Quotes of quotes.
It was forbidden.
It could not be avoided.
The observing system looked at any construction from outside and
Remade it anew.
The building was never completed.
Eternity did not submit to construction.
There was no exit except in silence.
Louis H. Kauffman: What is a number?
Cybernetics & Systems (1999) 30: 113-.
For one more application and a beautiful variation on the liar’s paradox see motzes’ posting “on the unknowables” and (about the same quote) Richard Zach’s “Logic Joke“,
because only an idiot would believe this.
Yesterday, Dennis L. Meadows gave a wonderful talk about limits to growth. In order to illustrate what we know about sustainability he told a little story.
At a panel on agriculture of a recent global conference on sustainable development were 2 Swedish experts. So, he asked one of them whether sustainable development means that Sweden should become self-sufficient in food production. The expert said: Absolutely, yes. Meadows then moved on to the second expert and asked the same question. This expert answered: Absolutely no.
Conscience is the inner voice that warns us
somebody may be looking.— H. L. Mencken
You can take it as a big open question or as a triviality.
— Francisco J. Varela
Gonna Move (by Paul Pena)
When I was a little boy I felt so alone
Quiet country house that I had to call home
Living with a couple of folks, rich millionaires
Sat on their money, Lord, it seemed they didn’t careFinally we moved to our own place
Where I could walk around with a smile on my face
And I knew in order to be a man
I had to pull up my roots and move on in this landI’m gonna move away from here
You can find me if you wanna go there
I’m gonna move away from here
You can find me if you wanna go thereCame to a school in the big city
Looked around at the lights and I thought they were pretty
They told me and teached me to live by their rules
So I wouldn’t be nobody’s foolI found out, not too long
Their rules wouldn’t let me sing my song
I know in order to be a man
I had to pull up roots once again and move on in this landI’m gonna move away from here
You can find me if you wanna go there
I’m gonna move away from here
You can find me if you wanna go thereThen I joined the college ranks
There they said they’d teach me how to think
They gave me books to read and papers to write
They didn’t know about this boy’s coming fightBut I found out that after a while
Reading those books was making me lose my smile
And I knew in order to not conceal
I had to play music and express what I feelI’m gonna move away from here
You can find me if you wanna go there
I’m gonna move…Gonna move away from here …
Jump on the train, come on …
Come on and ride, you will see …
We gonna get there in a little while …
Come on with me …Roll on, roll on, roll on …
If it ain’t fast enough
we’re gonna jump on a plane
…
(Song and lyrics are by Paul Pena; this transcription of lyrics was done by Andreas Schamanek.)
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
— Buddha, founder of Buddhism
That’s a difficult one.
Don’t trust blogs!
