DOCSLIB.ORG

I Ghosts II Persistence

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
I Ghosts II Persistence Notes I Ghosts 1. Famous mummies include those of the Egyptian pharaohs; those of people frozen in ice (such as Otzi the Iceman); and those of people buried in bogs (such as Lindow Man). The DNA in the mummy of Otzi has been sequenced (Keller et al., 2012). 2. One ancestor of digital ghosts is the Memex system (Bush, 1945). Another is the Teddy (Norman, 1992: ch. 6. The recorded personalities or constructs in William Gibson’s Neuromancer are also like digital ghosts (1984: 76–7). Ghosts play central roles in Gibson’s Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988). Nozick described intelligent programs that know your life history and that can simulate your personality (1989: 24–5). 3. Technologies for digital ghosts fall under the Capture, Archival and Retrieval of Personal Experiences (CARPE). One CARPE project is MyLifeBits (see Gemmell et al., 2002, 2003). For more on CARPE, see Steinhart (2007a). 4. As of June 2013, when Facebook is informed of your death, it changes the status of your account to memorial. Memorial timelines preserve most of their original content, but they are accessible only to friends and do not appear in searches. 5. Members of the Quantified Self movement digitally log many aspects of their daily lives, especially their physiological data (Swan, 2012). 6. Your second-generation ghost can include models of your personality based on your answers to long psychological exams (Bainbridge, 2003). It can include the ways you have tuned recommendation engines (Shafer et al., 2001). Those engines learn and store your preferences in books, music, art, movies, clothes, food, dating, and mating. 7. The classical digitalists argue that mentality is entirely computable (see Moravec, 1988, 2000 in their entirety). More specifically, see Moravec (2000: 72–88, 121–4) and Kurzweil (1999: ch. 3; replies in 2002; 2005: chs. 3 & 4). 8. An accurate digital ghost can pass a personalized Turing test. When your friends and family interact with your ghost (via some electronic interface), it can convince others into thinking that it is you. See Kurzweil (2005: 383). II Persistence 1. The concept of pipes as causal arrows is inspired by Salmon’s (1984) mark-transmission theory of causality and Dowe’s (1992) conserved quan- tity theory. Pipes transmit bits of information and they conserve program functionality. 2. The program shown in Figure 3 is Wolfram’s Rule 150 (it is 10010110). 217 218 Notes 3. Pipes are programs that transmit existence (they are if-then rules). Any pipe has this form: if there exists some previous object with its previous properties, then there exists some next object with its next properties. The programming of the pipe defines the relation between the previous properties and the next properties. 4. If some previous stage is linked by an updating pipe into its next stage, then the next stage is a successor of that previous stage. A stage y is a successor of stage x if and only if p is the program (I, S, O, F, G); x has the configuration (p, i, s, o); y has the configuration (p∗, i∗, s∗, o∗); p∗ is identical with p; the input i∗ comes from the environment; the state s∗ is F(i, s); and the output o∗ is G(i, s). All the stages in some process are linked by updating pipes if and only if each next stage is a successor of its previous stage. 5. The classical digitalists often write about the game of life. The classical digitalists include writers like Edward Fredkin, Hans Moravec, Ray Kurzweil, and perhaps Frank Tipler. See Moravec (1988: 151–8); Tipler (1995: 37–8); Kurzweil (2005: 520). 6. Digitalists affirm the Indiscernibility of Identicals, which states that for any things x and y,ifx is identical with y, then for every property p, x has p if and only if y has p. Having parts is like having properties. Hence this principle also implies that for any things x and y,ifx is identical with y, then for every thing z, z is a part of x if and only if z is a part of y. The Indiscernibility of Identicals is logically necessary. 7. Those who affirm identity through time are endurantists. They say that things endure. But many philosophers have denied that there is any iden- tity through time. They have attacked endurantism. Heraclitus was probably the first philosopher to attack endurantism: “You cannot step into the same river twice.” Since Heraclitus, many other philosophers have taken up the attack (see Quine, 1950; Browning, 1988; Heller, 1990: ch. 1). The arguments against endurantism are brilliantly developed by Sider (2001) and Hawley (2001). Like Heraclitus, digitalists argue against endurantism. 8. For a good collection of readings on persistence, see Haslanger & Kurtz (2006). For discussions of persistence in the game of life, see Steinhart (2012a). 9. For arguments that our universe is a cellular automaton, see Fredkin, Landauer, & Toffoli (1982); Fredkin (1991); Zeilinger (1999); Fredkin (2003). Still, it does not seem likely that our universe is a cellular automaton. For other ways to think of our universe as a network of computers, see Wolfram (2002); Kurzweil (2005: 85–94; 518–22). 10. Aristotelian physics involves only 3D substances interacting in a single universal present. For conflicts between special relativity and Aristotelian endurantism, see Balashov (2000a, 2000b), Hales & Johnson (2003), Sider (2001: ch. 4.4). 11. A discrete process is a function f from some ordinal K to some set of stages such that (1) f (m) is earlier than f (n) if and only if m is less than n; and (2) for every successor ordinal n + 1 in K, the stage f (n) persists into its successor stage f (n + 1); and (3) for every limit ordinal h in K, the series f (i)|i < h persists into its limit stage f (h). 