from Frank Wilczek's Nobel (physics) lecture, 2004 ("Asymptotic Freedom")

[fflo]

In theoretical physics, paradoxes are good. That's paradoxical, since a paradox appears to be a contradiction, and contradictions imply serious error. But Nature cannot realize contradictions. When our physical theories lead to paradox we must find a way out. Paradoxes focus our attention, and we think harder.

Comments

[squirrelykat.livejournal.com]

wow. too darn confounding. i can't even think about it....makes me......

[fflo.livejournal.com]

I guess it's confounding by nature! or by Nature! Confoundedness is a tad confounding in its own right.

And as if I've not gone around in little circles in the gray matter already, back to ``The topological Tverberg theorem and winding numbers'' by Torsten Schönborn und Günter M. Ziegler von Berlin.

[squirrelykat.livejournal.com]

and i'll bet ya you'd like to know more about this: "Counting Upper Interactions in Dyck Paths"

[fflo.livejournal.com]

Oh, those combinatorial types always have their heads in their Dycks...