Comments for Mathematics Rising

Comment on The Word and What Is by Joselle

Joselle — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:49:14 +0000

I visited your site. Lo siento que no puedo escribir en espanol muy bien pero…. I believe that what you are saying is that in quantum physics the observed and the observer are held together, and that this is more natural, more ‘intuitively’ correct than what seems like the objectification or isolation of the brain in neuroscience, even from the body itself. But I would add that a refinement of our understanding of the brain will likely lead us back to the body or the ecosystem as you call it. It seems clear that, to a very large extent, the body lives outside the confines of our conscious direction of it.

Comment on The Word and What Is by agustin antunez

agustin antunez — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:59:36 +0000

Quantum Physics is phenomenological discipline, as it is inclusional and both, the observer and the world are included. 20th century Neurosciences are not inclusional neither phenomenological, just for them, the “Brain Island” would be seen as the “ultimate Nature treasure”. You know. Body is who think, and not the brain. An embodied brain embedded in ecosystem. As common sense dictates. Quantum physics is not “counterintuitive”. Not. Mechanicism is counterintuitive…

Comment on The Determination of the Imagination by Joselle

Joselle — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:46:34 +0000

I’m not sure I even have any gaming skills. But that’s part of what’s interesting about this. What’s happening in the development of gaming skills?

Thanks for visiting.

Comment on The Determination of the Imagination by Dave

Dave — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:00:09 +0000

I don’t think my gaming skills are good enough to fold complex proteins; I’m happy if I can eat all the ghosts in a 30 year old Ms. Pacman game.

Comment on Naming Infinity by Loren Graham and Jean-Michel Kantor by Joselle

Joselle — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:21:26 +0000

It seems that the existence of a mathematical object rests entirely in its relationship to other mathematical objects. As Courant says in What is Mathematics?: “…a ‘point’ is not a ‘thing in itself,’ but is completely described by the totality of statements by which it is related to other objects.” He goes on to say that the existence of something like points at infinity (in projective geometry) is assured once we state clearly their relation to ordinary points and to each other. But because the ancestors of so many math ideas seem to come from sensory experience (like counting objects or drawing lines) it’s easy to be skeptical of the existence of a notion that appears to have no relationship to the senses or the physical world.

In my opinion, it is through the body that we define existence, our own that of everything else. And I think the trick is in recognizing that the body builds abstractions on its own while, in a more conscious way, we sort of pull mathematics out of that activity. Then the existence of a mathematical object relies on whether it can actually live consistently within the bodies images, which are a mix of sensory images and conceptual ones. And the mathematician can only use the mathematics itself to determine that.

Comment on Naming Infinity by Loren Graham and Jean-Michel Kantor by Leo

Leo — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:37:25 +0000

Interesting — I’d like to read the book. But I’d like to hear what you have to say about the questions you raise. What DOES it mean for a mathematical object to exist?

Comment on The Body’s Thoughts by Joselle

Joselle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:01:47 +0000

I think so too. And these studies are new, so it will be interesting to see if and how they develop. What I find most provocative is how, again, something seems to be happening just outside of our awareness. Thanks for taking a look.

Comment on The Body’s Thoughts by Ann Downer-Hazell

Ann Downer-Hazell — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:44:27 +0000

That’s pretty mind-boggling…the warmth/cold one, not so much, but the sandpaper….!!

Comment on Quoting Poincare by Bob

Bob — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:44:02 +0000

Very interesting! It’s unusual to hear math discussed in such a cross-category way. Would you agree that vision is producing mental constructions which are then permitting us to do mathematics? I hope you follow-up soon.

Comment on Quoting Poincare by Lacy

Lacy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:07:31 +0000

Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say
that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. Any way
I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon!