Desertscope

Musings from Southern New Mexico

Category: crackpots (Page 4 of 4)

Prophecy

December 13, 2012 /

I have said it before, and I’ll doubtless continue saying it until advanced dementia has rendered me incapable of recalling physics:

This simple statement means that it is impossible, by the laws of physics, to know anything perfectly. While I should mention that the position and momentum of large objects may be known quite accurately, that is not particularly important. From modern chaos theory we know that, in chaotic systems, even arbitrarily small differences in initial conditions result in vastly different outcomes.

The so-called Copenhagen Interpretation of modern physics holds that the uncertainties associated with quantum particles are not merely measurement anomalies. Rather, the item in question has neither an exact position nor an exact momentum until it is measured. What this means is that even if your imaginary space friend really did exist, and even if he were omniscient (that is to say he had a computer that provided exact information on every individual subatomic particle and photon in the universe), he would not be able to predict events precisely beyond a very short time beyond the present. Also, I should point out that a computer with perfect knowledge of the universe would require memory modeling the entire universe 1-to-1. So any sort of storage medium with perfect modeling of the universe would, in fact, be another identical universe. That seems pretty pointless.

So for all the scientists in the world, if your religion depends critically on prophecies, you are screwed.

How Confederates Think

November 27, 2012 /

Today, Erik Loomis had an article up on John C. Calhoun’s argument against the complete annexation of Mexico. In it, he quoted some notable lines from Calhoun’s 1848 speech to Congress:

I know further, sir, that we have never dreamt of incorporating into our Union any but the Caucasian race—the free white race. To incorporate Mexico, would be the very first instance of the kind of incorporating an Indian race; for more than half of the Mexicans are Indians, and the other is composed chiefly of mixed tribes. I protest against such a union as that! Ours, sir, is the Government of a white race. The greatest misfortunes of Spanish America are to be traced to the fatal error of placing these colored races on an equality with the white race. That error destroyed the social arrangement which formed the basis of society.

Thumbing through last week’s issue of The Economist, I saw “The 51st State? on the recent pro-statehood vote of Puerto Rico.” Of note:

The vote will not have immediate consequences. Congress would have to pass a law admitting Puerto Rico for it to become a state. With a fiscal squeeze looming at the start of 2013 lawmakers will have their hands full in the coming months.

…

Moreover, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has little incentive to address the topic. According to exit polls, 83% of boricuas on the mainland voted for Barack Obama. Statehood would add two Senate seats and a House delegation of five, the same size as Oregon’s and probably as reliably Democratic.

Well, yes, I suppose we could see Republican distaste for Puerto Rican statehood as a tactical concern. Then, of course, there is this:

This is the reception incurred by Republican National Convention delegate Zoraida Fonalledas of Puerto Rico, on being called to the lectern:

I believe this sentiment goes further in explaining the overwhelmingly likely inaction…

Update:I should have mentioned that John C. Calhoun was the founder of South Carolina’s Nullification Party and “an inspiration to the secessionists of 1860–61.” (Wikipedia) He was also found on the Confederate $100 bill:

An inspiration to all slaveholders (wikipedia)

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