Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00122)

On Wed, 8 Jan 97, JRC <jrcecon@selway.umt.edu> wrote:

>On Wed, 8 Jan 1997, Tom Robertson wrote:
>> 
>> The laws of mathematics are eternal and changeless.  Like the laws of
>> morality and physics, they can be discovered, but never invented.
>> 
>If you can demonstrate this with something other than just an assertion
>of your belief, you will have refuted Godel's Theorem. While you may take
>comfort in the belief that the laws of mathematics are "eternal and
>changeless", no working mathematician has given serious credibility to
>that idea in close to half a century ... its seen in the field as a
>charming, if unsophisticated, superstition from the past. Myself, as
>well as several friends, would be most interested to see a formal proof of
>your statement ... as it would likely be worth a Nobel Prize.

I would be curious to know the name of the individual who arbitrarily
decided that 2+2=4.  But I'm flattered that you told my idea to several of
your friends.  I'd like to see a "formal proof" that 2+2 might not be 4,
also.  When might 2+2 become 5?