The Key to the Universe

Jeff Wilson · 13 Aug 2010, 20:31 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:31:16 -0500
Subject: (urth) The Key to the Universe
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W18321445B4F9D92C8EA14BCF980 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W18321445B4F9D92C8EA14BCF980 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4C65AB94.5090503 at io.com>

On 8/13/2010 12:37 PM, Lee Berman wrote:
> Jeff, in a previous post I wondered if hyperspace could have suns and
> planets. My understanding was that matter and energy don't really exist
> there (hence the meadow and brook of Madregot are not real, just metaphors
> to allow Severian to understand what he sees).
>
> My conclusion was that Yesod cannot be hyperspace because it contains
> planets and suns and gravity, etc. You asked me for text citation of the
> Yesod planets and suns and I meant to get to that. But now it appears
> you have done this yourself. Happy I can scratch that off my to-do list!
> :- )

The problem is that my idea is that any planets or stars in Yesod are 
fakes, only constructs that simulate the appearance and useful features 
of the authentic ones in Briah, for the convenience of the Yesodis.

> I still like to view Yesod as being the next universe in succession to
> Briah and as our own universe. What actually is the difference between a
> "simulated" sun and constructed planets and the "real" ones?

For one thing, Apheta remarks that they have no tides on the 
machine-planet. She attributes this to their lack of a moon, but it 
implies that their sun also fails to make tides, preventing it from 
being a massive star.  It may even be that it's a luminous satellite 
circling the machine-planet, which is probably too large to rotate 
conventionally.

> Using my model it means our Earth (and Jesus' Earth) was constructed by
> the hard-working holy angelic servants of The Increate that we see, not
> just by mindless physical forces. I feel this is in accord with Gene Wolfe's
> combined religious and scientific thinking and philosophy.

In that case, why bother with mindless forces at all?

I don't have a problem with the universe ultimately being of intelligent 
design, but I feel that people saying the intelligence *had* to 
intervene over time instead of making the universe self-building is 
presumptious. I also find it more in character for a divinity who is 
supposed to have a personal relationship with every intelligent being to 
devote Their interventions to the people rather than the pile of rocks 
they live on.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
IEEE Student Chapter Blog at
< http://ieeetamut.org >

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