Can Verlinde's Gravity Theory Revolutionize Our Understanding of the Universe?

[petm1]

Maybe like me his access to the computer is limited. I'll check back.:shy:

 

[dantsmith]

Oh my goodness. Was I actually missed?

Well, I did focus my attention on the Philosophy Forum, from which I was banned, after three weeks and 60 pages of posts, allegedly for 'not accepting moderation', but with no warning or further explanation. I was banned by an administrator using the handle of Postmodern Beatnik. Are we surprised? That 60 page thread, 'Nothing is Real...' was consigned to the 'Pseudo-philosophy' section, which I cannot access, since my banning.

Since then I've been back on 'open minds', where I have 22K posts, more or less.

Yes, my 'best possible world' website has not been updated since '07, when I went to OM.

But, even here, I am on a short leash, since my other two threads have been locked.

So I'm not entirely sure how to proceed, at this point, and I am open to suggestions.

.

 

[alt]

Oh my goodness. Was I actually missed?

Well, I did focus my attention on the Philosophy Forum, from which I was banned, after three weeks and 60 pages of posts, allegedly for 'not accepting moderation', but with no warning or further explanation. I was banned by an administrator using the handle of Postmodern Beatnik. Are we surprised? That 60 page thread, 'Nothing is Real...' was consigned to the 'Pseudo-philosophy' section, which I cannot access, since my banning.

Since then I've been back on 'open minds', where I have 22K posts, more or less.

Yes, my 'best possible world' website has not been updated since '07, when I went to OM.

But, even here, I am on a short leash, since my other two threads have been locked.

So I'm not entirely sure how to proceed, at this point, and I am open to suggestions.

.

A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."

Stephen Crane

 

[dantsmith]

Alt,

Yes, the BPW hypothesis is very far from being politically correct, in an age of Hubris and Heroic Materialism/Existentialism. But, it may be that those days are over, and so we need to examine the spiritual/metaphysical roots of civilization. No culture has ever been constructed on materialism, despite the best efforts of the best minds, for the past four centuries.

Every attempt at a material/technological culture assumes Perpetual Progress. It is the underlying assumption of the BPWH that we can now discern the limits of material progress. This assumption comes from our ability to discern the End of Physics.

Yes, these are unpopular assumptions, but I claim that we, physicists, have a moral responsibility to prepare the world for the end of progress, which would, indeed, be the end of history.

But this statement is only the beginning of the BPWH. This is the bad, news. Where is the good news? To go there, we do have to delve into metaphysics. This is what some of us were dialogging about, for sixty pages, in the metaphysics section of the Philosophy Forum, when the plug was pulled, very unceremoniously, by Postmodern Beatnik.

Having one's plug summarily yanked is not a pleasant experience. I do not wish to repeat that experience here. So, I will need some reassurances and guidelines from the management, so that this experience need not be repeated. As I mentioned above, two of my previous threads in this section were locked, so I may already have two-strikes against me. I do have an extensive website, and a considerable presence on the Open Minds Forum, the latter extending for over three years, now.

Yes, there are issues related to phenomenology and to SETI, etc., that would be difficult to avoid.

So there we are: darned if we do, darned if we don't...

Like I say, I'm looking for some personal guidance from someone familiar with the management.
--------------------

Ok, hold the wire... I just noticed/recalled that I had already started posting in the blog section, and I do recall getting some guidance from Evo, to that effect.

https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=2174#comments

So maybe this is the best solution. If the management considers some of my posts to not be suitable for any of the main boards, they will be more lenient if I/we avail ourselves of the blog section, using its commenting facility. We'll just have to see what works best, for all concerned. We may be able to do some of both, I would imagine...

So, yes, if this discussion veers into areas that are deemed unsuitable for a general audience, then that discussion can be resumed in the blog/comments section, as noted above.

.

 

[alt]

Alt,

Yes, the BPW hypothesis is very far from being politically correct, in an age of Hubris and Heroic Materialism/Existentialism. But, it may be that those days are over, and so we need to examine the spiritual/metaphysical roots of civilization. No culture has ever been constructed on materialism, despite the best efforts of the best minds, for the past four centuries.

Every attempt at a material/technological culture assumes Perpetual Progress. It is the underlying assumption of the BPWH that we can now discern the limits of material progress. This assumption comes from our ability to discern the End of Physics.

Yes, these are unpopular assumptions, but I claim that we, physicists, have a moral responsibility to prepare the world for the end of progress, which would, indeed, be the end of history.

But this statement is only the beginning of the BPWH. This is the bad, news. Where is the good news? To go there, we do have to delve into metaphysics. This is what some of us were dialogging about, for sixty pages, in the metaphysics section of the Philosophy Forum, when the plug was pulled, very unceremoniously, by Postmodern Beatnik.

Having one's plug summarily yanked is not a pleasant experience. I do not wish to repeat that experience here. So, I will need some reassurances and guidelines from the management, so that this experience need not be repeated. As I mentioned above, two of my previous threads in this section were locked, so I may already have two-strikes against me. I do have an extensive website, and a considerable presence on the Open Minds Forum, the latter extending for over three years, now.

