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

Re: begging to differ

[(Anonymous)]

Well, indeed. And oh my. Here kicks in the really deep philosophy, curiously also the least deep.

No attachment is "safe" or "real", perhaps, but there may be comfort in the collective realization (there's that word again) of that reality (and there it is again).

That second sentence of yours really has me pondering. It's rad. "Why might that be?" I ask myself, and I'm off to the races.

Seems like the forbidden territory in social discourse that I'm thinking of is the deconstruction of identity itself. Which sorta takes care of the mortality conundrum, but at the cost of the very thing the mortality hang up is hung on.

Maybe I'd better drink that coffee now, and come to---I feel my mental day on a slippery slope on the edge of a whirling gyre/drain, like at the end of that hybrid video game at Pinball Pete's with the raft and the rowing---a big drain I've not yet figured out how to avoid slowly succumbing to, despite rowing like a nut. (And am not likely to figure it out, at $1 a play---it's a nice long play, but my hunch estimate is that it'd take at least about a dozen tries to learn how to get out of that ending.) (At least after you bite it, though, you're transported up into a white light, and it doesn't seem unpleasant.)

Re: begging to differ

[shmizla.livejournal.com]

most literally/directly, i mean that the transparency of 'science' makes science and its findings accessible. in itself, not a bad thing, unless pharmaceutical companies and crazed politicians get a hold of them, in which case (as we're experiencing now) we can all know how it works, but they'll be the ones deciding on the application.

they'll be selling the 'knowledge' and they'll sell it to whoever will pay. if you don't want to pay, you can always 'steal' it. either way, it's the 'knowledge' that can't be hidden.

the sad twist is that these people who enjoy the asymptotic freedom are generally funded by the zealots, who suck the juice of their joy, but there would be no conditions for asymptotic freedom without the leeches. so the point is, i think, to strike some balance about how much joy you let on to those who would sell it.

won't even get into identity politics -- makes me gag.