I know what you will do!
Check this one out!
Okay - do not know what exactly is the status of researches like this, but come to think of it. Can future be predicted? What is the real problem in prediction the future? Is it that the past just does not have sufficient information for the prediction of future or is it that we are not in a position to store and analyze the information, because a single piece of information might potentially involve infinite amount of data.
If the problem is indeed with data storage and processing, then the future looks 'bright' (yeah - there is a reason why 'bright' is in quotes). The data storage and processing capacity is growing. However, there is potentially infinite amount of data to be stored and processed. Now infinity can not be quantified. Not today, that is. If someday it would be possible to quantify infinity, and then we are able to design a system which can store and in real time process the infinite amount of data, what will be the world like? We shall be able to know what the future is!! Would that also mean that we have some control over future? As in can we change something in present so that the future will be altered. But then the present itself has been determined by the information of past. If we could change something, this assumption is violated! So, probably we shall still not have any control over present or future. What shall we do with the information then? Nothing really. There could be some concerns about whether such a system would be controlled by a few or by the society at large. But wait a minute, whatever happens in decided by the past. And tracing back probably from the first moment of time (whenever it was or whatever it was!)... Goodness! What's the point of thinking or doing anything...
Sounds like a good news for lazy people, isn't it? :-D
Without going into philosophy (that's not my cup of tea anyway), I should like to believe that the assumption that past determines the future completely is incorrect. Else, there would be nothing in the world to do...
Or is it that the world indeed is "Maya"? :-)
Categories: Thoughts,
Okay - do not know what exactly is the status of researches like this, but come to think of it. Can future be predicted? What is the real problem in prediction the future? Is it that the past just does not have sufficient information for the prediction of future or is it that we are not in a position to store and analyze the information, because a single piece of information might potentially involve infinite amount of data.
If the problem is indeed with data storage and processing, then the future looks 'bright' (yeah - there is a reason why 'bright' is in quotes). The data storage and processing capacity is growing. However, there is potentially infinite amount of data to be stored and processed. Now infinity can not be quantified. Not today, that is. If someday it would be possible to quantify infinity, and then we are able to design a system which can store and in real time process the infinite amount of data, what will be the world like? We shall be able to know what the future is!! Would that also mean that we have some control over future? As in can we change something in present so that the future will be altered. But then the present itself has been determined by the information of past. If we could change something, this assumption is violated! So, probably we shall still not have any control over present or future. What shall we do with the information then? Nothing really. There could be some concerns about whether such a system would be controlled by a few or by the society at large. But wait a minute, whatever happens in decided by the past. And tracing back probably from the first moment of time (whenever it was or whatever it was!)... Goodness! What's the point of thinking or doing anything...
Sounds like a good news for lazy people, isn't it? :-D
Without going into philosophy (that's not my cup of tea anyway), I should like to believe that the assumption that past determines the future completely is incorrect. Else, there would be nothing in the world to do...
Or is it that the world indeed is "Maya"? :-)
Categories: Thoughts,
posted by Jaya @ 12:27 PM
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4 Comments:
At Tue Jul 26, 03:39:00 PM 2005,
Anonymous said…
Severity of the problem is not in “a single piece of ‘information’ might potentially involve infinite amount of ‘data’” but in “a single piece of ‘data’ might potentially involve infinite amount of ‘information’”. Then issues comes which information to be given importance or not, which can’t be solved by just providing enough storage space and processing power.
That MIT project must be a big kholu project. Must be done by some prof like AM.
At Tue Jul 26, 04:04:00 PM 2005,
Jaya said…
I guess the "processing" is supposed to give the required weightage to all the available data. So, if some data is not important is making some inference, it will receive lower weightage...
:-D
At Thu Jul 28, 01:24:00 AM 2005,
Ayan Bhattacharya said…
hmmm, now I know atleast one a-priori reason for that rigidity and intensity in those 'I don't care(s)' :-) (and I was trying to lead the discussion to coming up with alternatives..haha...me and my failed experiments)
At Thu Jul 28, 05:49:00 AM 2005,
Anonymous said…
Firstly, I believe that there is a lot more to a human being than what can ever be stored as data, even if infinite data storage is allowed.
Further, as Sandeep says, the prediction/knowledge of future overrides the concept of time. Hence, the knowledge of future is available to only "that" which is beyond time.
What is "that"? I do not know.
All means of storage and those who store are subject to time (and not beyond it). The one who is subject to time eventually perishes in time and so how can the knowledge of future be ascribed to him/her? Knowledge of the infinite past and the infinite future can only be ascribed to "that" which is an external observer of time and not subject to it.
What is "that"? I do not know.
What is "Maya"? I also do not know that. But I am sure that what merely appears is not the absolute realitty.
For all practical purposes, a great way to live is by the following adage given by the One who knows:
"A wise person considers the past as destiny and the future as free will. Consider the past as destiny, the future as free will and the present moment as Divinity."
- as said by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of the Art of Living Foundation.
BlogName: whenwilliwakeup (still to come)
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