From: Mark Steven Heyman (markheyman@infoproconsulting.com)
Date: Tue Aug 03 2004 - 20:53:13 BST
On 3 Aug 2004 at 18:11, johnny moral wrote:
Things that are discovered, like a new species or a new star or
planet, come into existence at the moment of discovery. Their prior
existence is then postulated back into history, which is now
different from what it had been, but it now has to be different,
there is no way for it to be consitent (or coherent) without this new
thing existing. It wouldn't make sense for the new thing not to
exist.
msh says:
Hi Johnny. I understand what you're saying. Your comment just made
me think of the other exchange I mentioned, which I actually
overheard between a student and professor, many years ago. It made
me laugh then. Still does.
There's a sense in which what you're talking about applies even in
SOM science and philosophy. You know, does a flower have a scent if
no one smells it? Does a falling tree make a sound if no one hears
it is? that star exploding now, or did it explode millions of years
ago. Impossible to prove, either way. It's like trying to see if
the refrigerator light is off when the door is closed: You can't open
it fast enough.
On the other hand, there are those astronomers who'll tell you we're
seeing galaxies that have existed for 10 billion years. How does
that square with the fact that the world's sentient inhabitants have
been around for less than 4 billion?
Anyway, thanks.
Mark Steven Heyman (msh)
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