12. On the one hand, the classical digitalists have many discussions of persis- tence (Moravec, 1988: 116–20; Tipler, 1995: 227–40; Kurzweil, 2005: 383–6). On the other hand, exdurantism is not developed until Sider (1996, 2001) Notes 219 and Hawley (2001). So Moravec and Tipler cannot have heard about it. And it does not seem fair to expect Kurzweil to have studied Sider and Hawley. Still, exdurantism is the theory of persistence most compatible with Kurzweil (2005: 383–6). 13. Kurzweil identifies himself with his body-pattern (2005: 385–6). He argues that the constant replacement of his parts “means the end of me even if my pattern is preserved” (385). This leads him to wonder “So am I constantly being replaced by someone else who just seems a lot like the me of a few moments earlier?” (385). On the basis of his own reasoning, his answer must be yes. Sadly, he then indicates that he will ignore his reasoning (386). He should have stuck with his reasoning – it was correct. 14. One pipeline may fission into many. Fission typically preserves programs. If the process Original fissions into the processes Left and Right, then one program runs through Original plus Left and also through Original plus Right. Hence Original plus Left and Original plus Right are two overlapping processes. Many pipelines may fuse into one pipeline. Fusion typically fails to preserve program functionality – the fused programs blend into one new program. If Right and Left fuse into Later, then Right and Left each end with the fusion, and Later is an entirely new process. 15. Fission (that is, twinning) negates identity through time. No thing can retain its identity through fission. Suppose A divides into B and C; the symmetry of the division and the preservation of form entail that A persists into B and A persists into C; but if this persistence is identity, then A is B and A is C; and, since identity is transitive, B is C; but that is wrong: B is not C. Hence fission shows that there is no identity through time. But fission does not negate persistence or continuity through time. 16. Cells divide naturally. But philosophers and digitalists have discussed artifi- cial body-fission (Parfit, 1985: 199–201; Moravec, 1988: 116–20; Kurzweil, 2005: 383–5). The best way to make sense out of body-fission is via exdurantism. 17. Someone may wish to argue that an organism must be biologically autonomous; yet no embryo has such autonomy; hence no embryo is an organism; on the contrary, it is merely an organ in the maternal body. On that view, early embryonic stages lack the values and rights of organ- isms. Nevertheless, on that view, later embryonic stages gain the values and rights of organisms as they gain biological autonomy. 18. The classical digitalists use the term pattern to refer to the program being run by a body (Moravec, 1988: 116–20; Tipler, 1995: 227–40; Kurzweil, 2005: 383–6). At times they seem to say that persons or bodies are identical with their patterns. But that is absurd: bodies and persons are concrete particular things; they are not abstract patterns. 19. Counterpart theory has its roots in the logic of possibility. It has its roots in the theory that there are other possible universes populated by other possible people – other possible versions of yourself. The logic of possi- bility is modal logic. Counterpart theory is used in modal logic to solve problems involving trans-world identity (Lewis, 1968, 1986). Counterpart theory is used in temporal logic to solve problems involving trans-time identity (Lewis, 1973: sec. 5.2; Sider, 1996, 2001). Digitalism uses counter- part theory to solve problems involving trans-death identity (see Steinhart, 2008).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • HUI What Is a Digital Object Metaphilosophy.Pdf
    bs_bs_banner © 2012 The Author Metaphilosophy © 2012 Metaphilosophy LLC and Blackwell Publishing Ltd Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK, and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA METAPHILOSOPHY Vol. 43, No. 4, July 2012 0026-1068 WHAT IS A DIGITAL OBJECT? YUK HUI Abstract: We find ourselves in a media-intensive milieu comprising networks, images, sounds, and text, which we generalize as data and metadata. How can we understand this digital milieu and make sense of these data, not only focusing on their functionalities but also reflecting on our everyday life and existence? How do these material constructions demand a new philosophical understand- ing? Instead of following the reductionist approaches, which understand the digital milieu as abstract entities such as information and data, this article pro- poses to approach it from an embodied perspective: objects. The article contrasts digital objects with natural objects (e.g., apples on the table) and technical objects (e.g., hammers) in phenomenological investigations, and proposes to approach digital objects from the concept of “relations,” on the one hand the material relations that are concretized in the development of mark-up languages, such as SGML, HTML, and XML, and on the other hand, Web ontologies, the temporal relations that are produced and conditioned by the artificial memories of data. Keywords: digital objects, phenomenology, metadata, Stiegler, Simondon. In this article I attempt to outline what I call digital objects, showing that a philosophical investigation is necessary by revisiting the history of philosophy and proposing that it is possible to develop a philosophy of digital objects.
