Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!jk3k+
From: jk3k+@andrew.cmu.edu (Joe Keane)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: intelligence and the initial conditions of the universe (BANG!!!)
Message-ID: <0YtCI7a00V4G40XHNL@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: 13 Aug 89 03:03:35 GMT
References: <2182@hub.UUCP> <1490@l.cc.purdue.edu>,
	<1989Aug11.114022.481@IDA.ORG>
Organization: Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Lines: 12
In-Reply-To: <1989Aug11.114022.481@IDA.ORG>

In article 1989Aug11.114022.481@IDA.ORG> rwex@IDA.ORG (Richard Wexelblat)
writes:
>In article <1490@l.cc.purdue.edu> cik@l.cc.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes:
>>                                              The mathematics is independent
>>of the universe.  
>
>You beg the question.  How do you know this is so?

Because we state in advance what assumptions (axioms) we're using.  Everything
else can be derived from them.  If you prove 2+2=3 (in your universe) either
you're using different axioms or you're using the same ones and have found a
contradiction in them.  In either case, Herman's statement is still true.