty parties tried as much as anyone else. Rumsfeld hubris in assuming that American soldiers were incapable of what they did is more of a problem than the trials.
Fortunately, Al Quaida is even more inept than the US. The abuse of Iraqi prisoners was turning international sentiment against the US. Beheading a US contract worker was one of the few acts that could turn international sentiment.
The warlords from the US are no better than the warlords ruling the middle east. Our best hope as a civilization is that open courts and a free press can eventually expose the ongoing abuses that take place in the US and abroad.
Speaking of misguided conservative meanderings. I tossed up a Socrates Meets Machiavelli. The work does not provide a substantive refutation of Machiavelli as I had hoped. It might convince people who are already convinced that Machavelli is a nefarious character that Machiavelli is a nefarious character...but does not go any further than preaching to a choir. It is an easy read, but that in itself is not a justification for reading the work; so I gave it a big thumbs down.
Monday, May 17, 2004
On the crass commercial side of life. I just added a new advertiser to my brew of half hearted attempts to make cash on the internet. My new advertiser sells organic minerals. I am strangely drawn to the idea of selling organic minerals (leave aside the fact that minerals are by definition inorganic). One of the big problems with the modern society is that the minerals in our diet are chock full of chemicals. I believe in chemical free diets.
Anyway, I am now taken with the notion of organic minerals (An organic chemical is simply minerals from a plant source...so that it is easier to digest.) I also realize that I am really not cut out for trying to sell anything on the internet. Likewise, I think my quest to find chemical free water is doomed to failure as well.
Anyway, I am now taken with the notion of organic minerals (An organic chemical is simply minerals from a plant source...so that it is easier to digest.) I also realize that I am really not cut out for trying to sell anything on the internet. Likewise, I think my quest to find chemical free water is doomed to failure as well.
The joys of upgrades...the blogger site keeps unpublishing my blog! A small price to pay for all the nifty new features. Actually, I don't appear to be paying any price at all for the privilege of using the service.
I've been trying to force myself to finally start on the core of the descriptive mathematics site, but I am lost in a crisis of faith.
My version of math history is that the transcendental idealists set forth on the rather silly quest of trying to create a completely perfect mathematics, logic, language and philosophy. This quest for absolute perfection of logic and language has diverted our attention from the real wealth of mathematics...that is math gives us the ability to communicate about extremely complex topics like physics, the economy, etc..
The true wealth of mathematics is that it allows for a large number of diverse logical models. There is often similarities between subjects. Pursuing and discussing such similarities provides a great deal of insight, but we do not really need to unify all math and logic under a single banner.
The core of the descmath is to be a presentation on the Calculus. The problem is that the very aims of the model are diametrically opposed to just about all of the articles of faith professed by the transcendal idealists that control the subject.
To me, mathematics is like literature. It does not matter that the Lord of the Rings is not consistent with Star Wars. Different models provide different insights.
Anyway, I need to force myself to just finish the project. I really shouldn't care if the project is of absolutely no use to anyone accept as a fun little claim of intellectual independence.
Anyway, I need to publish this entry so my blog works again.
I've been trying to force myself to finally start on the core of the descriptive mathematics site, but I am lost in a crisis of faith.
My version of math history is that the transcendental idealists set forth on the rather silly quest of trying to create a completely perfect mathematics, logic, language and philosophy. This quest for absolute perfection of logic and language has diverted our attention from the real wealth of mathematics...that is math gives us the ability to communicate about extremely complex topics like physics, the economy, etc..
The true wealth of mathematics is that it allows for a large number of diverse logical models. There is often similarities between subjects. Pursuing and discussing such similarities provides a great deal of insight, but we do not really need to unify all math and logic under a single banner.
The core of the descmath is to be a presentation on the Calculus. The problem is that the very aims of the model are diametrically opposed to just about all of the articles of faith professed by the transcendal idealists that control the subject.
To me, mathematics is like literature. It does not matter that the Lord of the Rings is not consistent with Star Wars. Different models provide different insights.
Anyway, I need to force myself to just finish the project. I really shouldn't care if the project is of absolutely no use to anyone accept as a fun little claim of intellectual independence.
