MOTION MOUNTAIN

the quest for precision and its implications 309
Vol. V, page 311
Page 300
no executioners.There are no ‘laws’ of nature, only descriptions of processes. Nobody is
building a tree; the tree is an outcome of the motion of molecules making it up.The genes
in the tree do contain information; but no molecule is given any instructions. What seem
to be instructions to us are just natural movements of molecules and energy, described
by the same patterns taking place in non-living systems. The whole idea of instruction
– like that of ‘law’ of nature – is an ideology, born from an analogy with monarchy or
even tyranny, and a typical anthropomorphism.
The third mistake in the argument for design is the suggestion that a complex description
for a system implies an underlying design. This is not correct.A complex descriptiononlyimpliesthatthesystemhasalongevolution
behind it.The correct deduction is:
something of large complexity exists; therefore it hasgrown, i.e., it has been transformed
through input of (moderate) energy over time.This deduction applies to flowers, mountains,
stars, life, people, watches, books, personal computers and works of art; in fact it
appliestoallobjectsintheuniverse.The complexity of our environment thus points out
the considerable age of our environment and reminds us of the shortness of our own life.
The lack of basic complexity and the lack of instructions in nature confirm a simple
result: there is not a single observation in nature that implies or requires design or creation.
On the other hand, the variety and intensity of nature’s phenomena fills us with
deep awe.The wild beauty of nature shows us howsmall a part of nature we actually are,
both in space and in time.* We shall explore this experience in detail. We shall find that
remaining open to nature’s phenomena in all their overwhelming intensity is central to
the rest of our adventure.
What is a description?
“Thereisaseparation betweenstateandchurch,
butnot yetbetween stateandscience.
PaulFeyerabend”
“Intheory, thereisnodifferencebetween theory
andpractice.Inpractice,thereis.
”
Following standard vocabulary usage, a description of an observation is a list of thedetails.Theabove
example of the grampus showed this clearly. In other words, a description
of an observation is the act of categorizing it, i.e., of comparing, by identifying ordistinguishing,theobservation
with all the other observations already made.
⊳ A description is a classification.
In short,to describe meansto seeas anelementof a largerset.
A description can be compared to the ‘you are here’ sign on a city tourist map. Out
of a set of possible positions, the ‘you are here’ sign gives the actual one. Similarly, a
description highlights the given situation in comparison with all other possibilities. For
example, the formulaa=GM/r 2 is a description of the observations relating motion
*Thesearchfora‘sense’inlifeorinnatureisacomplicated(andnecessary)waytotrytofacethesmallness
ofhuman existence.
Motion Mountain – The Adventure of Physics copyright © Christoph Schiller June 1990–November 2015 free pdf file available at www.motionmountain.net