Materialism

[klypp]

If the dictionary is your Holy Book, that's your business. It's not mine, so we will inevitably speak over/past each other. You should find someone who uses the same Book as you to communicate effectively with.

Precisely!
The purpose of a dictionary is just to make communication more effective. But that seems to be of no interest to you.
You keep flooding the forum with a lot of nonsense. And whenever you get hooked, you try to get off by making your own private definitions!
You must be close to redefining the complete english language by now...

[junglelord]

No kidding....Alton has "new" definitions for every attribute of electric phenonmanon....
Yet cannot state a single one in plane english, or in rope speak.

[altonhare]

No kidding....Alton has "new" definitions for every attribute of electric phenonmanon....
Yet cannot state a single one in plane english, or in rope speak.

Discussions about the specific details of phenomena in thread theory belong in the threads devoted to the topic. Such discussion would be massively distracting and would risk derailing.

You're criticizing my definitions but have no problem talking about the importance of definitions yourself, in addition to providing your own definitions in the context of your own theory:
http://www.thunderbolts.info/forum/php ... ons#p13187

I guess it's only okay when you do it?

[altonhare]

If the dictionary is your Holy Book, that's your business. It's not mine, so we will inevitably speak over/past each other. You should find someone who uses the same Book as you to communicate effectively with.

Precisely!
The purpose of a dictionary is just to make communication more effective. But that seems to be of no interest to you.
You keep flooding the forum with a lot of nonsense. And whenever you get hooked, you try to get off by making your own private definitions!
You must be close to redefining the complete english language by now...

Really? Is that the purpose of a dictionary?

dictionary.com on predict:

–verb (used with object)
1. to declare or tell in advance; prophesy; foretell: to predict the weather; to predict the fall of a civilization.
–verb (used without object)
2. to foretell the future; make a prediction.

v. tr.
To state, tell about, or make known in advance, especially on the basis of special knowledge.
v. intr.
To foretell something; prophesy.

verb
1. make a prediction about; tell in advance; "Call the outcome of an election"
2. indicate by signs; "These signs bode bad news"

dictionary.com on guess:

–verb (used with object)
1. to arrive at or commit oneself to an opinion about (something) without having sufficient evidence to support the opinion fully: to guess a person's weight.
2. to estimate or conjecture about correctly: to guess what a word means.
3. to think, believe, or suppose: I guess I can get there in time.
–verb (used without object)
4. to form an estimate or conjecture (often fol. by at or about): We guessed at the weight of the package.
5. to estimate or conjecture correctly.
–noun
6. an opinion that one reaches or to which one commits oneself on the basis of probability alone or in the absence of any evidence whatever.
7. the act of forming such an opinion: to take a guess at someone's weight.
—Idiom
8. by guess and by gosh, Northern U.S. using a combination of guesswork and reliance on luck; hit or miss. Also, by guess and by golly.

v. tr.

1.
1. To predict (a result or an event) without sufficient information.
2. To assume, presume, or assert (a fact) without sufficient information.
2. To form a correct estimate or conjecture of: guessed the answer.
3. To suppose; think: I guess he was wrong.

v. intr.

1. To make an estimate or conjecture: We could only guess at her motives.
2. To estimate or conjecture correctly.

n.

1. An act or instance of guessing.
2. A conjecture arrived at by guessing.

noun
1. a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
2. an estimate based on little or no information

verb
1. expect, believe, or suppose; "I imagine she earned a lot of money with her new novel"; "I thought to find her in a bad state"; "he didn't think to find her in the kitchen"; "I guess she is angry at me for standing her up" [syn: think]
2. put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation; "I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise again"; "I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong"
3. judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time); "I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds" [syn: estimate]
4. guess correctly; solve by guessing; "He guessed the right number of beans in the jar and won the prize"

1. To form an opinion concerning, without knowledge or means of knowledge; to judge of at random; to conjecture.

First, if thou canst, the harder reason guess. --Pope.

2. To judge or form an opinion of, from reasons that seem preponderating, but are not decisive.

We may then guess how far it was from his design. --Milton.

Of ambushed men, whom, by their arms and dress, To be Taxallan enemies I guess. --Dryden.

3. To solve by a correct conjecture; to conjecture rightly; as, he who guesses the riddle shall have the ring; he has guessed my designs.

4. To hit upon or reproduce by memory. [Obs.]

Tell me their words, as near as thou canst guess them. --Shak.

5. To think; to suppose; to believe; to imagine; -- followed by an objective clause.

Now everyone, to make communication easier, when I say "predict" just reference the first entry and when I use "guess" just reference the second. I'll stop trying to make the meanings of my words clear myself. This will be much easier from now on!

The purpose of a dictionary is to express each and every possible way a word is used, not to tell you how the person that just uttered it is using the word. The only way to know that is to ask the person themself.

