Re: Who's Burden of Proof?

glennmorton@entouch.net wrote:

> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> From: Walter Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>
> Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 19:20:57 -0500
> >> Or a process called simulated annealing, which is used in geophysics to design models of the subsurface. These things use chance based upon random number generators to mutate the model looking for a better fit to the real data. This type of procedure is quite widespread and shows that designers do use chance.
> >
> >Sounds like a purely theoretical construct to me. (i.e. "a specious fabrication")
> >
> >Designers do NOT use chance, Glenn --- other than to filter out what is wanted from what is not.
> >
> >You geologists have to live with what exists in the ground. We modern engineers have a greater choice in our occupations...
> >
> >So live with it, Glenn!
>
> THis shows that blind faith and burying one's head in the sand can lead to any theologically acceptable conclusion. I am always amazed at how certain people are of fields of endeavour they haven't ever studied or worked in.
>
> Before you speak about things of which you know nothing, you should understand the process used in my industry to take seismic data, turn it into rock properties so that we can then build reservoir models and find oil that has been left behind. We spend millions on such things as this, all using chance to find the solution, and we do it because it works and we make money off of it. If it didn't work at designing our reservoir models, we wouldn't do it because that would be stupid. Oil men aren't stupid.

You do give us rise to some doubts on occasion.., Glenn :).

So you live in a chancy field of endeavor!! It does not follow that "design" itself is is a "chance" process!

>
>
> You are the one who needs to live with it. But go back to assuming your mythical ostrich-like position.

And you, Glenn Morton, should become more educated in the processes followed by design engineers (The ones who developed the tools that you use!!). To brazenly proclaim that design engineers use "chance" in design is the absolute height of stupidity! If you expect people to believe that stuff that you publish, then you will have to become much far-far-far more astute about the design process!!

Now, I may not be a geologist, but I currently know about 30 - 40 dB more than you will ever know about the design process of the tools used by others -- including the softer sciences like yours.!!

Stick to digging wells (using chance) and analyze what others have done before you. Other thinking is clearly beyond the scope of your current knowledge -- which is obviously outdated ;).

Respectfully,

Walt

P. S.

MIT has FREE courses on line for you to get better educated at:

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html !!!!!

--
===================================
Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>
In any consistent theory, there must
exist true but not provable statements.
(Godel's Theorem)
You can only find the truth with logic
If you have already found the truth
without it. (G.K. Chesterton)
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