[MD] Science Wars

[MarshaV]

At 01:51 PM 4/19/2009, you wrote:
> >[Marsha]
> >By conventional truth I mean a pattern that is relational,
> >ever-changing and conceptually constructed.  What of a conventional
> >truth is shared?  Are you, six letters with some kind of relationship
> >to crime, shared?
> >
> >[Krimel]
> >Conventions may have those properties but a convention is shared. The term
> >has no meaning in the context of the individual. Letters are shared
> >conventions my explanation for the etymology of my name is likewise shared.
> >In short EVERYTHING about a "conventional truth" is shared. That is what
> >makes it conventional.
>
>Marsha
>Can you name one static of pattern (meaning) that is shared
>100%?    Each particular will have its little deviation.
>
>[Krimel]
>Of course not, neither in terms of 100% of people agreeing nor of two people
>sharing 100% overlap in understanding. Fortunately neither of these is
>required of a conventional understanding. The issue is really about how much
>overlap (short of 100%) do we actually need to communicate and share
>understanding. The science of information theory is all about this.
>Communication and convention are the ability the exchange meaning and
>messages. Or to be more precise reduction in uncertainty. Evolutionary
>success for example, depends in reducing uncertainty and ANY reduction
>confers selective advantage. This is as true of memes are of genes. This is
>how we evaluate concepts and conventions. We determine how meaningful they
>are by how well they reduce uncertainty. It is reduction not absolute
>reduction that is critical.
>

Krimel,

The existence of zebras is a conventional truth.  Are using the 
phrase 'conventional truth' differently?


Marsha



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