Re: Did prime numbers evolve?

In article <fttv4a$23pb$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, nospam@xxxxxxxxxx (Paul Ciszek) wrote:

In article <fto73e$2b53$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
dkomo <dkomo871@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, of course they did. Prime numbers are concepts in human brains,
and human brains obviously evolved. Prime numbers have no independent
existence outside of human minds. If humans went extinct, prime numbers
would go extinct along with them.

Not true. Mathematics is based on pure logic, on things that must
be true regardless of whether or not their are any sentients to
discover or use them.

Lots of mathematicians disagree. Alternative point of view is that
math/logic merely reflect the way our brains work and have nothing
to do with the "objective" reality.

The ancient greeks recognized the five
platonic solids and realized that their could not be a sixth long
before examples of all five were found in nature--and no sixth
has been found in nature. If humans went extinct, and some other
species later developed the ability to think about solid geometery,
they would know the same five platonic solids.

Closer to your prime number example, some attempts have been made
to broadcast messages into space that could be understood by non-
human recipients. When trying to represent a "rastered" image,
these messages contain a number of pulses that is the product of
two prime numbers, on the assumption that the recipients, like us,
will only be able to find one combination of rows and columns that
contains that number of pulses.

Merely a hypothesis. Or, a wishful thinking :-)

DK

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Did prime numbers evolve?
    ... If humans went extinct, prime numbers ... they would know the same five platonic solids. ... human recipients. ... contains that number of pulses. ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Did prime numbers evolve?
    ... and human brains obviously evolved. ... no independent existence outside of human minds. ... went extinct, prime numbers would go extinct along with them. ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Did prime numbers evolve?
    ... existence outside of human minds. ... If humans went extinct, prime numbers ... concept do not exist outside of human brains. ... NO abstract concepts ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Did prime numbers evolve?
    ... and human brains obviously evolved. ... independent existence outside of human minds. ... extinct, prime numbers would go extinct along with them. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Did prime numbers evolve?
    ... existence outside of human minds. ... If humans went extinct, prime numbers ... concept do not exist outside of human brains. ... NO abstract concepts ...
    (talk.origins)
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