Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Hilbert's Programme' and 'The Confessions'

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2 ideas

27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 3. Points in Space
The natural conception of points ducks the problem of naming or constructing each point [Kreisel]
     Full Idea: In analysis, the most natural conception of a point ignores the matter of naming the point, i.e. how the real number is represented or by what constructions the point is reached from given points.
     From: Georg Kreisel (Hilbert's Programme [1958], 13)
     A reaction: This problem has bothered me. There are formal ways of constructing real numbers, but they don't seem to result in a name for each one.
27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 3. Evolution
Archelaus said life began in a primeval slime [Archelaus, by Schofield]
     Full Idea: Archelaus wrote that life on Earth began in a primeval slime.
     From: report of Archelaus (fragments/reports [c.450 BCE]) by Malcolm Schofield - Archelaus
     A reaction: This sounds like a fairly clearcut assertion of the production of life by evolution. Darwin's contribution was to propose the mechanism for achieving it. We should honour the name of Archelaus for this idea.