unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences, especially in physics
Note that with respect to the power of mathematics, it’s as easy to view the cup as half-empty as half-full. Here’s Jaynes on the issue:
Phenomena whose very existence is unknown to the vast majority of the human race (such as the difference in ultraviolet spectra of Iron and Nickel) can be explained in exhaustive mathematical detail but all of modern science is practically helpless when faced with the complications of such a commonplace fact as the growth of a blade of grass.
A priori, as intelligent beings, we expect the universe at our scale to be immensely complex, since it produced us. I don’t view our inability to explain fully phenomena at our scale as unreasonable non-effectiveness.
We should perhaps expect that, but I didn’t actually do so until you mentioned it; not for the reasons you stated, at least not as quite that short and obvious a sentence.
This statement from Jaynes sounds out of date. In the age of genomics and molecular biology, we can also go into exhaustive detail about the growth of a blade of grass.
Note that with respect to the power of mathematics, it’s as easy to view the cup as half-empty as half-full. Here’s Jaynes on the issue:
A priori, as intelligent beings, we expect the universe at our scale to be immensely complex, since it produced us. I don’t view our inability to explain fully phenomena at our scale as unreasonable non-effectiveness.
We should perhaps expect that, but I didn’t actually do so until you mentioned it; not for the reasons you stated, at least not as quite that short and obvious a sentence.
Bravo.
This statement from Jaynes sounds out of date. In the age of genomics and molecular biology, we can also go into exhaustive detail about the growth of a blade of grass.