When reading such a question, anyone would probably think of an answer like "well, if physicists cease to exist I guess." However, physicists see their own discipline very differently, as somehow completely separated from themselves.
"However, the quantum corrections of loop quantum gravity allow for a repulsive force that can overwhelm even the strongest pull of classical gravity and therefore physics can continue to exist."
(https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181220111804.htm)
This fascinating statement form a Physicist gives physical properties to theoretical objects of a model. This is a beautiful and genuine category mistake, like the question "does physics continue to exist in the center of a black hole?" The physicist would certainly cease to exist... Physics? Well, it is a science, thought and theorized by humans. It doesn't "exist" independently of our human activity. The question is obviously meaningless.
Statements as the one cited above reveal a persisting Galilean belief in an omnipotent mathematician, a sort of god of physics that would lay down all the laws of physics at each time and place of the universe. From this point of view, we could probably say that physics "exists" at each of these points of space-time, everywhere where such laws would have been laid out.
Whether it is in Physics or in other scientific communities (like in A.I.), there seems to be a persisting and powerful Galilean (platonic?) paradigm, a paradigm that implicitly supposes a superior and omnipotent mathematician (like Galileo's god). Now the question should be asked whether or not such mainstream scientific belief could become a hindrance to scientific progress.
Balthasar et al.
A Balthasarian in the A.I. community
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Tired of using Facebook as a blog
I don't want to use Facebook as a blog anymore. Why should I invade my Facebook friends with thoughts and ideas that cross my mind? Sometimes, it's only interesting to me. Anonymous internet is a great place to publish self-indulging thoughts. And it's cheaper than therapy. Thank you internet for listening to what I have to say.
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