Calling energy “information” is the latest version of one of mankind’s oldest philosophic errors — the failure to properly distinguish knowledge of reality and reality. Plato made that error when he created an entirely separate reality to contain human concepts. Kant did it when he said we can only know the phenomenological world, not the noumenal world. Many religions do it when they hold that reality exists only in the mind of God (whatever that may be). Quantum physics does it when they say that we can never know certain facts of reality, only probabilities. And Scientific American did it when they published an article saying that the way to extract the maximum “information” from a 20-megaton nuclear warhead is to detonate it.
I’d explain the correct answer, but nobody’s paying me to do that. Hint: Aristotle was a lot closer to right than Plato.
“info can’t be destroyed”? Tell that to the books in the Library of Alexandria… Though I guess if somebody read them before they were burned and passed the info on, that might delay its destruction…
Chithing Premium Member about 5 years ago
RJ, the walking twinkie.
Breadboard about 5 years ago
Poor tree never did get to sleep. Hope he got a Twinkie out of this ;-)
Purple People Eater about 5 years ago
You are what you eat. I guess that means that my conciousness is like a box of chocolates.
pschearer Premium Member about 5 years ago
[Trigger warning: Serious thoughts]
Calling energy “information” is the latest version of one of mankind’s oldest philosophic errors — the failure to properly distinguish knowledge of reality and reality. Plato made that error when he created an entirely separate reality to contain human concepts. Kant did it when he said we can only know the phenomenological world, not the noumenal world. Many religions do it when they hold that reality exists only in the mind of God (whatever that may be). Quantum physics does it when they say that we can never know certain facts of reality, only probabilities. And Scientific American did it when they published an article saying that the way to extract the maximum “information” from a 20-megaton nuclear warhead is to detonate it.
I’d explain the correct answer, but nobody’s paying me to do that. Hint: Aristotle was a lot closer to right than Plato.
rlaker22j about 5 years ago
way too early in the morning for all that
Andrew Sleeth about 5 years ago
" … will my consciousness survive death?"
More importantly, will you be conscious of it if it does?
Ron Bauerle about 5 years ago
“info can’t be destroyed”? Tell that to the books in the Library of Alexandria… Though I guess if somebody read them before they were burned and passed the info on, that might delay its destruction…
Snoots about 5 years ago
Death makes life simpler on so many levels.
the lost wizard about 5 years ago
Let’s see if we can get to the root of your problems.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] about 5 years ago
Death ends your problems. And death isn’t sleep or rest just a complete shutdown of all systems.