    [Show full text]
  • Collision-Based Computing Springer-Verlag London Ltd
    Collision-Based Computing Springer-Verlag London Ltd. Andrew Adamatzky (Ed.) Collision-Based Computing , Springer Andrew Adamatzky Facu1ty of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 lQY British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Collision-based computing l.Cellular automata 1. Adamatzky, Andrew 511.3 ISBN 978-1-85233-540-3 Library of Congress Cataloging -in -Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. ISBN 978-1-85233-540-3 ISBN 978-1-4471-0129-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4471-0129-1 http://www.springer.co. uk © Springer-Verlag London 2002 Originally published by Springer-Verlag London Berlin Heidelberg in 2002 The use of registered names, trademarks etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made.
    [Show full text]
  • Quantum Mechanics Digital Physics
    Quantum Mechanics_digital physics In physics and cosmology, digital physics is a collection of theoretical perspectives based on the premise that the universe is, at heart, describable byinformation, and is therefore computable. Therefore, according to this theory, the universe can be conceived of as either the output of a deterministic or probabilistic computer program, a vast, digital computation device, or mathematically isomorphic to such a device. Digital physics is grounded in one or more of the following hypotheses; listed in order of decreasing strength. The universe, or reality: is essentially informational (although not every informational ontology needs to be digital) is essentially computable (the pancomputationalist position) can be described digitally is in essence digital is itself a computer (pancomputationalism) is the output of a simulated reality exercise History Every computer must be compatible with the principles of information theory,statistical thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. A fundamental link among these fields was proposed by Edwin Jaynes in two seminal 1957 papers.[1]Moreover, Jaynes elaborated an interpretation of probability theory as generalized Aristotelian logic, a view very convenient for linking fundamental physics withdigital computers, because these are designed to implement the operations ofclassical logic and, equivalently, of Boolean algebra.[2] The hypothesis that the universe is a digital computer was pioneered by Konrad Zuse in his book Rechnender Raum (translated into English as Calculating Space). The term digital physics was first employed by Edward Fredkin, who later came to prefer the term digital philosophy.[3] Others who have modeled the universe as a giant computer include Stephen Wolfram,[4] Juergen Schmidhuber,[5] and Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft.[6] These authors hold that the apparentlyprobabilistic nature of quantum physics is not necessarily incompatible with the notion of computability.
    [Show full text]
  • There's Plenty of Boole at the Bottom: a Reversible CA Against
    Minds & Machines DOI 10.1007/s11023-016-9401-6 There’s Plenty of Boole at the Bottom: A Reversible CA Against Information Entropy 1 2 Francesco Berto • Jacopo Tagliabue • Gabriele Rossi3 Received: 11 May 2016 / Accepted: 19 September 2016 Ó The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract ‘‘There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom’’, said the title of Richard Feynman’s 1959 seminal conference at the California Institute of Technology. Fifty years on, nanotechnologies have led computer scientists to pay close attention to the links between physical reality and information processing. Not all the physical requirements of optimal computation are captured by traditional models—one still largely missing is reversibility. The dynamic laws of physics are reversible at microphysical level, distinct initial states of a system leading to distinct final states. On the other hand, as von Neumann already conjectured, irreversible information processing is expensive: to erase a single bit of information costs *3 9 10-21 joules at room temperature. Information entropy is a thermodynamic cost, to be paid in non-computational energy dissipation. This paper addresses the problem drawing on Edward Fredkin’s Finite Nature hypothesis: the ultimate nature of the universe is discrete and finite, satisfying the axioms of classical, atomistic mereology. The chosen model is a cellular automaton (CA) with reversible dynamics, capable of retaining memory of the information present at the beginning of the universe. Such a CA can implement the Boolean logical operations and the other building bricks of computation: it can develop and host all-purpose computers.
