[FRIAM] The yin and yang of numbers across cultures

[Robert Howard]

One might say that perception, which is a prerequisite for consciousness, in
any mapping function from a continuous space to a discrete space. And for
that matter, a thermostat perceives because it takes a continuous space of
heat and maps it to the discrete space of ON or OFF. There was the old
saying that God invented the Integers; man invented everything else. But I
wonder if it’s not the other way around. When discrete space gets so small,
in the Planck range, to us macroscopic things, it’s pretty much a continuum.
Perhaps that’s why Relativity Mechanics is easier to understand than Quantum
Mechanics. 

 

Do not the sigmoid functions of our neurons map a continuum to a finite
set—namely language?

 

Robert Howard

Symmetric Objects Inc.

 

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From: friam-bounces at redfish.com [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com] On Behalf
Of David Breecker
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 11:57 AM
To: sy at synapse9.com; The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The yin and yang of numbers across cultures

 

Exactly.  I've always thought numbers are just another of our perceptual
mechanisms (albeit an incredibly elegant one) that only captures part of the
magic that is "actually" out there.  Interestingly, this maps well to the
rainbow idea that was on this thread: the colors are continous, but our
perceptual mechanism breaks them down into discrete bands.

db

 

dba | David Breecker Associates, Inc.
www.BreeckerAssociates.com
Abiquiu:     505-685-4891
Santa Fe:    505-690-2335

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Phil Henshaw <mailto:sy at synapse9.com>  

To: 'The <mailto:friam at redfish.com>  Friday Morning Applied Complexity
Coffee Group' 

Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 12:31 AM

Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The yin and yang of numbers across cultures

 

But, is it the 'magic' of numbers that produces the patterns or the patterns
that produce the 'magic' of numbers??   big difference it seems to me.

 

 


Phil Henshaw                       ¸¸¸¸.·´ ¯ `·.¸¸¸¸
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
680 Ft. Washington Ave 
NY NY 10040                       
tel: 212-795-4844                 
e-mail: pfh at synapse9.com          
explorations: www.synapse9.com <http://www.synapse9.com/>     

-----Original Message-----
From: friam-bounces at redfish.com [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com] On Behalf
Of PPARYSKI at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 12:52 PM
To: friam at redfish.com
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The yin and yang of numbers across cultures

There seems to be a constant about the nature of number across all cultures:
that they have a magically aspect and seem to be an integral part of the
nature of the universe.  Of course some numbers seem to be more magic than
others, e.g. Pi.  Why numbers are inherent in the universe is another
interesting question considering wave and field theory. Magic?

 

cheers Paul Paryski


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