At 09:16 AM 03/20/2000 -0500, Bertvan wrote:
>I've come across other thoughts on biology which appeal to me, and might be
>called quantum evolution. Quantum physics hinted that mind was a part of
>reality, and made room for both materialists and non materialists in
physics.
> Perhaps a belief that mind is a possible active participant in the process
>of life could do the same for biology. It does suggest mind as another
>possible designer. This might be more acceptable than God for those
>materialists obsessed with a paranoid fear that religion is going to get
>them.
I'm no scientist, but this is not quite what I've been told about quantum
mechanics, quantum field theory, or particle physics. None of these three
suggest that "the mind is part of reality." As I understand it -- and I'm
asking for information here from the scientists, and to be corrected if I'm
wrong -- the issue is that it is very difficult to fix both the velocity
and the location of a particle as it decays, or the velocity and location
of quanta as they absorb and emit photons. The issue may be related to the
principles of relativity, and how those can be accomodated within any
account of the behavior of sub-atomic particles. But it is a myth that
"observing these particles or quanta changes them," or that the observer's
"mind" participates in the reality of a sub-atomic field. I frankly don't
know how any concept of "mind" even enters into the actual operation of
these particles and quanta.
Am I missing something here?
Tom Pearson
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Thomas D. Pearson
Department of History & Philosophy
The University of Texas-Pan American
Edinburg, Texas
e-mail: pearson@panam1.panam.edu
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