Re: My talk about Godel to the post-grads.

Chris Menzel wrote:
On 27 Jun 2008 14:53:35 +0300, Aatu Koskensilta
<aatu.koskensilta@xxxxxx> said:
Chris Menzel <cmenzel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:21:01 -0700 (PDT), Peter_Smith
<ps218@xxxxxxxxx> said:
I'm minded to keep this wonderful piece to give to undergraduates
as an exercise to count the number of misunderstandings.
I suspect, had it been written five years ago, Torkel would have
devoted a chapter to it.
I doubt it. I take it you have in mind _Gödel's Theorem -- an
Incomplete Guide to its Use and Abuse_.

Yes indeed.

In that fine book Torkel sensibly concentrated on the misconceptions
and confusion acquaintance with the incompleteness theorems naturally
begets. The sort of confusion Jones makes a show of parading in
sci.logic does not come naturally. It takes years of arduous work and
special training.

An excellent point. I stand corrected.


I don't know anything about Torkel. But I suspect his motives from what you and a local postgrad have said. It's common practice for scientists to misrepresent every challenge arising outside their province.

Probably the best example I can give is 'superstition', which the scientist invented and which only the scientist believes in. Torkel's efforts sound like another such grubby hoax, guaranteed to raise rowdy applause among his audience and other science fundamentalists. Erg.
.

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