Eight Thought Experiments

from WIRED MAGAZINE: ISSUE 15.06

The Best Thought Experiments: Schrödinger's Cat, Borel's Monkeys
Greta Lorge 05.22.07

1. Galileo's balls
Contrary to what your teachers told you, Galileo Galilei likely did not drop balls from the Tower of Pisa; he conducted the gravity experiment in the laboratory of his mind. His 16th-century peers believed heavier objects fell faster than light ones. So Galileo imagined a heavy ball attached by a string to a light ball. Would the light ball create drag and slow the heavy one down? Nope, he concluded, they would hit the ground simultaneously.

2. Schrödinger's cat
A cat is trapped in a box with radioactive material, a Geiger counter, and a mechanism rigged to release poison if particle decay is detected. According to Erwin Schrödinger, the cat exists in two probable states. But that doesn't track with reality (cats are not both alive and dead). Proposed in 1935, the postulate illustrates that some quantum concepts just don't work at nonquantum scales. Also that Schrödinger was a dog person.

3. Searle's room
A man sits alone in a room. Someone slips paper with Chinese writing on it under the door. The man doesn't read Chinese, but with a set of instructions he's able to manipulate the symbols and respond. To an observer, the man appears to understand the language. Philosopher John Searle devised the scenario in 1980 to make a point about computers. CPUs, like his man, lack comprehension and thus can't have humanlike intelligence.

4. Hawking's turtles
The 1988 book A Brief History of Time begins with the story of a scientist giving a lecture on astronomy. At the conclusion of his talk, a woman insists he's wrong: Earth is a flat plate carried on the back of a giant turtle. The scientist asks what the turtle is standing on, and the woman says, "It's turtles all the way down!" Stephen Hawking used the story to caution fellow cosmologists against piling one unproven theory upon another.

5. Einstein's light beam
When he was 16, Albert Einstein daydreamed about chasing after a beam of light until he caught up to it. At that point, young Einstein reasoned, the light wave would appear frozen. The problem: This was impossible according to the thinking back in 1895. Somehow, this little glitch led Einstein right to the theory of special relativity. Lost? Don't worry. Physicists still debate exactly how this mental exercise got him there.

6. Borel's monkeys
Variations go back to Aristotle, but the modern version of the infinite-monkey theorem was introduced in 1913 by French mathematician Émile Borel. You know the deal: An infinite number of monkeys pecking at typewriters for an infinite length of time will "almost surely" produce the complete works of Shakespeare. Seems unlikely, because our minds have a hard time grasping the infinite. Mathematically, it's true.

7. Maxwell's demon
In 1867, James Clerk Maxwell pictured two chambers, A and B, each filled with gas at the same temperature and with a door between them. Theorists later had a demon open the door (without doing any work) to let the fastest-moving molecules pass from A into B, and the slowest from B to A. Over time, the speed of the atoms (and therefore the temperature) increases in B — a violation of the second law of thermodynamics.

8. Parfit's teleporter
Philosopher Derek Parfit is famous for basing thought experiments on sci-fi. In 1984, he envisioned a teleporter malfunction, like the one that made two James T. Kirks in an episode of Star Trek. Teleporters annihilate every particle in you, then rebuild them from scratch. What happens if the original isn't destroyed? Which is the real you? Parfit says both. Evil Kirk would disagree.

read more

Illustration by Mark Matcho

Eight Thought Experiments

from WIRED MAGAZINE: ISSUE 15.06

The Best Thought Experiments: Schrödinger's Cat, Borel's Monkeys
Greta Lorge 05.22.07

1. Galileo's balls
Contrary to what your teachers told you, Galileo Galilei likely did not drop balls from the Tower of Pisa; he conducted the gravity experiment in the laboratory of his mind. His 16th-century peers believed heavier objects fell faster than light ones. So Galileo imagined a heavy ball attached by a string to a light ball. Would the light ball create drag and slow the heavy one down? Nope, he concluded, they would hit the ground simultaneously.

2. Schrödinger's cat
A cat is trapped in a box with radioactive material, a Geiger counter, and a mechanism rigged to release poison if particle decay is detected. According to Erwin Schrödinger, the cat exists in two probable states. But that doesn't track with reality (cats are not both alive and dead). Proposed in 1935, the postulate illustrates that some quantum concepts just don't work at nonquantum scales. Also that Schrödinger was a dog person.

