Questions and more

Month, Day: Questions, Splendour (Independence)
Month, Day: Questions, Beauty (Beauty)

This is a central theme, especially for science, both operationally and theoretically. Science (as the greatest gift) does not exist without questions.

Now, we have a whole month to contemplate and explore things related to the topic. Of course, one month is not sufficient, but the proper focus can bolster our audacity.

Part of the discussion will look at the growing role of the artificial in terms of what it might mean to us. Notice, for instance, the interests of the brights.

Another part of the discussion will look at how we know, such as through effort or intuitively. We can take this further in an useful way as we look at four ways of acquiring knowledge (SAQ #83) in terms of an operational approach to science. The following are the ways in the order as specified (much significance here).

• Senses - Not only would we need to consider that only a few things are directly available to ourselves, with limits by time and locale, our senses have been augmented in very many ways. In fact, looking at what the artificial (see above) there is really no end to how far we can push this. Though, at some point, any abstraction chain breaks away from reality. Yet, as we have already seen, the human race is capable of seeing far beyond the horizon (to wit, those things supporting cosmology) and beneath surface (that related to physics in the small) and everywhere in-between.
  
• Reason - Which then leads to the way of thought (see below) and, naturally, to mathematics and logic. The limit of reason has been extensively discussed in the last few centuries, but one important concept to remember in this case is quasi-empircisim. In actuality, reason encompasses much more than just thought as we have learned quite well due to our computer prowess.
  
• Tradition - In a sense, this is acquired knowledge as the first two involve more processing. This knowledge would include how the first two are handled and involve a myriad of issues, such as paradigms, practices, etc.
  
• Holy Spirit - Too much to cover here for this brief post, yet consider that the man-in-the-loop emphasis of some complex problem solving techniques make use of this reality, suggesting, of course, borgs and man-bots as we could expect from the 4th Valley.
  

We can also talk about how we tick, so to speak. These two lists can be mapped various ways and relate, to boot, to other Writings, such as the 7V4V. For now, here are the two lists (SAQ #56).

• "Five powers that perceive outer existences" (acknowledging, of course, the realness of existence SAQ #79) - seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling
• "Spiritual powers" (see the chain of perception explained) - imagination, thought, comprehension, and memory.
• "Common to the outward and inward" (notice the 4th way of acquiring knowledge, above) - common faculty

This type of exposition can continue all across the Writings. Let's put one more which indicates that in/out and before/after are two intuitions that are of extreme importance.

Remarks:

03/17/2011 -- Just as St. Patrick carried the message, so too ought we act to bring forth a proper viewpoint.

08/16/2009 -- The Operational group is approaching, and ontology is primal. One area of focus, as suggested by this post, will be mind-body studies. Somehow, insights from the Writings ought to have importance, teleological and operational.

05/29/2009 -- The Transcendent baffles.

Modified: 03/17/2011