TRP Themes

[Teen Age Riot]

At 07:27 PM 2/29/96 +0200, Hartwin Alfred Gebhardt wrote:
>Loss of order and control for TRP is mostly a positive thing, since it 
>implies a break with Their assembly-line mind-set, which is 
>ultimately based on the model of cause = death, effect = life, which 
>is not even scientifically correct since it implies a time reversal - 
>which is impossible anyway as the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics (yes, the 
>entropy one) teaches us. (Thus it isn't science which is 'bad'. but 
>their pseudo-scientific misuse and misapplication of it, a la Pavlov 
>in GR)

Pynchon criticizes the misuse of the thermodynamic entropy model most
effectively by contrasting it against the information theory model of
entropy. Both models mandate a natural tendency towards disorder, but with
completely opposite effects.  Instead of chaotic activity leading to
uniformity, stillness, and death, information dispersal leads to increased
heterogeneity, unpredictability, the nonlinearity at the heart of our
"mindless pleasures."  This model, and not the thermodynamic law, is the one
applicable to our everyday lives.  

You can't help but notice how this thread has been using COL49 as a sort of
"handbook" for getting at themes in GR.  How much validity do you suppose
there is in this approach?

Al




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