3. Searle's room
A man sits alone in a room. Someone slips paper with Chinese writing on it under the door. The man doesn't read Chinese, but with a set of instructions he's able to manipulate the symbols and respond. To an observer, the man appears to understand the language. Philosopher John Searle devised the scenario in 1980 to make a point about computers. CPUs, like his man, lack comprehension and thus can't have humanlike intelligence.

4. Hawking's turtles
The 1988 book A Brief History of Time begins with the story of a scientist giving a lecture on astronomy. At the conclusion of his talk, a woman insists he's wrong: Earth is a flat plate carried on the back of a giant turtle. The scientist asks what the turtle is standing on, and the woman says, "It's turtles all the way down!" Stephen Hawking used the story to caution fellow cosmologists against piling one unproven theory upon another.

5. Einstein's light beam
When he was 16, Albert Einstein daydreamed about chasing after a beam of light until he caught up to it. At that point, young Einstein reasoned, the light wave would appear frozen. The problem: This was impossible according to the thinking back in 1895. Somehow, this little glitch led Einstein right to the theory of special relativity. Lost? Don't worry. Physicists still debate exactly how this mental exercise got him there.

6. Borel's monkeys
Variations go back to Aristotle, but the modern version of the infinite-monkey theorem was introduced in 1913 by French mathematician Émile Borel. You know the deal: An infinite number of monkeys pecking at typewriters for an infinite length of time will "almost surely" produce the complete works of Shakespeare. Seems unlikely, because our minds have a hard time grasping the infinite. Mathematically, it's true.

7. Maxwell's demon
In 1867, James Clerk Maxwell pictured two chambers, A and B, each filled with gas at the same temperature and with a door between them. Theorists later had a demon open the door (without doing any work) to let the fastest-moving molecules pass from A into B, and the slowest from B to A. Over time, the speed of the atoms (and therefore the temperature) increases in B — a violation of the second law of thermodynamics.

8. Parfit's teleporter
Philosopher Derek Parfit is famous for basing thought experiments on sci-fi. In 1984, he envisioned a teleporter malfunction, like the one that made two James T. Kirks in an episode of Star Trek. Teleporters annihilate every particle in you, then rebuild them from scratch. What happens if the original isn't destroyed? Which is the real you? Parfit says both. Evil Kirk would disagree.

read more

Illustration by Mark Matcho

Thomas Merton on Voyages of Discovery

What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.

Thomas Merton

Random Wordle

Random Wordle

An Evening with Philip Yancey 2008

Author Philip Yancey explores the influence of faith and spirit on his writing in this interview with Dean Nelson of Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: Writer's Symposium By The Sea

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An Evening with Philip Yancey 2008

Author Philip Yancey explores the influence of faith and spirit on his writing in this interview with Dean Nelson of Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: Writer's Symposium By The Sea

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Escape to L-Space

L-space, short for library-space, is the ultimate portrayal of Pratchett's concept that the written word has powerful magical properties on the Discworld, and that in large quantities all books warp space and time around them. The principle of L-space revolves around a seemingly logical equation; it is an extension of the aphorism 'Knowledge is Power':

Large quantities of magical and mundane books create portals into L-space that can be accessed using innate powers of librarianship that are taught by the Librarians of Time and Space to those deemed worthy across the multiverse. Because libraries with enough books to open a portal are often large and sprawling, those venturing into L-space may not necessarily know that they have arrived. The floor and ceiling of L-space follow the floor and ceiling of the library used to access it; the best example of this is that the central dome of Unseen University's library is "always overhead". In every direction and as far as the eye can see bookshelves stretch off, meaning the nature of any walls are unknown.

Alternatively, it can be said that L-space manifests in our world in those obscure, hidden bookstores that, logic and the laws of physics insist, cannot possibly be as large on the outside as they appear on the inside. Somehow, after scraping one's shoulders against the improbably small door, one finds one's self turning one unseen corner after another, seemingly going on forever into further and more obscure sections as yet unobserved by human eyes. The town of Hay-on-Wye, known for having more bookshops per square mile than anywhere else in the world, contains many examples of this, and may be a substantial access point to L-space. Essentially, all bookstores are potentially infinite in extent; gateways into literary hyperspace: "[a] good bookshop is just a genteel blackhole that knows how to read."

