The Theory Of Everything

After watching the film on Sky this evening of The Theory Of Everything i might now tackle the book i have in my collection The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe, which happens to be a 1,099-page book aimed at giving a comprehensive guide to the laws of physics. Phew!





Or his other one i have, The Emperor's New Mind , in which he argues that known laws of physics are inadequate to explain the phenomenon of consciousness. He proposes the characteristics that this new physics may have and specifies the requirements for a bridge between classical and quantum mechanics (what he calls correct quantum gravity). Penrose uses a variant of Turing's halting theorem to demonstrate that a system can be deterministic without being algorithmic.



(For example, imagine a system with only two states, ON and OFF. If the system's state is ON when a given Turing machine halts and OFF when the Turing machine does not halt, then the system's state is completely determined by the machine; nevertheless, there is no algorithmic way to determine whether the Turing machine stops.)

Penrose believes that such deterministic yet non-algorithmic processes may come into play in the quantum mechanical wave function reduction, and may be harnessed by the brain. He argues that the present computer is unable to have intelligence because it is an algorithmically deterministic system. He argues against the viewpoint that the rational processes of the mind are completely algorithmic and can thus be duplicated by a sufficiently complex computer. This contrasts with supporters of strong artificial intelligence, who contend that thought can be simulated algorithmically. He bases this on claims that consciousness transcends formal logic because things such as the insolubility of the halting problem and Gödel's incompleteness theorem prevent an algorithmically based system of logic from reproducing such traits of human intelligence as mathematical insight.

More Book Finds

Today in Brighton i found these books for less than a pound and at around fifty pence each except for the Bataille book which was two pounds from Sandpiper Books.





Tomorrow Gc and i will be in Eastbourne.

Strange Light Mornings

I really do love these lighter mornings. I just hope that the sun actually comes out today. It has not been cold but the last few days or so we have had this cloudy milkiness. It is just so frustration that i have not been able to top up the tan naturally. i would never consider a sun bed or spray as it is so unnatural IMHO.

I have been reading "Why Buddy Matters" and getting a thrill out of it. Next to Doctor Who it is the best slice of TV heaven i know. Talking of such heaven the adaptation of Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrell has already started on the BBC - it is an hourly seven part series based on the Susanna Clarke novel, which i have yet to read its one thousand plus pages.



"I myself am quite a tolerable practical magician"

Rain Ships

Here is a wonderful expose of the rain ships sequence in episode 2 of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

SPOILER ALERT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4NYjGWrfkCmQZVz5JL4cPRZ/creating-the-rain-ships-sequence

Poem Of The Week

Today i have chosen one of the Romantic poets -

This one presents the importance of love in nature as love is a natural force that binds every human being towards one another.


"Love's Philosophy"

Percy Bysshe Shelley


The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In another's being mingle--
Why not I with thine?

See, the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower could be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;--
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

People Watching

Here are some more pics from my people watching project.

( Pics here )

More Book Finds in Eastbourne.

Popped over to Eastbourne today with GC. The weather started sunny but it soon clouded over again into an opaque luminescence of bland pondering. Mush like an existential fog that lingers at the periphery of our vision.

Despite the foreshadowing of these translucent skies, it turned out to be a good productive dy of foraging the charity and ad hoc shops that dot the landscape that is central Eastbourne.



However, it is with sad regret that through this exegesis, the almost temporal demise of the bookshop Tome that poliphilo recommenced to me. After three years of trading come this following Saturday the shop will no longer be extant.

As it is , there were many bargains to be had, and alas, too many for me to take home, but what i did sequester i shall be gladly thankful for. Every book, except for some larger art and history books and so on, were fifty pence each.

These are the fine tomes i bought - fifty pence each -








So, dear readers, if i had more time down here i would have gone back, but alas, i have stuff to post when i get home, and things to do, and thus, with a heavy heart, return to Kent on Tuesday.

Book 31 - Stefan Fatsis "Word Freak"

Stefan Fatsis "Word Freak : A Journey into the Eccentric World of the Most Obsessive Board Game" (Yellow Jersey Press)





An obsessively detailed book about obsessive people, including, perhaps, the author. If you think you play serious Scrabble, you're probably wrong -- at least I hope so. When you watch the movie, SuperSize Me, at some point you begin to fear for Morgan Spurlock's long-term well-being. So too, as you follow Stefan Fatsis into the world of competitive Scrabble, you begin to fear for his sanity.


The story behind Word Freak - that of a casual Scrabble fan entering, and attempting to master competitive Scrabble - would have been perfect as a long magazine article. Unfortunately, it is a book, and, as such, is repetitive and drags on in many parts. It is not surprising that reading about Scrabble games in not that engrossing even for a regular "living room" player like myself. On top of this, most of the text on the "best" players is taken up with the weirdest and most dysfunctional of them. While I think this is a result of the fact that Fatsis was able to spend a lot of time with them in exchange for financial incentives (such as room sharing and rides), as a reader I would have preferred to hear about the competitive Scrabble experience of the highly successful professorial types, focusing on the games, not the personality. However, if you are a Scrabble fan, this is still a must read. The sections on the history of the game are delightful and you will even get a few strategy tips along the way.


A fascinating book whether a fan of Scrabble or not.

More Junction Box Art

Another of my projects was to photograph all the junction boxes in Brighton whenever i visited the city. here are some more, including a lovely piece of wall art.

( Pics here )