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A posthumous discussion between Dick Feynman and George Hammond

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a

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Jun 27, 2002, 12:46:37 PM6/27/02
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FEYNMAN: Okay Hammond, the hospital administration has asked me to
look into this scientific proof of God of yours and find out what it
is. Give me a rundown of how it works.

HAMMOND: Okay Dick...

FEYNMAN: Dr. Feynman, please.

HAMMOND: Huh?

FEYNMAN: Look, Hammond, I don't know you from Adam, and I've seen
your excuse for a CV. Please address me as "Dr. Feynman".

HAMMOND: Yes, of course, Dr. Feynman. Anyway, here's the scoop.
There's something called Psychometrics, which is the modern version
of Psychology. It uses Factor Analysis, which as you know is the
eigenvector reduction of correlation matrices.

FEYNMAN: Yes, Factor Analysis is used to invent correlations in
sets of data when all else fails.

HAMMOND: Yes, well, um, Dr. Feynman, for instance they will form a
100x100 correlation matrix between all the questions of a personality
test and then compute the eigenvectors of the matrix.

FEYNMAN: I suppose you think they get something interesting when
they do that.

HAMMOND: Well, Dr. Feynman, here's the amazing thing. 100 years
of experimentation has discovered that no matter who writes the
test, or how many questions there are, the computer always finds
4 eigenvectors.

FEYNMAN: So what?

HAMMOND: Well, er, it's unbelievable. The 4 eigenvectors are known
as E,N,P and g.

FEYNMAN: <yawn> Well that's nice.

HAMMOND: That's why I'm here talking to you, I've discovered
why there are only, exactly, 4 dimensions to Psychology.

FEYNMAN: <stirs from sleep> Okay, why?

HAMMOND: Turns out they're caused by the 3-axis geometry of
the brain.

FEYNMAN: What 3-axis geometry, and by the way geometry never
"causes" anything.

HAMMOND: The whole body is an axial quadrature. It comes from
the first 3 cleavages of the egg. Let me draw you a picture
on the blackboard, see:

http://home.attbi.com/~ghammond/EMBRYO.jpg

FEYNMAN: Well that's pretty stupid, Hammond. Even in your own
diagram you can see the lack of symmetry. But I'll play along.
What does this have to do with a scientific proof of God?

HAMMOND: Well, the reason the human body is a 3-axis orthogonal
machine is because space is Riemanian. The quadratic metric of
space causes it.

FEYNMAN: Well, duh. Things in space have four dimensions because
space is four-dimensional. What are you going to reveal next,
Hammond, the gravitational constant?

HAMMOND: Um, well, anyway, to proceed. Here's the amazing thing,
Dr. Feynman. It's known that there is a curvature in psychometry
space, the correlation matrix of ENPg is "oblique".

FEYNMAN: Oh, no. You're not going to pretend that the curvature of
space is related to a curvature of psychometry space, are you?

HAMMOND: Yep. And guess what, Dr. Feynman? That curvature in
psychometry space causes what we call "God".

FEYNMAN: That's pretty darn stupid, Hammond. Are you sure it isn't
Love? Or Truth and Beauty? Or the Easter Bunny?

HAMMOND: Yes, because they know the Factor...

FEYNMAN: I've heard enough, Hammond. Here, I will try to make it
simple for you: First, there's no evidence that the correlations
you've invented aren't the result of something perfectly trivial,
such as biases or preconceptions of the designers of the personality
tests. More than likely, they have no significance whatsoever.
Second, even if there is some significance to the correlations,
it's a huge, unfounded leap to associate this with something called
"God". Finally, even if one were to accept the possibility of some
association with "God", your work makes no predictions and is not
falsifiable, so it's not even a scientific theory, let alone a
"proof". At best it's a conjecture. So stop calling it a Scientific
Proof of God and be honest: It's Hammond's Conjecture about God.

HAMMOND: But, but, cars have four wheels! And every animal with
more than three legs has at least four legs! And the word "God"
has four letters if you invent another one! And...

FEYNMAN: I'm sorry, Hammond, but our time is up.

HAMMOND: Nummynuts!

FEYNMAN: Next patient, please.

George Hammond

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Jun 27, 2002, 1:06:26 PM6/27/02
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[Hammond]

Note: The REAL version of this conversation is given at:

http://home.attbi.com/~ghammond/Feynman.html


=======================================================
GEORGE HAMMOND'S- SCIENTIFIC PROOF OF GOD WEBSITE
http://home.attbi.com/~ghammond/index.html
=======================================================

brian0918

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Jun 27, 2002, 1:28:18 PM6/27/02
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"George Hammond" <gham...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:3D1B46D0...@attbi.com...