Because L-space links every library, it is possible to reach any one of these throughout space, time and the multiverse. This means that there are potentially other forms of data storage other than books as it represents every library anywhere. Additionally, one can read any book ever written, any book that will be written at some point and books that were planned for writing that were not, as well as any book that could possibly be written. As this is a form of interdimensional and time travel, there are strict limits on its use, and the Librarians of Time and Space, that is those who have access to L-space have developed three simple rules to ensure abuse is kept to a minimum:
(1) Silence
(2) Books must be returned by the last date stamped
(3) Do not interfere with the nature of causality


Senior librarians are also taught how to deal with the dangers of navigating L-space, such as the "harmless kickstool crabs, large and heavy wandering thesauri, the .303 bookworm and the dreaded cliches, which must be avoided at all costs". Adventurers may find markings and scribbled notes on the shelves to help them navigate.

The Librarian moves through L-space back in time to discover when the book on the summoning of noble dragons was stolen and to confirm that it was stolen by the Elucidated Brethren. During his journey he sees himself asleep at his desk and is tempted to communicate, but realises that this would be breaking the third rule and stops himself. He does however leave the library and follow the thief through the streets, demonstrating how L-space can be used for time travel outside of the library itself.

The Librarian joins the Wizards in a Lancre adventure to stop elves from ruining the wedding, and ending the lives, of the new royal family, which includes former witch Magrat Garlick. Within this we learn "the thaumic mathematics are complex, but boil down to the fact that all books, everywhere, affect all other books." From there the nature of bi-directionalism is revealed to demonstrate that any book ever to be written can be found in any book not yet written. In mathematical terms, as noted in The Science of Discworld, L-Space represents a form of phase space. This made possible the study of invisible writings.

Painting: the Science of Discworld

source

Escape to L-Space

L-space, short for library-space, is the ultimate portrayal of Pratchett's concept that the written word has powerful magical properties on the Discworld, and that in large quantities all books warp space and time around them. The principle of L-space revolves around a seemingly logical equation; it is an extension of the aphorism 'Knowledge is Power':

Large quantities of magical and mundane books create portals into L-space that can be accessed using innate powers of librarianship that are taught by the Librarians of Time and Space to those deemed worthy across the multiverse. Because libraries with enough books to open a portal are often large and sprawling, those venturing into L-space may not necessarily know that they have arrived. The floor and ceiling of L-space follow the floor and ceiling of the library used to access it; the best example of this is that the central dome of Unseen University's library is "always overhead". In every direction and as far as the eye can see bookshelves stretch off, meaning the nature of any walls are unknown.

Alternatively, it can be said that L-space manifests in our world in those obscure, hidden bookstores that, logic and the laws of physics insist, cannot possibly be as large on the outside as they appear on the inside. Somehow, after scraping one's shoulders against the improbably small door, one finds one's self turning one unseen corner after another, seemingly going on forever into further and more obscure sections as yet unobserved by human eyes. The town of Hay-on-Wye, known for having more bookshops per square mile than anywhere else in the world, contains many examples of this, and may be a substantial access point to L-space. Essentially, all bookstores are potentially infinite in extent; gateways into literary hyperspace: "[a] good bookshop is just a genteel blackhole that knows how to read."

Because L-space links every library, it is possible to reach any one of these throughout space, time and the multiverse. This means that there are potentially other forms of data storage other than books as it represents every library anywhere. Additionally, one can read any book ever written, any book that will be written at some point and books that were planned for writing that were not, as well as any book that could possibly be written. As this is a form of interdimensional and time travel, there are strict limits on its use, and the Librarians of Time and Space, that is those who have access to L-space have developed three simple rules to ensure abuse is kept to a minimum:
(1) Silence
(2) Books must be returned by the last date stamped
(3) Do not interfere with the nature of causality


Senior librarians are also taught how to deal with the dangers of navigating L-space, such as the "harmless kickstool crabs, large and heavy wandering thesauri, the .303 bookworm and the dreaded cliches, which must be avoided at all costs". Adventurers may find markings and scribbled notes on the shelves to help them navigate.

The Librarian moves through L-space back in time to discover when the book on the summoning of noble dragons was stolen and to confirm that it was stolen by the Elucidated Brethren. During his journey he sees himself asleep at his desk and is tempted to communicate, but realises that this would be breaking the third rule and stops himself. He does however leave the library and follow the thief through the streets, demonstrating how L-space can be used for time travel outside of the library itself.

