X-Message-Number: 10285 Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 14:25:58 -0700 From: Paul Wakfer <> Subject: Incompleteness, Constuctivism, Reality, Happiness I think this is way off topic and should not be on CryoNet. But since others are determined to continue it (even after many previous sessions). I decided that I might as well report my position on the subject. Over 30 years ago, when I was an active professor of mathematics with my specialty the foundations of mathematics and my PhD thesis (unfinished) topic in algebraic logic, I too read, understood and accepted the validity of Goedel's incompleteness theorem. This result bothered me a great deal, as did the uncertainty principle in physics. However, I had also never been happy with the idea of actually infinite sets or the existence of the actually infinite as being part of reality as I understood it. Therefore, when I heard about constructivism (which was barely beginning at the time, 1967), my solution was to adopt constructivism as the basis for my philosophical approach to the foundations of mathematics. Although it is decades since I have been an active mathematician and I have not kept up with it at all (so do not expect me to explain any of my previous conclusions :-), I have seen no reason to change those conclusions. If/when I am satisfied that cryonics will provide me with some reasonable chance of personal survival, I plan to return first to mathematics to get up-to-date and perhaps to work at its foundations, and later go on to work with the foundations of physics. My view of reality, is one of increasing complexity and "strangeness" at values of physical parameters (space, time, mass, density, energy, velocity, temperature, pressure, etc. - some of these in both value and interval), the further they are removed from those of our immediate experience. Since I expect no end to these "new frontiers" as our knowledge builds (so-called "theories of everything" are just so much nonsense, IMO), I also see no time in the future when there will not be more unsolved mathematics and physic problems to keep me in ecstasy from the mentally activity of thinking about them and attempting their solution. Currently, at great short-term personal sacrifice, I am managing with very little of this mental ecstasy which has always been my most precious activity. I look forward to an unbounded lifespan of such activity which will soon make up the deficit that I am incurring. To the extent which others are not helping my efforts, their indifference, or even hostility is preventing my attainment of maximal life happiness as I see it. Naturally, from time to time, I get resentful about this and I apologize if I have offended anyone by doing so. Once again, if you wish to help me attain my life goals (and surely help attain some of your own too), please send your tax deductible donations to: Institute for Neural Cryobiology 8439 White Oak Ave Suite 110 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3860 -- Paul -- Voice/Fax: 909-481-9620 Page: 800-805-2870 The Institute for Neural Cryobiology - http://neurocryo.org Perfected cryopreservation of Central Nervous System tissue for neuroscience research and medical repair of brain diseases Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=10285