Yes, there are issues related to phenomenology and to SETI, etc., that would be difficult to avoid.

So there we are: darned if we do, darned if we don't...

Like I say, I'm looking for some personal guidance from someone familiar with the management.
--------------------

Ok, hold the wire... I just noticed/recalled that I had already started posting in the blog section, and I do recall getting some guidance from Evo, to that effect.

https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=2174#comments

So maybe this is the best solution. If the management considers some of my posts to not be suitable for any of the main boards, they will be more lenient if I/we avail ourselves of the blog section, using its commenting facility. We'll just have to see what works best, for all concerned. We may be able to do some of both, I would imagine...

So, yes, if this discussion veers into areas that are deemed unsuitable for a general audience, then that discussion can be resumed in the blog/comments section, as noted above.

.

Hi Dan;

I like politically incorrect, though I don't even know what BPWH is all about. Is there a summary that you can point to ? Hubris, heroic materialism, etc, are nothing new Dan. They've been part of any society you care to name. I agree perpetual progress is chimaera more than anything - much like perpetual economic growth. Natural law is bigger than all of us though - it's all cyclical IMO.

I just looked up the Open Minds forums. Wow ! - Lots of Ufology and conspiracy stuff thereof. I don't believe in alien UFO's at all. I think it's one or more of;

a) man made technology, more than likely of a military nature
b) hallucinations
c) hoax / wishful thinking

People are so ready to depreciate terrestrial (human) capabilities and potentials in favour extraterrestrial. Pfft !

Concerning your 'darned if we do, darned if we don't', well - c'est la vie ! I too believe passionately in free speech but I'm getting an appreciation why management would run a tight ship ‘round here. I think, however, that most people can end up saying what they have to - done thoughtfully. If not, there is no dearth of intelligent and knowledgeable folk ready to pounce - and rightly so. The buck does stop here, it would seem.

I don’t believe there’s anything all that wrong with the world. I like this world - I like materialism, and I like things more spiritual too. I think the world has always been on the cusp of some great good, and some great evil. You choose !

Anyhow, all the best for now. Would like to see a link to a brief summary of your BPWH.

 

[dantsmith]

Alt,

I too believe passionately in free speech but I'm getting an appreciation why management would run a tight ship ‘round here. I think, however, that most people can end up saying what they have to - done thoughtfully. If not, there is no dearth of intelligent and knowledgeable folk ready to pounce - and rightly so. The buck does stop here, it would seem.

This is why I suggest that we keep the serious discussion in the https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=2174#comments" , which is where I will attempt to respond to you...

12pm/edt----- Thank you for your patience, I've completed my initial response, in the blog section. Until there is a further comment in that section, I'll continue posting addenda to it.

.

 

[loseyourname]

I'm not sure I like this name. Leibniz already proposed that this is the best possible world hundreds of years ago, but that meant moral goodness, not a quantum version of the course in miracles shared solipsism thesis. It seems pretty obvious to me that the world could be more morally good than it actually is and that's true regardless of how it came to be.

 

[dantsmith]

LYN,

(Are you trying to get me in trouble with Evo?! She wanted us to keep this conversation mainly in the https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=2174#comments" ?)

Better world...? No kidding!

The primary caveat of the BPWH is that humanity has gone as far as it can go, without further divine guidance. And, surprise, I'm your friendly neighborhood Guidance counselor, showing up at our Slumber (of materialism!) Party, just in the nick of time. I'm your, very personal, (cosmic) wake-up call.

Yes, the self-revealing god, is, necessarily, a self-concealing god, and she has done a bang-up job of that, don't you think!? A lot of us 'enlightened' folks had gotten around to thinking that we had out-smarted god, but, you know, hubris will only get us so far, until we started looking for the God Particle. And can you excuse me if I'm won't to pretend to be that one? I mean just for the sake of a lively conversation.

So, yes, I'm here to offer you that better world, that 'god's kingdom', but, like everything else, it comes at a price. God knows that we mice will just keep on playing our 'business-as-usual' games, so long as the Cat is away. Creation was meant to be our Playground, our little Sandbox, where we could throw sand in each others faces, to our heart's content. But then along came Nuclear Physics and various other WMD, and environmental crises, and, clearly, Creation was continuing, only on borrowed time. Just by it's definition, Creation is the separation between Creator and creatures. It can exist only so long as she persists in her self-concealment mode.

So, here's the deal....

If we have gotten to the point where we need divine intervention, then that spells then end to our days in this little Sandbox. Our Slumber of Materialism comes to its logical end. The Myth of Perpetual (material) Progress is, how do they say, Busted!

I don't like to be a Myth Buster, but, maybe that's my job.

Do you catch my drift, LYN? If you would like to delve further into these details, then maybe we should adjourn to my little blog, in the blog section. Yes?

.