Read The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World Online

Authors: David Deutsch

The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World (86 page)

BOOK: The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World

5.43Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Read Book Download Book

ads

explanationless
210

the jump to universality
125
–
47
,
414

to less mistaken misconceptions
351
,
446

limit to, supposed
53
,
165
–
6
,
205
–
6
,
213
,
445
,
446

mathematical
189
,
447

moral
23
,
63
,
121
,
123

moving closer to reality through scientific instruments
34
–
41

optimism and
196
–
222

in philosophy
119
,
209

rates of
55
,
58

risks of
197
,
201
,
204
,
311

and stasis
vii
,
19
,
247
–
52

sustainability of
423
–
41

technological, dependent on explanatory
55
;
see also
technology

unbounded/infinite
vii–viii
,
60
–
67
,
69
,
76
,
81
,
97
,
165
,
175
,
195
,
366
,
423
,
450
,
457
–
9
,
165

unpredictable
371

proof
194

and intuition
189

and understanding
191
–
3

see also under
physics
;
computation

prophecy
14
,
21
,
22
,
198
,
206
,
432
,
444

disaster prophecies
205
–
6
,
219
,
432
,
435

and the postponement of disaster
437

distinguished from prediction
198

distinguished from speculation
458

in economic forecasts
439

gambler’s
14
,
21
,
22
,
102

Horgan’s prophetic fallacy
448
–
9

Malthusian prophetic fallacy
206
,
214
,
432

pessimistic bias of
198
,
206
,
320
,
444

prophetic optimism
204

proportional allocation/representation
326
–
33
,
339
,
346
,
347
–
8

protons
290
;
see also
hydrogen

Providence
52
,
120
,
189

proxies
72
,
74
,
317
–
18
,
320
–
21

psychology
113
,
157
–
8
;
see also
behaviourism

pulsars
97
,
38
,
113
,
290

puppy (and properties of a singularity)
174
–
6
,
179

Pythagoras
119
,
230
,
233

qualia
153
–
4
,
162–
163
,
319
,
320
–
21
,
354
,
367
,
458
,
459

unpredictability of qualia
153
–
4
,
268
,
367

quantum computation
136
,
187
,
189
,
295
–
6
,
304

quantum parallelism
295
–
6

quantum suicide argument
453

quantum theory
60
,
107
,
181
,
198
,
258
–
304

and bad philosophy
305
–
6
,
307
–
11

birth of
306
–
7

and the discrete
274
,
294
,
295
,
298
–
9
,
303
,
304
,
450

Everett interpretation
310

and the general theory or relativity
449
–
50

Heisenberg uncertainty principle
289
,
291
,
303
–
4

and motion
266
,
274
–
5
,
282
,
289
–
90
,
306

potentialities
309

quantum gravity
178
,
449
–
50

quantum-mechanical motion
289
–
90

quantum-mechanical randomness
270
,
278
,
287

shut-up-and-calculate interpretation
307
–
8

of time
298
–
9

see also
Copenhagen interpretation
;
entanglement
;
fungibility
;
interference
;
and under
multiple universes

quasars
2
–
3
,
52
,
69
,
71
,
83
,
113
,
136
–
7
,
144
,
189
,
275
,
354

qubits
187
,
295
,
296
,
460

‘queerer than we can suppose’ (Haldane–Dawkins)
53
,
56
,
59
,
81

radiation, microwave background
46
,
47
,
68

radio telescopes
see
telescopes

radio waves
38
,
68
,
72
–
3
,
114
,
203
,
274
,
354
,
398

radioactivity
1
,
13
,
439

radium
13
–
14

Ramanujan, Srinivasa
356

randomness

apparent
270
,
304
,
331

three possible reasons for
269
–
70

distinguished from unknowability
197

in quantum mechanics
270
–
94
,
300
–
304
,
307

random choices
35
,
149
,
318
,
320
,
331

random errors
94
,
140
,
331

random events
20
,
207
,
248
,
269
,
277
–
8
,
281
,
283
,
287
,
294
,
299
–
300
,
301
–
2
,
304
,
307
,
358
,
359
,
440

random mutations/variations
78
,
79
,
89
,
96
,
160
,
162
,
240
,
375
,
378
,
399
,
400

random numbers
161
,
162
,
197
,
269
,
283
,
331
,
454

random states
102
,
263

random truths
189

subjective
277
–
8

rational memes
388
–
90
,
392
,
393
,
396
,
397

see also
memes

rationality
see
reason

reach
3
,
28–
30
,
33
,
123
,
161
–
2
,
166
,
220
,
393
,
402
,
423
,
459

of the ability to replicate memes efficiently
411

of the adaptations of the human brain
54
,
56
–
7

of aesthetic knowledge
364

of epistemology
253

always has an explanation
54
,
126
,
145

of the genetic code
144
–
5
,
162
,
458

of genetic knowledge (biological adaptations)
55
,
59
,
78
–
9
,
92
,
95
,
105

of human ideas
34
,
78
–
9
,
105
,
161
–
2

and the jump to universality
145
–
7

of mathematical knowledge
118
,
123
,
129
,
131
,
167
,
194
,
374

of Paley’s argument
87

of people
60
,
66

of problems
458

of quantum theory
305
–
6

of rational institutions
351

of science
60
,
197
–
9

of technology
60

universal
59
,
75
,
106
,
123
,
131
,
133
,
194
,
305
,
364
,
374
,
388

realism
15
,
18
,
31
,
310
,
312

anti-realism
15
,
313
,
314

reality

of abstractions
114
–
24
,
165
,
187
–
8

anthropocentric accounts of
42

criterion for
23
,
40
,
373

and beauty
355
,
356
,
359

‘elements of’ (Einstein)
307

and explanations/interpretations/theories
6
,
9
,
10
,
19
,
20
–
22
,
27
,
32
–
3
,
78
,
94
,
102
,
179
,
263
,
280
,
290
,
292
,
301
,
307
,
308
,
311
,
314
–
15
,
448
,
449
,
459

and experience as a waking dream
241
–
2
,
252
–
3

moving closer to reality through scientific instruments
34
–
41

objective truth/reality
vii–viii
,
1
,
7
,
9
,
11
,
15
,
18
,
26
,
98
,
101
,
173
,
183
,
227
–
9
,
236
,
240
,
242
,
253
,
263
–
4
,
272
–
3
,
308
,
314
–
15
,
345
,
350
,
353