    [Show full text]
  • There's Plenty of Boole at the Bottom: a Reversible CA Against Information Entropy
    UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) There's Plenty of Boole at the Bottom: A Reversible CA Against Information Entropy Berto, F.; Tagliabue, J.; Rossi, G. DOI 10.1007/s11023-016-9401-6 Publication date 2016 Document Version Final published version Published in Minds and Machines License CC BY Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Berto, F., Tagliabue, J., & Rossi, G. (2016). There's Plenty of Boole at the Bottom: A Reversible CA Against Information Entropy. Minds and Machines, 26(4), 341-357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-016-9401-6 General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (https://dare.uva.nl) Download date:27 Sep 2021 Minds & Machines (2016) 26:341–357 DOI 10.1007/s11023-016-9401-6 There’s Plenty of Boole at the Bottom: A Reversible CA Against Information Entropy 1 2 Francesco Berto • Jacopo Tagliabue • Gabriele Rossi3 Received: 11 May 2016 / Accepted: 19 September 2016 / Published online: 6 October 2016 Ó The Author(s) 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Mechanics
    Working Draft Do not Circulate Working Draft Digital Mechanics Edward Fredkin Carnegie Mellon University Digital Mechanics DM-Book5c.doc 1 © December, 2000 Ed Fredkin Moskito Island, BVI Working Draft Do not Circulate Working Draft Preface The Amazing Glorious Gift Somehow, when I was still a child, I was given a wondrous gift. I don’t know how or why; I didn’t even understand or appreciate it for decades. Neither did I realize that, apparently, this gift was given only to me. As the vast implications began to filter into my consciousness, my first reaction was to try to share my gift; but it was not to be. The pieces first started to fall into place some 20 years later, about 1960. Since then I have been able to glimpse and learn more and more about something unknown to others. Over many years this vision slowly transitioned from totally murky to almost clear in certain directions. Puzzling aspects have loomed like great glaciers, which only revealed their secrets as they quietly melted away. But still, even stranger than the Gift itself, is the fact that it has remained mine alone for all these years. I never ever thought to keep it a secret. In fact I sort ran to the rooftops and shouted to all who might listen "…maybe this is it, this could be how things work…" but no one has ever understood what I was trying to say. My reaction was always strange. I knew how beautiful it was yet I never had any concern for all those who couldn’t understand.
    [Show full text]
  • Master Thesis
    MASTER THESIS The Demon and the Abacus An analysis, critique, and reappreciation of digital physics Supervisors: Author: Dr. Ir. F.A. Bakker P.M.N. Sonnemans Prof. N.P. Landsman 4738799 June 11, 2020 Scriptie ter verkrijging van de graad “Master of arts” in de filosofie Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen ii Hierbij verklaar en verzeker ik, P.M.N. Sonnemans, dat deze scriptie zelfstandig door mij is opgesteld, dat geen andere bronnen en hulpmiddelen zijn gebruikt dan die door mij zijn vermeld en dat de passages in het werk waarvan de woordelijke inhoud of betekenis uit andere werken – ook elektronische media – is genomen door bronvermelding als ontlening kenbaar gemaakt worden. Plaats: datum: Abstract Digital physics (also referred to as digital philosophy) has a broad spectrum of theories that involve information and computation related alternatives to regular physics. This thesis provides an overview of the main branches of thought and theories in this field. The main claims that computation is either the ontological foundation of the universe or a useful way of describing the universe are critiqued on a philosophical level. Yet an effort is made to reappreciate the ideas in digital philosophy, especially in the way this approach can lead to a better understanding of the limitations of physics as it is constrained by formalization, computability, and epistemology. ii iii Contents Introduction3 1 Digital Physics: An Overview5 1.1 Konrad Zuse: The principles of Digital Physics.................6 1.2 Jürgen Schmidhuber: Applying computer science................9 1.3 Edward Fredkin: Proving pancomputationalism................. 11 1.4 Max Tegmark: Everything is mathematical.................... 15 1.5 John Archibald Wheeler: Its and bits......................
