Sokal again. Drat!

[Paul Mackin]

The fact no one has mentioned the current _New York Review_ piece
revisiting "the Sokal hoax" probably means the whole thing
is getting boring, but . . .

noted physicist Steven Weinberg covers the usual bases pointing
out the incorrect science in the Sokal piece, sometimes on the part
of Sokal (presumably by intention) but most often as contained in 
quotations of others (true believers). Actually, Weinberg found Sokal 
fairly logical in his arguments, specious as both gentlemen believe them to
be.

Also, speaking more generally, Weinberg comes flat out against the 
possibility that there is any extrascientific message in the _findings_ of
modern physics. (Obviously, the technology if any is another matter.)

W. is a little hard on po-mo for my tastes.  I _did_  appreciate one 
conciliatory paragraph. In it, he lays some responsibiiity for the 
muddle on the scientists themselves in the way they will try to explain 
their discoveries to the public in ordinary language.

For example, quantum mechanics: Instead of saying something prosaic
like "we [can] obtain a complete quantitative description of atoms using
what is called the 'wave function' of the atom," they go off the deep
end with "electrons in atoms do not have definite positions or velocities
until these properties are measured, and the measurement of an electron's
velocity wipes out all knowledge of its position." 

It comes out sounding "eerie" (Weinberg's word), and he thinks it is not much
wonder that people in the humanities are enticed into using similar
language to dress up their arguments about the fragmentary and random
nature of experience, etc.

Same goes for a lot of the hype about chaos theory.

Though W. does not mention artificial intelligence, I think the same
criticism would apply. And it's the scientists themselves who start the
ball rolling, only latter having to calm things down when they get out of
hand.

But mathematical functions, linear and otherwise, are not things to
make the blood boil.

Personally, I intend to remain po-mo to the bone. It's the kind of
world we live in, foax.

And there's always Mr. Anonymous. Now that's really . . .

					P.