The Librarian joins the Wizards in a Lancre adventure to stop elves from ruining the wedding, and ending the lives, of the new royal family, which includes former witch Magrat Garlick. Within this we learn "the thaumic mathematics are complex, but boil down to the fact that all books, everywhere, affect all other books." From there the nature of bi-directionalism is revealed to demonstrate that any book ever to be written can be found in any book not yet written. In mathematical terms, as noted in The Science of Discworld, L-Space represents a form of phase space. This made possible the study of invisible writings.

Painting: the Science of Discworld

source

Tim Keller on Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Belief in an Age of Skepticism?"
March 4, 2008, at The University of California, Berkeley

Noted pastor and author Dr. Tim Keller discusses the place of exclusive truth in a pluralistic society in Wheeler Auditorium, followed by a Q&A session.

Hosted by Reformed University Fellowship, Dr. Keller's talk is part of The Veritas Forum at Cal, following Francis Collins' lecture in February on Christianity and science.

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Tim Keller on Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Belief in an Age of Skepticism?"
March 4, 2008, at The University of California, Berkeley

Noted pastor and author Dr. Tim Keller discusses the place of exclusive truth in a pluralistic society in Wheeler Auditorium, followed by a Q&A session.

Hosted by Reformed University Fellowship, Dr. Keller's talk is part of The Veritas Forum at Cal, following Francis Collins' lecture in February on Christianity and science.

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Euthanasia: A Christian Perspective

Contemporary Issue Ministry of Graduates' Christian Fellowship (GCF) presents:

Euthanasia: A Christian Perspective

19th January 2009
7.30pm-9.30pm

Venue: 420 North Bridge Road, #05-04 North Bridge Centre

"What is 'Euthanasia'? A Public Issue"
Speaker: Dr. Alastair Campbell
Director of Centre of Biomedical Ethics at National University Singapore.


"Euthanasia for Christians: Why, How and Because"
Speaker: Dr. Alex Tang
A paediatrician at the Johor Specialist Hospital and the Director of the Spiritual Formation Institute, Malaysia.


"Hospice & Palliative Care: Importance, Challenges, and Christians' Vocation"
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Tan Soo Inn
Chairman & Training Consultant of Graceworks and Grace@work.


About the Speakers:

Prof. Alastair V. Campbell is the Director of Centre for Biomedical Ethics in National University of Singapore. He is a former President of the International Association of Bioethics. In 1999, Professor Campbell was given the prestigious Henry Knowles Beecher award, which recognizes his lifetime of contribution to ethics and the life sciences. Professor Campbell is a member of the Bioethics Advisory Committee to the Singapore Government, and a Board Member of the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore.

Dr. Alex Tang is a pediatrician at Johor Specialist Hospital, an adjunct lecturer in the Monash Medical School, and the Director of Spiritual Formation Institute. He has his medical trainings from Malaysia (MD), Glasgow (DCH), Edinburgh (FRCP) and USA (FCCP). After obtaining a Master Degree from Malaysia Bible Seminary, he is now pursuing a Ph.D at Asia Graduate School of Theology. Besides numerous written articles on ethical issues from a Christian point of view, Dr. Alex has a few books under his authorship; 'A Good Day to Die' is one that specifically addresses 'euthanasia'. He is also an active blogger.

Rev. Dr. Tan Soo-Inn is the Chairman and Training Consultant of Graceworks and Grace@work ministries. He left the dentistry to pursue a pastoral vocation. Soo-Inn obtained his Master of Theology degree from Regent College, Vancouver. Later on, he obtained his Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, California. Currently an Honorary Associate Pastor with Evangel Christian Church, his primary passions include connecting the Word of God to the struggles of daily life, and the promotion of the discipline of spiritual friendship. Soo-Inn's knowledge of hospice and palliative care are not learned from books... He lost his wife to cancer.


The forum is free but registration is required as seats are limited.

Please register by sending an email to gcfsing@gcf.org.sg or call 63386283

.

Euthanasia: A Christian Perspective

Contemporary Issue Ministry of Graduates' Christian Fellowship (GCF) presents:

Euthanasia: A Christian Perspective

19th January 2009
7.30pm-9.30pm

Venue: 420 North Bridge Road, #05-04 North Bridge Centre

"What is 'Euthanasia'? A Public Issue"
Speaker: Dr. Alastair Campbell
Director of Centre of Biomedical Ethics at National University Singapore.