> [Hammond]
>
> Note: The REAL version of this conversation is given at:
>
> http://home.attbi.com/~ghammond/Feynman.html
>

HAHAHA!! Wow. The conversation provided by "a" was humorous and insightful,
but your reply is the icing in the cake! So, you're telling me, if I click
on the above link you provided, I will have the privilege of reading... the
REAL version of your IMAGINED conversation with a DEAD man, who, when he was
alive, was beyond brilliant, and FAR beyond your intelligence? Nummynuts!


brian0918

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Jun 27, 2002, 1:30:32 PM6/27/02
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"George Hammond" <gham...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:3D1B46D0...@attbi.com...
> [Hammond]
>
> Note: The REAL version of this conversation is given at:
>
> http://home.attbi.com/~ghammond/Feynman.html
>
>

Is it that you are unable to address any of the criticisms provided in the
original post, or that you are afraid to? Maybe both?


a

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Jun 27, 2002, 3:39:56 PM6/27/02
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In article <3D1B46D0...@attbi.com>,

George Hammond <gham...@attbi.com> wrote:
>[Hammond]
>
>Note: The REAL version of this conversation is given at:

http://www.shore.net/~a/hammond/feynman.html

--
"There are difficult logarithums in astrology."
-- Edmond Wollmann <io587.25266$Gj5.14...@typhoon.san.rr.com>

Cardinal Chunder

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Jun 27, 2002, 4:11:18 PM6/27/02
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a wrote:
> In article <3D1B46D0...@attbi.com>,
> George Hammond <gham...@attbi.com> wrote:
>
>>[Hammond]
>>
>>Note: The REAL version of this conversation is given at:
>
>
> http://www.shore.net/~a/hammond/feynman.html
>

LOL. That about sums it up :)

It's funny that old shit for brains has to invent conversations with
dead people because the live ones won't give him the time of day.

George Black

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Jun 27, 2002, 4:26:58 PM6/27/02
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"Cardinal Chunder" <c...@foo.no.spam.xyzabcfghllaa.com> wrote in message
news:3D1B708A...@foo.no.spam.xyzabcfghllaa.com...

dead people can't get away from him
>


Edmond Wollmann

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Jun 27, 2002, 4:30:19 PM6/27/02
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Please keep this out of metapsych.
thanks

--
Edmond H. Wollmann P.M.A.F.A. arctur...@earthlink.net (remove-)
© 2002 Altair Publications, SAN 299-5603
Astrological Consulting http://www.astroconsulting.com/
Artworks http://www.e-wollmann.com/
http://www.astroconsulting.com/FAQs/

George Hammond

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Jun 28, 2002, 3:47:02 AM6/28/02
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GH: Naw.... I just tend to ignore amateurs

--

David Evens

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Jun 28, 2002, 5:05:20 AM6/28/02
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On Fri, 28 Jun 2002 07:47:02 GMT, George Hammond <gham...@attbi.com>
wrote:

>brian0918 wrote:
>> "George Hammond" <gham...@attbi.com> wrote in message
>> news:3D1B46D0...@attbi.com...
>> > [Hammond]
>> >
>> > Note: The REAL version of this conversation is given at:
>> >
>> > http://home.attbi.com/~ghammond/Feynman.html
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Is it that you are unable to address any of the criticisms provided in the
>> original post, or that you are afraid to? Maybe both?
>
>GH: Naw.... I just tend to ignore amateurs

It IS nice to know that George recognises that I am not the amateur he
is.

Eric Prebys

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Jun 28, 2002, 9:11:30 AM6/28/02
to

George Hammond wrote:
>
> [Hammond]
>
> Note: The REAL version of this conversation is given at:
>
> http://home.attbi.com/~ghammond/Feynman.html

What, you mean the version where you REALLY talk to a dead
guy? Cool.

-Eric

0gre

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Jun 28, 2002, 7:38:51 PM6/28/02
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Edmond Wollmann <Arctu...@spamcop.net> wrote in message news:<3D1B75...@spamcop.net>...

> Please keep this out of metapsych.
> thanks
>
No. alt.astrology.metapsych re-added just to piss you off, and
alt.usenet.kooks added because I hope you'll entertain us all by
kooking out some more.
You're welcome, Edmo.

Cardinal Chunder

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Jun 29, 2002, 6:51:30 AM6/29/02
to

I second that motion. I don't like netcops who send usenet abuse
"reports" about me, simply for responding to a thread. What a fucking prick.

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