    [Show full text]
  • From Prespace Metaphysics to Discrete Quantum Mechanics
    The Computable Universe: From Prespace Metaphysics to Discrete Quantum Mechanics Martin Leckey B.Sc. (Hons.), M.A. Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Philosophy Department, Monash University October 1997 arXiv:1807.10826v1 [quant-ph] 30 Jun 2018 Contents Contents iii List of Figures vi Abstract vii Statement of Originality ix Acknowledgments xi 1 Introduction 1 2 Spaces, Causation, and Reality 7 2.1 Introduction . 7 2.2 Substantivalism, relationism, and the property view . 8 2.3 Spaces and perception . 8 2.4 Spaces and reality . 11 2.5 Spaces as property spaces . 12 2.6 Spaces and causation . 23 2.7 Space-time and causation . 26 2.8 Properties and laws . 26 2.9 Spaces and reduction . 28 2.10 Configuration space, phase space and logical space . 30 2.11 Quantum mechanics . 32 2.12 The wave function and reality . 36 2.13 Conclusion . 39 3 Prespace and Cellular Automata 43 3.1 Introduction . 43 3.2 Building the universe . 46 3.2.a UM1|Solipsistic dualism . 46 3.2.b UM2|Strong dualism . 47 iii Contents 3.2.c UM3|Materialism . 48 3.3 Cellular automata and discrete physics . 49 3.4 Functionalism . 52 3.5 Position and causation . 54 3.6 Mechanism . 56 3.7 Monism . 58 3.8 Spinoza . 58 3.9 Leibniz . 59 3.10 Kant . 60 3.11 Holism . 60 3.12 Relativity . 61 3.13 Computational heuristic principle . 62 3.14 Weak dualism . 64 3.15 Theism . 64 3.16 Conclusion . 67 4 Quantum Mechanics and Discrete Physics 69 4.1 Introduction .
    [Show full text]
  • Arxiv:1905.07527V1 [Cs.GL] 18 May 2019
    Brief Notes and History Computing in Mexico during 50 years∗ Genaro J. Mart´ınez1;2, Juan C. Seck-Tuoh-Mora3 Sergio V. Chapa-Vergara4, Christian Lemaitre 5 May 21, 2019 1 Escuela Superior de C´omputo,Instituto Polit´ecnicoNacional, M´exico. 2 Unconventional Computing Lab, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom. 3 Area´ Acad´emicade Ingenier´ıa,Universidad Aut´onomadel Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, M´exico. 4 Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Poli´ecnico Nacional, M´exico,D.F. 5 Universidad Aut´onomaMetropolitona, Unidad Cuajimalpa, M´exico,D.F. arXiv:1905.07527v1 [cs.GL] 18 May 2019 Figure 1: McIntosh's computer museum, Puebla, Mexico. ∗Genaro J. Mart´ınez,Juan C. Seck-Tuoh-Mora, Sergio V. Chapa-Vergara and Christian Lemaitre (2019) Brief notes and history computing in Mexico during 50 years, International Journal of Parallel, Emergent and Distributed Systems. DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/ 17445760.2019.1608990 1 The history of computing in Mexico can not be thought without the name of Prof. Harold V. McIntosh (1929-2015) [1, 2, 3]. For almost 50 years, in Mexico he contributed to the development of computer science with wide international recognition. Approximately in 1964, McIntosh began working in the Physics Department of the Advanced Studies Center (CIEA) of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), now called CINVESTAV. In 1965, at the National Center of Calculus (CeNaC), he was a founding member of the Master in Computing, first in Latin America. With the support of Mario Baez Camargo and Enrique Melrose, McIntosh continues his research of Martin-Baltimore Computer Center and University of Florida at IBM 709.
