The Non-Evidence of the Unknown
Posted: 11 Sep 2011, 13:30
The Hadron Generator and the Non-Evidence of the Unknown
This could have been in General discussions, but it could be (and parts may be parceled out to) Aliens and/or Metaphysics, or Metaphysics / Quantum Physics, and /or Metaphysics and Science / Alternative Science. Hmmm, I seem to notice a common thread here, however far the end point is from the beginning.
I start with, a proposition about where to look for (negative evidence) about the non-existence of higher alien intelligence.
I end with a discussion of the role of the null hypothesis in a question of cosmolgy. The only constant is the evidence of things unseen.
Aliens and Metaphysics : A Cat'smeat Story
As we walked through the park at midnight, one night in 2009, Mike told Cat'smeat, “You know, the CERN generator has malfunctioned so many times and for such unlikely reasons that, after a couple of cocktails, engineers are speculating that they may be destroying the universe, but the universe takes prophylactic measures to prevent another crash and resets.”
Cat'smeat stopped, stunned, “That means aliens could exist!”
“Huh? I'd like a ticket on that train of thought,” Mike said.
“Remember Szilard's Question?”
“Sure, where are they?”
“Seven years ago, when I stopped being a Christian and started looking at things that are, I decided that there was probably no one a million years ahead of us in technology in this galaxy, because there would probably be indisputable evidence of their existence, like engineering projects visible across lightyears, or at least ramship contrails,” Cat'smeat explained.
“You haven't been abducted,” Mike countered.
“Tru' dat!” Cat'smeat conceded, “But believe me I looked for evidence. I would love to have reason to believe more evolved life exists. Pascal's universe is existentially nauseating.. But the CERN project offered negative evidence about its non-existence!.”
“What?”
”I concluded the universe is such a dangerous place that, if there were anything smarter than us, the universe would have been destroyed already!”
“But the only way to prove that is to destroy the universe!” Mike complained.
“Yeah, that sucks. Being right should mean being able to say 'I tol' you so!' or its no fun!” Cat'smeat agreed, “but if the universe is too smart to let itself be destroyed, we are out of Pascal's ballpark, and anything is possible.”
Oh, interesting train of thought. Nice caboose, but I am not sure about the territory you covered. Did you use a map.”
“No, but I went to the caboose from the locomotive, so it was easy to find.”
Metaphysics / Quantum Physics: An observation by Twain
As I said, this could have been “quantum mechanics” because the premises in the above story involve not only aliens, but the questions of CERN's capacity to “destroy the universe” and of the universe being a matrix like program with a programmer.
Which brings us to...
Metaphysics and Scientific Alternatives
I date the beginning of my rebirth in “optimism” from that escape from existential nausea, but I revise data. I don't want “optimism” from a logical error.
Today I learned something that should boggle big bangers.
Did the Large Hadron Collider Just Debunk Superstring Theory?
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2 ... -were-here
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392094,00.asp
I have often said cosmology is bad science that outstrips observation and replaces it with mathematical theology.
The Hypothesis being tested is, If superstrings exist, they will have such and such measurable results.
The results do not measure such effects.
The conclusion should, logically be, the scientific alternative, the null hypothesis based on the observation that superstrings do not appear to exist..
To look at my own conclusions, I must notice that the hadron generator's theoretical ability to destroy the universe depended upon one interpretation of superstring theory being correct. Did my train just get derailed by an awkward fact on the tracks? Wish I had one of Randi's cow-catchers.
This could have been in General discussions, but it could be (and parts may be parceled out to) Aliens and/or Metaphysics, or Metaphysics / Quantum Physics, and /or Metaphysics and Science / Alternative Science. Hmmm, I seem to notice a common thread here, however far the end point is from the beginning.
I start with, a proposition about where to look for (negative evidence) about the non-existence of higher alien intelligence.
I end with a discussion of the role of the null hypothesis in a question of cosmolgy. The only constant is the evidence of things unseen.
Aliens and Metaphysics : A Cat'smeat Story
As we walked through the park at midnight, one night in 2009, Mike told Cat'smeat, “You know, the CERN generator has malfunctioned so many times and for such unlikely reasons that, after a couple of cocktails, engineers are speculating that they may be destroying the universe, but the universe takes prophylactic measures to prevent another crash and resets.”
Cat'smeat stopped, stunned, “That means aliens could exist!”
“Huh? I'd like a ticket on that train of thought,” Mike said.
“Remember Szilard's Question?”
“Sure, where are they?”
“Seven years ago, when I stopped being a Christian and started looking at things that are, I decided that there was probably no one a million years ahead of us in technology in this galaxy, because there would probably be indisputable evidence of their existence, like engineering projects visible across lightyears, or at least ramship contrails,” Cat'smeat explained.
“You haven't been abducted,” Mike countered.
“Tru' dat!” Cat'smeat conceded, “But believe me I looked for evidence. I would love to have reason to believe more evolved life exists. Pascal's universe is existentially nauseating.. But the CERN project offered negative evidence about its non-existence!.”
“What?”
”I concluded the universe is such a dangerous place that, if there were anything smarter than us, the universe would have been destroyed already!”
“But the only way to prove that is to destroy the universe!” Mike complained.
“Yeah, that sucks. Being right should mean being able to say 'I tol' you so!' or its no fun!” Cat'smeat agreed, “but if the universe is too smart to let itself be destroyed, we are out of Pascal's ballpark, and anything is possible.”
Oh, interesting train of thought. Nice caboose, but I am not sure about the territory you covered. Did you use a map.”
“No, but I went to the caboose from the locomotive, so it was easy to find.”
Metaphysics / Quantum Physics: An observation by Twain
As I said, this could have been “quantum mechanics” because the premises in the above story involve not only aliens, but the questions of CERN's capacity to “destroy the universe” and of the universe being a matrix like program with a programmer.
Which brings us to...
Metaphysics and Scientific Alternatives
I date the beginning of my rebirth in “optimism” from that escape from existential nausea, but I revise data. I don't want “optimism” from a logical error.
Today I learned something that should boggle big bangers.
Did the Large Hadron Collider Just Debunk Superstring Theory?
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2 ... -were-here
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392094,00.asp
I have often said cosmology is bad science that outstrips observation and replaces it with mathematical theology.
The Hypothesis being tested is, If superstrings exist, they will have such and such measurable results.
The results do not measure such effects.
The conclusion should, logically be, the scientific alternative, the null hypothesis based on the observation that superstrings do not appear to exist..
To look at my own conclusions, I must notice that the hadron generator's theoretical ability to destroy the universe depended upon one interpretation of superstring theory being correct. Did my train just get derailed by an awkward fact on the tracks? Wish I had one of Randi's cow-catchers.