tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636422447654352249.post315810380995886194..comments2022-06-12T11:20:41.146-05:00Comments on Welcome to Science Fiction: Do not read this. It makes no sense!Adam Wykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534325888137250921noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636422447654352249.post-4470763699496354572009-06-17T00:22:47.945-05:002009-06-17T00:22:47.945-05:00Oh they keep me up at night, too. Not exactly on-t...Oh they keep me up at night, too. Not exactly on-topic for this Blog, btw, but what the hell.<br /><br />Allow me to posit a more simplistic definition of utility:<br /><br />Useful interpretations of phenomena (in this case SF stories) are those interpretations which support and are supported by one's preexisting logical and conceptual framework. They make sense once explained because they use previously accepted heuristics and concepts to build their case, much like how scientific theories are most useful when they provide explanations for previously inexplicable observational data by creating rules which fit present observations, predict future observations, and are logically consistent with some of what is already known.<br /><br />Useful interpretations explain what has been observed, predict the form of what has not yet been observed, and are logically consistent with what is already known.<br /><br />The paranoid schizophrenic's interpretation does not likely fit what I have observed because I do not perceive the world anything like she does. It does not predict what I will see for the same reason. It is most certainly not logically consistent with what I already know. Her arguments that she is right will seem ineffectual to me for these reasons, and I will not think of her interpretation as very useful.<br /><br />Perhaps more knowledge can be gained by investigating all the infinite strands of valid and internally consistent interpretation, but the mortal human faces the dilemma of only being able to use finite processing power within a finite time in an effort to choose the most useful information from an infinite field.<br /><br />The tree of information is inevitably pared. It is just a question of how to pare it and still retain the best fruit.Adam Wykeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02534325888137250921noreply@blogger.com