    [Show full text]
  • Decus Proceedings
    ... DECUS PROCEEDINGS 1962 PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS of The Digital Equipment Computer Users Society Maynard, Massachusetts Copyright 1963 by Digital Equipment Computer Users Society ACKNOWLEDGEMENT On behalf of DECUS I gratefully acknowledge the help of the Technical Publications Department, Digital Equipment Corporation, in the preparation of these Proceedings. President C. M. Walter DECUS OFFICERS March 1961-0ctober 1962 Executive Board: Comm ittee Cha irmen : Charlton M. Walter, President (AFCRL) Edward Fredkin, Programming (then BBN) John Koudela, Jr., Secretary (DEC) Lawrence Buckland, Meetings (lTEK) Will iam Fletcher, Equipment (BBN) Elsa Newman (Mrs.), Publ ications, DEC PREFACE This is the first Proceedings of meetings of the Digital Equipment Computer Users Society. Formed in March 1961, for the purpose of fostering the interchange of information, ideas, and the advancement of the art of programmed data processing - particularly with appl ication to the Digital PDP-1, the Society (DECUS) has grown in numbers and in scope. DECUS now maintains a programming library facility for its members and issues DECUSCOPE, a technical newsbulletin, every month. The papers presented at two Meetings wh ich took place in 1962 are the subject of these Proceedings. A one-day Symposium was held May 17, 1962 at ITEK Corporation in Lexington on the subject: "Image Processing and Displays.1I A two-day Annual Meeting, in October 1962, was hosted by the Computation and Mathematical Sciences Laboratory, AFCRL, Hanscom Field, Bedford. The papers presented covered a wide range of subjects and the meeting was highlighted by a lively Panel Discussion called: MACRO, DECAL, and the PDP-1. Some of the papers given then are still in the germ ina I state but the authors were prevailed upon to contribute them.
    [Show full text]
  • Metaphysics and Mathematics: Perspectives on Reality
    HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 8 Original Research Metaphysics and mathematics: Perspectives on reality Author: The essence of number was regarded by the ancient Greeks as the root cause of the existence 1 Gideon J. Kühn of the universe, but it was only towards the end of the 19th century that mathematicians Affiliation: initiated an in-depth study of the nature of numbers. The resulting unavoidable actuality of 1Department of Electrical infinities in the number system led mathematicians to rigorously investigate the foundations and Electronic Engineering, of mathematics. The formalist approach to establish mathematical proof was found to be University of Pretoria, inconclusive: Gödel showed that there existed true propositions that could not be proved to be South Africa true within the natural number universe. This result weighed heavily on proposals in the mid- Corresponding author: 20th century for digital models of the universe, inspired by the emergence of the programmable Gideon Kühn, digital computer, giving rise to the branch of philosophy recognised as digital philosophy. In [email protected] this article, the models of the universe presented by physicists, mathematicians and theoretical Dates: computer scientists are reviewed and their relation to the natural numbers is investigated. A Received: 17 May 2017 quantum theory view that at the deepest level time and space may be discrete suggests a Accepted: 15 July 2017 profound relation between natural numbers and reality of the cosmos. The conclusion is that Published: 16 Aug. 2017 our perception of reality may ultimately be traced to the ontology and epistemology of the How to cite this article: natural numbers.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Possibility of Quantum Informational Structural Realism*
    1 On the Possibility of Quantum Informational Structural Realism* Terrell Ward Bynum Southern Connecticut State University Abstract: In The Philosophy of Information, Luciano Floridi presents an ontological theory of Being qua Being, which he calls "Informational Structural Realism", a theory which applies, he says, to every possible world. He identifies primordial information ("dedomena") as the foundation of any structure in any possible world. The present essay examines Floridi's defense of that theory, as well as his refutation of "Digital Ontology" (which some people might confuse with his own). Then, using Floridi's ontology as a starting point, the present essay adds quantum features to dedomena, yielding an ontological theory for our own universe, Quantum Informational Structural Realism, which provides a metaphysical interpretation of key quantum phenomena, and diminishes the "weirdness" or "spookiness" of quantum mechanics. Key Words: digital ontology, dedomena, structural realism, quantum information, primordial qubit 1. Introduction: Physics and the Information Revolution It is a commonplace today to hear people say that we are “living in the Age of Information” and that an “Information Revolution” is sweeping across the globe, changing everything from banking to warfare, medicine to education, entertainment to government, and on and on. But how can information technology (IT) enable us to transform our world so quickly and so fundamentally? Recent developments in physics, especially in quantum theory and cosmology, may provide an answer. During the past two decades, many physicists have come to believe that our universe is made of information; that is, the universe is a vast “sea” of quantum information ("qubits"), and all objects and processes in our world (including human beings) are constantly changing quantum data structures dynamically interacting with each other.
    [Show full text]