"Euthanasia for Christians: Why, How and Because"
Speaker: Dr. Alex Tang
A paediatrician at the Johor Specialist Hospital and the Director of the Spiritual Formation Institute, Malaysia.


"Hospice & Palliative Care: Importance, Challenges, and Christians' Vocation"
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Tan Soo Inn
Chairman & Training Consultant of Graceworks and Grace@work.


About the Speakers:

Prof. Alastair V. Campbell is the Director of Centre for Biomedical Ethics in National University of Singapore. He is a former President of the International Association of Bioethics. In 1999, Professor Campbell was given the prestigious Henry Knowles Beecher award, which recognizes his lifetime of contribution to ethics and the life sciences. Professor Campbell is a member of the Bioethics Advisory Committee to the Singapore Government, and a Board Member of the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore.

Dr. Alex Tang is a pediatrician at Johor Specialist Hospital, an adjunct lecturer in the Monash Medical School, and the Director of Spiritual Formation Institute. He has his medical trainings from Malaysia (MD), Glasgow (DCH), Edinburgh (FRCP) and USA (FCCP). After obtaining a Master Degree from Malaysia Bible Seminary, he is now pursuing a Ph.D at Asia Graduate School of Theology. Besides numerous written articles on ethical issues from a Christian point of view, Dr. Alex has a few books under his authorship; 'A Good Day to Die' is one that specifically addresses 'euthanasia'. He is also an active blogger.

Rev. Dr. Tan Soo-Inn is the Chairman and Training Consultant of Graceworks and Grace@work ministries. He left the dentistry to pursue a pastoral vocation. Soo-Inn obtained his Master of Theology degree from Regent College, Vancouver. Later on, he obtained his Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, California. Currently an Honorary Associate Pastor with Evangel Christian Church, his primary passions include connecting the Word of God to the struggles of daily life, and the promotion of the discipline of spiritual friendship. Soo-Inn's knowledge of hospice and palliative care are not learned from books... He lost his wife to cancer.


The forum is free but registration is required as seats are limited.

Please register by sending an email to gcfsing@gcf.org.sg or call 63386283

.

Reformation Wall

(At the centre of the Wall are statues to William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. The Christogram can be seen below the statues.)

Reformation Wall, is a monument located in Geneva, Switzerland. It honors many of the main individuals who were part of the Protestant Reformation. The Wall is in the grounds of the University of Geneva, founded by John Calvin. It was inaugurated in in 1909.

At the centre of the monument are four statues of Calvinism's main proponents: (1) Theodore Beza (1519 – 1605), (2) John Calvin (1509 – 1564), (3) William Farel (1489 – 1565), and (4) John Knox (c.1513 – 1572).

To the left (facing the Wall, ordered from left to right) of the central statues are the statues of: (1) William the Silent (1533 – 1584), (2) Gaspard de Coligny (1519 – 1572), and (3) Frederick William of Brandenburg (1620 – 1688).

To the right (ordered from left to right) are the statues of: (1) Roger Williams (1603 – 1684), (2) Oliver Cromwell (1599 – 1658), and (3) Stephen Bocskay (1557 – 1606).

Along the wall, to either side of the central statues, is engraved the motto of both the Reformation and Geneva: Post Tenebras Lux (Latin for After darkness, light).

Reformation Wall

(At the centre of the Wall are statues to William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. The Christogram can be seen below the statues.)

Reformation Wall, is a monument located in Geneva, Switzerland. It honors many of the main individuals who were part of the Protestant Reformation. The Wall is in the grounds of the University of Geneva, founded by John Calvin. It was inaugurated in in 1909.

At the centre of the monument are four statues of Calvinism's main proponents: (1) Theodore Beza (1519 – 1605), (2) John Calvin (1509 – 1564), (3) William Farel (1489 – 1565), and (4) John Knox (c.1513 – 1572).

To the left (facing the Wall, ordered from left to right) of the central statues are the statues of: (1) William the Silent (1533 – 1584), (2) Gaspard de Coligny (1519 – 1572), and (3) Frederick William of Brandenburg (1620 – 1688).

To the right (ordered from left to right) are the statues of: (1) Roger Williams (1603 – 1684), (2) Oliver Cromwell (1599 – 1658), and (3) Stephen Bocskay (1557 – 1606).

Along the wall, to either side of the central statues, is engraved the motto of both the Reformation and Geneva: Post Tenebras Lux (Latin for After darkness, light).