Science, mysticism and music

Hey y'all-

"This isn't right. This isn't even wrong."
Wolfgang Pauli, on a paper submitted by a physicist colleague:

What an appropriate quote. There seem to be two main camps here, those
who believe in action at a distance and those who don't. Depending on our
definition of "action", rational scientific philosophies may be built
incorporating either view. The case for particle exchange as the mediator
of all physical interaction has been made already, I believe.

While I do not believe gravitons from Mars affect us in any
profound "physical" way, we are all nevertheless bound up inextricably in
the geometry and dynamics of the universe.

WARNING!! What follows is only an analogy!

ANALOGY:
WHILE NOT CONVINCED DO

An individual point in a phase plane can be considered as a separate
point, but as part of a flow (set of solution curves) of a differential
equation this point is profoundly "influenced" by the dynamics of the
flow. A small perturbation of the underlying dynamics could place our
intrepid point on either side of the unstable manifold of a saddle, and
its evolution under the flow would be greatly changed. Furthermore our
point, let's call him Pointy (what character development!) is
delicately related to all the other points in his particular solution
curve, as a small perturbation to the dynamics will place him in a
completely different curve. If there is more than one attractor in the
system, there might be fractal basin boundaries, or even riddled
basins, so that the smallest change in Pointy's position or the system
dynamics could mean completely different outcomes.

END ANALOGY

Is this action at a distance? Not in the standard physical sense,
but the percieved connection between objects and events can take many
forms. Astrology used to be our best stab at physical cosmology, and
although it is no longer considered science, adherents are not
necessarily drooling Ricky Lake junkie trailer trash. It is human
nature to experience mystical feelings, and these feelings will find
expression, whether couched in the terminology of Buddhism, raga or
superstring theory. There is an underlying structure in our common
experience that finds eloquent expression in the works of great creative
artists, like Bach, Einstein and Eckhart, and I think we are all richer
for the variety of sensual and intellectual experience.

When someone claims that "forces" influence us in a
certain way, these effects can be measured with our best equipment or
the claim interpreted in light of our best and latest paradigm, but we
must be careful to define our terms and assumptions precisely so that
we know we are all speaking the same language. Physicists and
mathematicians tend to use very precise terminology, and when some
someone uses the term "chaos" in conversation with me, I must be careful
not to assume they are using it in the same sense that I would, lest we
miscommunicate. I may not believe that the planets influence us, but if
you do and you write a music of the spheres, I sure would give it a
listen.

John Starrett

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