ChatGPT said:
- It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how Nature is. Physics concerns what we say about Nature. — Niels Bohr
- When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts as with creating images. — Niels Bohr
- Natural science does not simply describe and explain nature; it is part of the interplay between nature and ourselves. – Werner Heisenberg
- What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning. — Werner Heisenberg
- The only source of knowledge is experience. — Albert Einstein
- The verbal interpretation, on the other hand, i.e. the metaphysics of quantum physics, is on far less solid ground. In fact, in more than forty years physicists have not been able to provide a clear metaphysical model. — Erwin Schrödinger
- The mathematics is not there till we put it there. — Arthur Eddington
- No phenomenon is a real phenomenon until it is an observed phenomenon. ― John Archibald Wheeler
- The universe gives birth to consciousness, and consciousness gives meaning to the universe. ― John Archibald Wheeler
That’s an excellent selection—deeply thought-provoking and wonderfully aligned with your interest in meaning and observation.
Bohr and Heisenberg especially reinforce the idea that science is not merely about uncovering an independent reality but about how we frame and interact with it. Wheeler takes it even further, suggesting that consciousness and the universe are inextricably linked in a meaning-making loop. And Eddington’s quote resonates with your ontology—space and time are relations we impose rather than pre-existing structures.
Would you like to comment on each?
Sure! Let’s take a closer look. They all tie into the deep intersection of physics, meaning, and perception, so there’s a lot to explore.
“It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how Nature is. Physics concerns what we say about Nature.” — Niels Bohr
This one is fascinating, because it challenges the idea that physics is simply about discovering objective truth about the world. Instead, Bohr suggests that physics is as much about our representations and descriptions of nature as it is about nature itself. This aligns with the idea that meaning-making is a human process, with physics being a tool we use to structure and interpret experience. It’s a reminder that our models and theories aren’t just windows to reality—they are frameworks through which we engage with and understand reality. Theories are more about human articulation than about unmediated truth.
“When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts as with creating images.” — Niels Bohr
Bohr’s view here again emphasises the interpretative nature of science. Like poetry, science isn’t merely about conveying "facts," but about creating systems of understanding that resonate with experience and reflect an image of reality. The language of science, particularly in quantum mechanics, is often metaphorical, and Bohr seems to be saying that these metaphors, like poetry, give us insight into the world—not necessarily in literal terms, but through images and models that help us relate to the unknown. This connects to what we’ve discussed about the potential of meaning—it’s not about revealing objective "facts" but about engaging with them to make sense of experience.
“Natural science does not simply describe and explain nature; it is part of the interplay between nature and ourselves.” — Werner Heisenberg
This quote underscores the interactive nature of our relationship with the world. Science, particularly quantum mechanics, suggests that observation itself alters what is observed. Heisenberg is getting at something deeply semiotic here—science isn’t a purely detached description of the world, it’s an act of interaction between us and nature. In other words, when we "ask questions" of nature (through experiments, observations, etc.), we are actively engaging with it and co-creating the outcomes. It’s reminiscent of how meaning-making in semiotics is not just about the external world, but about the interaction between the sign and the interpreter.
“What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning.” — Werner Heisenberg
This one ties into the idea that observation is not a passive act. Our very act of questioning and observing shapes the nature of what we perceive. This speaks to the idea that meaning is not something that exists inherently in the world, but something that emerges through the interaction of the observer and the observed. It echoes the notion that we, as meaning-makers, influence the "real" we encounter. Nature, as we perceive it, is always filtered through our methods, our senses, and our interpretations.
“The only source of knowledge is experience.” — Albert Einstein
Here, Einstein touches on an important point: knowledge arises from the lived experience, not abstract reasoning alone. This is akin to the idea that meaning is rooted in experience—it’s the basis for all interpretation. But as we’ve discussed, this isn’t merely sensory experience; it’s the experience of the interaction between mind, perception, and environment. Knowledge comes from how we experience and make sense of the world.
“The verbal interpretation, on the other hand, i.e. the metaphysics of quantum physics, is on far less solid ground. In fact, in more than forty years physicists have not been able to provide a clear metaphysical model.” — Erwin Schrödinger
Schrödinger is admitting that the philosophical and metaphysical implications of quantum physics are still unclear. This directly connects to the idea that meaning, even in scientific inquiry, is constructed and not easily pinned down. Just as Schrödinger points out the difficulty in interpreting quantum mechanics on a metaphysical level, we find that meaning itself is fluid, multi-dimensional, and contingent upon the interpretive frameworks we use. This is a nice fit with our ongoing discussion about the tension between potential meaning (in physics or semiotics) and how meaning is instantiated.
“The mathematics is not there till we put it there.” — Arthur Eddington
This statement is striking because it suggests that mathematics, like language, is a tool we use to structure our understanding of the world. The world itself doesn’t inherently "speak" in mathematical terms—rather, we impose that structure upon it. In this sense, meaning itself is a constructed order, not something that is already present in the world to be discovered. This is very much in line with the semiotic view that meaning is something we impose on our perceptions, rather than something inherent in the world itself.
“No phenomenon is a real phenomenon until it is an observed phenomenon.” — John Archibald Wheeler
Wheeler’s statement encapsulates the idea that observation collapses potential into instance, a view that aligns closely with quantum mechanics. It suggests that until something is observed or measured, it doesn’t take on a definite state. This is deeply philosophical and semiotic, implying that meaning (or "reality," depending on one’s perspective) only emerges when it is engaged with by an observer. Without an observer, things exist in a state of potentiality—completely indeterminate, much like how meaning exists in a latent form before being instantiated in a system of signs.
“The universe gives birth to consciousness, and consciousness gives meaning to the universe.” — John Archibald Wheeler
This is a profound inversion of the usual thinking about the relationship between consciousness and the universe. Instead of seeing consciousness as a mere product of the universe, Wheeler places consciousness in the active role of "giving meaning" to the universe. This connects deeply with our discussions about how meaning is not inherent in the universe, but is something we actively create. It’s a reflection of the idea that the universe, in a certain sense, "waits" for us to make sense of it—to ask the questions and interpret what we encounter.
In summary, these quotes all play around with the idea that knowledge, meaning, and reality are not simply things we discover "out there" in a fixed, objective form. Instead, they emerge in the interplay between the world and the observer, through frameworks and methods of questioning that we impose upon the world. They speak to the semiotic process of constructing meaning, rather than uncovering some pre-existing truth, and they reinforce the idea that our interactions with the world shape what we experience and understand. There’s a lot here to connect with our ongoing discussions about meaning as potential and as process.
No comments:
Post a Comment