View Full Version : Einstein's parables


Vkothii
10-13-08, 11:39 PM
Einstein was an 'intelligent' man. He obviously had a view of the world that was, for his time, very different logically than anything that science had cobbled together until then.

In some of his correspondence he makes allegorical and metaphorical references, to the overarching themes he discusses--as prosaic tales of chance encounters, that although they contain characters and events, are explanations of his attitudes to the 'problems' that the new quantum ideas, to which he also undeniably opened the door, led him to.
His resignation perhaps, to the inevitable conclusion that QM tells us our experience is a "blind beggar", that the nature of reality, being ruled by chance, can only lend to us an illusion that we can predict outcomes, or see anything at all.

This is a short but pithy tale (my ital.) about the blind beggar of our gestalt:

"Dear Heisenberg,
As I was attempting to explain to you before you flew off the handle yesterday, God simply doesn't play dice.
To give you an example, Schrodinger and I were having beers on the rue du MontBlanc the other day when I turned to him and said, "I just realized I don't have any money on me."
"Neither have I," Schrodinger replied. Suddenly we were approached by a blind beggar. "Kind sirs," he said, "won't you please help me feed my family?"

I exclaimed, "Of course, my good man," and reached into his tin as if to make a donation. In reality I removed twenty pfennig, precisely the sum Schrodinger and I needed to pay for our beers.

Now what do you suppose is the likelihood that this man should have appeared purely by chance? Don't you think this speaks pretty strongly for an orderly universe?
Of course, when I put these questions to Schrodinger, he said we could always have stiffed the waitress.

Bring me a new walking-stick and all will be forgiven.
Yours,
A. Einstein" (Geneva July 24, 1927)

This may or may not be a tale about a true incident (if it is, Albert was probably a bit of a prick after all, surprise surprise).

Harro
10-14-08, 08:26 AM
In a universe that appears to be chaotic and full of chances, wouldn't that mean every statistical out come must be possible? The only way to arrive at every possible possibility is though an infinity number of outcomes. Out of chaos does order become apparent and with it brings complexity.

Given the chances made available via the concept of infinity, the time and place we are at now would be impossible to not to have occurred, at least eventually, the now.

swarm
10-14-08, 08:30 AM
Harro
In a universe that appears to be chaotic and full of chances...

The universe doesn't appear to be just chaotic or to consist of all choices nor is there any reason for it to arrive at all possibilities nor does the universe seem to be infinite.

one_raven
10-16-08, 04:41 AM
Good story.
I highly dount it was an account of something that really happened.
He was always a wise-ass and prankster.

NGM
10-16-08, 05:08 AM
Now what do you suppose is the likelihood that this man should have appeared purely by chance? Don't you think this speaks pretty strongly for an orderly universe?One answer would be that the likelihood is 100%, as he did appear purely by chance.

My corn was on the verge of dying from lack of water. A rainstorm passed over my area and just as it got to the edge of my corn field, it let go a nice torrent of rain that thoroughly soaked my entire corn field.

Now what do you suppose is the likelihood that this cloud passed by my corn field at just the time it needed water so badly?

I was so hot as I watched this rain event happen that I felt just a little dizzy. The rain passing so close made a nice breeze that cooled me and made the dizziness go away and I felt much better!

Now what do you suppose is the likelihood that this rain cloud would pass close enough to me just as I was in need of a cool breeze to feel better?

The man's story was meant to be humorous, not something to be dissected and examined. He had a sense of humor and some of his stories showed it.

Vkothii
10-16-08, 05:12 AM
It will probably not cease to surprise me, for the remaining days of my life, how people can see so much and from so many angles, in a story.

The likelihood of a different outcome, is indefinitely probable.

Harro
10-16-08, 10:20 AM
The universe doesn't appear to be just chaotic or to consist of all choices nor is there any reason for it to arrive at all possibilities nor does the universe seem to be infinite.



Actually I said it appears complex and well structured, my hypotheses was that given infinite time the universe as it is now is very possible.

swarm
10-16-08, 10:49 AM
Harro
my hypotheses was that given infinite time

My point is its not a given.