The Death of Privacy.

One of the most central aspects of being human and living a full human life is the notion of privacy which is linked fundamentally to freedom.  Once long ago there was little privacy for some who lived in small villages or individuals who lived together in small clusters.  However, in such a period people lived differently and thus gossip did not pose a central problem to human existence.  During the late Middle Ages people sought freedom and thus various revolutionary movements arose in an eventual effort to achieve true human freedom.  These movements eventually coalesced with the rise of capitalism into classical liberalism.  A central tenet of such liberalism was the fundamental right to be alone and to be rid of all influences from outsiders.  During this time period, there was a smaller population on the earth and thus more opportunities to live a solitary existence that had once been the privilege of only monks.  However, with the rise of the modern mass industrial state, and the increase in population, concerns began to be expressed about population growth which would eventually lead to the complete loss of privacy.  Ortega y Gassett predicted the rise of the mass man which posed a threat to the aristocratic way of life and high culture.  Gassett knew that this modern mass man was largely uncultured and ignorant and that he could crowd out the lone indvidual.  Erik von Kuehnelt-Liddehn perhaps one of the last aristocratic conservatives knew that the mass individual would destroy the libertarian society that existed under classical liberalism.  In more recent times advances in technology and in particular the advent of the computer were seen as threats to privacy.  Various movements arose to preserve nature and the natural environment.  Ted Kaczynski was one of the figures who developed a philosophy of "lonerism" and attempted to preserve the natural world.  However, with the rise of the internet and the mass mob on the internet there came a new threat to privacy.  A surveillance society arose in which cameras were visible everywhere and people could be tracked.  More government interference in individual life became prevelant.  Also, new internet companies began interfering with human privacy again and even private thoughts came under the control of the computer and the internet mob.  Some internet companies even proclaimed the death of privacy.  However, this would mean the death of what is truly human.  Further, new advances in medical research and new brain drugs allowed pharmaceutical companies to control the human mind and human emotions.  Combining all this with an increase in population and the rise of a technological computerized society spells bad for human privacy.  Thus, in today's world there is no longer a private space.  The eradication of privacy means the eradication and self destruction of humanity.  With the internet bad information weeds out good in an entropic process.  More human stupidity is made readily available, but with far greater consequences for that stupidity than in past eras.  The future looks bleak for humanity as computers take over further aspects of our lives, social networking sites complete control all human interactions in a way that past forms of technological communication, the telegraph, the telephone, and even email and cell phones have not.  The death of human privacy and the rise of computers that can even read human thoughts or even cyborg implants means the death of the uniqueness of the human individual.

The Ghost of the Departed Universe.

According to theories, the universe will expand until it reaches a natural death in maximum entropy.  At this point, the temperature of the universe will reach absolute zero and all matter in the universe will be spread to its thinnest point.  In understanding human death and decay, it is often pointed out that it is possible for the human consciousness or personality to somehow survive bodily death.  This idea exists in many of the world's religious traditions and was used in a book by the same name by the Victorian thinker F. W. H. Myers.  At one time, in the Victorian era (about the same time when ideas of entropy began coming to the forefront of science), spiritualism was respectable and scientific organizations such as the Society for Psychical Research investigated these phenomena.  This gave rise to an entire science of "ghosts".  When the universe reaches its zenith it will have expanded until it reaches a final static state of maximum entropy.  This state will be the last state of the universe.  In such a state, the universe will no longer exist but as an empty shell, a ghost of a departed universe.  It is often asked whether there could not be multiple universes (unobservable multiple universes) as postulated in modern cosmology.  Such universes could include "ghost universes", i.e. departed universes that exist in an empty and static state.  What would happen to these universe ghosts?  Could they continue to exist indefinitely in an empty heaven?

The Nature of Mathematical Genius.

In the book, _The Poincare Conjecture:  In Search of the Shape of the Universe_ by Donal O'Shea the author describes the commonly understood notion of mathematical genius.  Here, the romantic notion of mathematical genius is of the solitary genius heroically wrestling understanding from an uncaring cosmos. While this may not apply to many modern mathematical discoveries which were made "upon the shoulders of giants", this "great man" view of history is the traditional perspective.  As is, it applies to Grigori Perelman who was able to prove the Poincare Conjecture.  This is the finest the human species has to offer for this era.

The Relationship of String Theory to Medieval Theology.

Modern string theory has been related to medieval theology in that it poses the possibility of multiple universes.  We may see this as the rise of a new "ironic science".  Sheldon Glashow opposes string theory for this reason and claims that it is a tumor on the larger body of physics.  Other instances of ironic science may be seen in relativistic theories of worm holes and time travel and applications of Godel's results to scientific theories.  Stanley Jaki maintains that Godel's theorems show the futility of providing a universal self contained theory of everything or final theory.  Murray Gell-Mann echoed these claims but only after he had been shown this by Jaki which Jaki maintains he was later to deny.  Other instances of ironic science involve the understanding of consciousness by Roger Penrose, various applications of artificial intelligence, and in particular the theories of Ray Kurzweil regarding a singularity.  In particular, the "simulation theory" is in accordance with classical medieval metaphysics or the notion of a "brain in a vat".  Other instances include the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, the transfinite numbers of Cantor, modal logic, and the possible worlds of David Lewis.

The Brave New World of Science and Religion.

In a strange twist of fate a new synthesis of science and religion has been made possible.  Schools such as Caltech and MIT once traditional bastions of scientific empiricism and materialism are now offering courses on Bible study and courses on robotics and God.  The relationship between religion and science has always been a conflicted one but now it appears that religion has broken through into these prestigious science institutions where it had been absent since the nineteenth century in this brave new world.
I question some of this account however because when I was at Caltech I remember a strong Christian presence on campus.  Many of the students and especially some of the Asians (among whom Christianity appears to be growing) were strong Christians.  Also, at the founding of Caltech prominent members like Robert Milikan were actually Christians.

The Witch Mania.

The European Middle Ages witnessed the rise of the witch mania resulting in various forms of persecution for witchcraft.  The truth of these claims was often dubious, though in recent times similar claims regarding interaction with demons and the Devil have been substantiated.  During this time various missives appeared alleging that the witch craze constituted a return to a period of darkness and attempted to shine light on the reality of the world.

Jaki's Comments on Human Consciousness and Computers.

Stanley Jaki in his book _Brains, Mind, and Computers_ considers the role of computers in understanding the brain but argues against physicalism and the notion of artificial intelligence.

One interesting consideration of Jaki's is the idea of David Hartley that W = F^2/L meaning that the magnitude of man's love of the world W is indicated by the relative strength of F man's fear of God and man's love of God L.  Jaki rewrites this as L = W X F^2 to show that man's love of  God is the product of man's love of the world and man's fear of God showing a contradiction.

Jaki also considers the role of computers and maintains that Godel's incompleteness results show that it is always possible for the human mind to "out-Godel" a machine by constructing a Godel sentence.  This demonstrates that human intelligence and the human mind cannot be reduced to mechanical algorithm.   This result was first discussed by Lucas.

Jaki considers the role of a series of intelligent machines each designing another intelligent machine.  Jaki maintains that such shows the necessity of a First Designer or an Undesigned Designer arguing in lines with Aristotle's and Aquinas's argument for an uncaused cause.