then the physical universe does not exist. However, mathematics is a set of numbers.

Personally I do not believe that mathematics is reality. It's more like math can describe much of reality, plus probably alot more that is not real. Math includes all possible assumptions and results in many different systems, or realities if you wish. Whereas our universe presumably is described by a mathematics that is based on a particular set of assumptions, like the ones that Stafford used.

In short we live in one particular physical reality described by one system of mathematics.

For example, Stafford believes, so he says, that dark matter does not exist and that the observations suggesting the existence of dark matter are really do to electromagnetic effects. At the present level of studies in cosmology, these alternatives are different assumptions as to what exists and the math describing the alternatives is quite different from each other. But presumably only one corresponds to reality.

A more basic example would be universes where different sets of dimensions compactify so that the resulting space-times differ. E.G., the 26-D string theory has two time dimensions. That would be an interesting universe to live in. We can do the mathematics, but we cannot imagine what it would be like to live in 2 time dimensions.

• A different set of guesses and opinions: - pmartin - August 27, 2002 - 02:09 UTC
  • An inconsistency - yanniru - August 27, 2002 - 19:07 UTC
    • I don't think so - pmartin - August 27, 2002 - 21:34 UTC
      • Shift symmetry assumption - yanniru - August 28, 2002 - 13:17 UTC
        • What counts - pmartin - August 28, 2002 - 15:25 UTC
          • Where is Dr. Dick's paper posted online? - spazcon - August 28, 2002 - 18:10 UTC
            • Dick Stafford's URL - pmartin - August 28, 2002 - 18:54 UTC
              • Hey, thanks! - carefuluniverse - August 28, 2002 - 20:06 UTC
          • Shift symmetry falls out as a consequence of that arbitrariness, - yanniru - August 28, 2002 - 20:31 UTC
            • Shift Symmetry Falls Out As A Consequence Of That Arbitrariness, - pmartin - August 28, 2002 - 22:58 UTC
      • What on earth were you talking about? - carefuluniverse - August 29, 2002 - 16:25 UTC
        • I may have made a big mistake - pmartin - August 30, 2002 - 16:19 UTC
          • Several - carefuluniverse - August 30, 2002 - 16:40 UTC
            • Yes, but evidently not the one in question - pmartin - September 2, 2002 - 19:34 UTC
              • Gosh, you answered that as I woulda liked ta! - spazcon - September 2, 2002 - 21:29 UTC
              • Good-bye, Paul - genie - September 3, 2002 - 09:38 UTC
                • Where's the content, Aristotle? - kantolfir2 - September 3, 2002 - 18:05 UTC
              • Were they drunk on their own acronyms? - kantolfir2 - September 3, 2002 - 18:26 UTC
          • That's alright...that's alright...I made a few too - carefuluniverse - August 31, 2002 - 02:35 UTC