Anyway, I need to publish this entry so my blog works again.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
I popped up a review for The Golden Ratio by Mario Livio. Considering that Livio spent a great deal of effort in his work debunking the mysticism associated with the study of the golden ratio, the introduction of Platonic mysticism in the last chapter really stood out. Of course, Platonic mysticism tends to jump out of science in the same fashion. At its most severe, Platonism elevates mathematics itself to a religion. For that matter, one can find a great deal of Platonic notions in Christianity the many religions that preceded Plato.
In the last chapter, Livio introduces Benford's Law as an example of a secret hidden, unintuitive law that is behind mathematics. Benford's Law really is the observation that in a random selection of integers, more numbers begin with the digit "1" than with the digit "9." Personally, I don't see why this is counterintuitive...it seems to me that it is a direct result of way natural numbers work. Any way, I tossed up a a quick article on Benford's Law.
In the last chapter, Livio introduces Benford's Law as an example of a secret hidden, unintuitive law that is behind mathematics. Benford's Law really is the observation that in a random selection of integers, more numbers begin with the digit "1" than with the digit "9." Personally, I don't see why this is counterintuitive...it seems to me that it is a direct result of way natural numbers work. Any way, I tossed up a a quick article on Benford's Law.
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Many believe that U.S. society, which has always placed a premium on breakthroughs by individual achievement, must redefine its notion of success to include incremental advancements, often produced by committee in relative anonymity.
Reforms, not rhetoric, needed to keep jobs on U.S. soil; By Ed Frauenheim and Mike Yamamoto
I think this article has it wrong. The breakthroughs in science, computer science, etc.. are still made by individuals. We just never learn about the individuals. We have simply separated reward from effort. Rewards go to "innovators" not "inventers." The rewards and acclaim for a new discovery will go to the CEO or Venture Capital firm. The only rewards for wage employees is an insincere memo about how the company considers its employees its most important asset.
Perhaps our problem is that we have spent so much effort defending capitalism against communism that we have inadvertantly lost the value that the United States used to place on all people...not just the owners of capital. The current structure does not lend itself to allowing anyone beyond the board room the ability to really achieve their potential.
Friday, May 07, 2004
Hooray!!!! I got my very first PayPal payment. All of my pathetic attempts to music online, selling philosophical ponderings, and all the other weird auctions and ecommerce attempts never actually resulted in sales.
My first PayPal Payment came from an affiliate program for AirlineCareers.com which offers a school for airline attendants. I ran their ad for a year and got $27.00. Paypal took a $1.11 to complete the transaction. I guess they have transformed from the bait mode to switch mode.
Unfortunately, my attempts at promoting worthy causes has been as flat as my crass commercial interludes. The Gandhi Alliance for Peace and UNAU are having a Canines Against Landmines event on Saturday at Jordan Park in Salt Lake. The clicker on this site shows the site getting 8 hits a day for the week. The logs show all but two of the hits in the last three days were either from Googlebot or myself.
My first PayPal Payment came from an affiliate program for AirlineCareers.com which offers a school for airline attendants. I ran their ad for a year and got $27.00. Paypal took a $1.11 to complete the transaction. I guess they have transformed from the bait mode to switch mode.
Unfortunately, my attempts at promoting worthy causes has been as flat as my crass commercial interludes. The Gandhi Alliance for Peace and UNAU are having a Canines Against Landmines event on Saturday at Jordan Park in Salt Lake. The clicker on this site shows the site getting 8 hits a day for the week. The logs show all but two of the hits in the last three days were either from Googlebot or myself.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
The Ghandi Alliance for Peace will be having a Canine Against Landmines event on Saturday May 8th, 2004 in Jordan Park (Salt Lake City). My vain hope is to use the web to encourage people in the area to attend. Unfortunately, it is next to impossible to target such an audience with the web.
In the web publishing arena, I just uploaded Which Dialectics is Which. My mother put this article together in the 70s. The purpose of the article was to show how the term "dialectics" has been used at different times. I mentioned the time of writing as she spends more time on Moa Tse Tung than current thinkers might. We did not include the references to make it difficult for people to turn in this work as a homework assignment.
In the web publishing arena, I just uploaded Which Dialectics is Which. My mother put this article together in the 70s. The purpose of the article was to show how the term "dialectics" has been used at different times. I mentioned the time of writing as she spends more time on Moa Tse Tung than current thinkers might. We did not include the references to make it difficult for people to turn in this work as a homework assignment.