At best, a dictionary is useful for when you have never encountered a particular word. In this case the dictionary can get you "in the ballpark" i.e. point you in a certain direction. Predict/guess would be considered, by most English speakers, to be "in the same ballpark". So I try to clarify and make it explicit which base predict is on and which base guess is on, and Klypp thinks there's something wrong with that.

Besides that, he objects to my definition of change as motion but cannot provide a single instance in which it is violated. Not only has he not provided an example, he cannot even provide a good reason.

So while JL and Klypp rail against me about definitions the former has no problem engaging in similar behavior himself and the latter can pose no objection to them.

[altonhare]

And whenever you get hooked, you try to get off by making your own private definitions!

Can Klypp show a single instance of me getting "hooked"? A version of his Scripture says hooked means:

–adjective
1. bent like a hook; hook-shaped.
2. having a hook or hooks.
3. made with a hook or by hooking.
4. Informal.
a. addicted to narcotic drugs.
b. slavishly interested in, devoted to, or obsessed with: He was hooked on television.
5. Slang. married.

n.

1.
1. A curved or sharply bent device, usually of metal, used to catch, drag, suspend, or fasten something else.
2. A fishhook.
3. A curved or barbed plant or animal part.
4. A short angled or curved line on a letter.
5. A sickle.
6. A sharp bend or curve, as in a river.
7. A point or spit of land with a sharply curved end.
8. A means of attracting interest or attention; an enticement: a sales hook.
9. Music A catchy motif or refrain: "sugary hard rock melodies [and] ear candy hooks" (Boston Globe).
10. A short swinging blow in boxing delivered with a crooked arm.
11. The course of a ball that curves in a direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player.
12. A stroke that sends a ball on such a course.
13. A ball propelled on such a course.
14. In surfing, the lip of a breaking wave.
2. Something shaped like a hook, especially:
1. A curved or barbed plant or animal part.
2. A short angled or curved line on a letter.
3. A sickle.
4. A sharp bend or curve, as in a river.
5. A point or spit of land with a sharply curved end.
6. A means of attracting interest or attention; an enticement: a sales hook.
7. Music A catchy motif or refrain: "sugary hard rock melodies [and] ear candy hooks" (Boston Globe).
8. A short swinging blow in boxing delivered with a crooked arm.
9. The course of a ball that curves in a direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player.
10. A stroke that sends a ball on such a course.
11. A ball propelled on such a course.
12. In surfing, the lip of a breaking wave.
3.
1. A sharp bend or curve, as in a river.
2. A point or spit of land with a sharply curved end.
3. A means of attracting interest or attention; an enticement: a sales hook.
4. Music A catchy motif or refrain: "sugary hard rock melodies [and] ear candy hooks" (Boston Globe).
5. A short swinging blow in boxing delivered with a crooked arm.
6. The course of a ball that curves in a direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player.
7. A stroke that sends a ball on such a course.
8. A ball propelled on such a course.
9. In surfing, the lip of a breaking wave.
4. A means of catching or ensnaring; a trap.
5. Slang
1. A means of attracting interest or attention; an enticement: a sales hook.
2. Music A catchy motif or refrain: "sugary hard rock melodies [and] ear candy hooks" (Boston Globe).
3. A short swinging blow in boxing delivered with a crooked arm.
4. The course of a ball that curves in a direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player.
5. A stroke that sends a ball on such a course.
6. A ball propelled on such a course.
7. In surfing, the lip of a breaking wave.
6. Sports
1. A short swinging blow in boxing delivered with a crooked arm.
2. The course of a ball that curves in a direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player.
3. A stroke that sends a ball on such a course.
4. A ball propelled on such a course.
5. In surfing, the lip of a breaking wave.
7. Baseball A curve ball.
8. Basketball A hook shot.

v. hooked, hook·ing, hooks

v. tr.

1.
1. To catch, suspend, or connect with a hook.
2. Informal To snare.
3. Slang To steal; snatch. See Synonyms at steal.
4. To take strong hold of; captivate: a novel that hooked me on the very first page.
5. To cause to become addicted.
6. To hit with a hook in boxing.
7. To hit (a golf ball) in a hook.
2. To fasten by or as if by a hook.
3. To pierce or gore with or as if with a hook.
4. Slang
1. To take strong hold of; captivate: a novel that hooked me on the very first page.
2. To cause to become addicted.
3. To hit with a hook in boxing.
4. To hit (a golf ball) in a hook.
5. To make (a rug) by looping yarn through canvas with a type of hook.
6. Sports
1. To hit with a hook in boxing.
2. To hit (a golf ball) in a hook.
7. Baseball To pitch (a ball) with a curve.
8. Basketball To shoot (a ball) in a hook shot.
9. Sports To impede the progress of (an opponent in ice hockey) by holding or restraining the player with one's stick, in violation of the rules.

v. intr.

1. To bend like a hook.
2. To fasten by means of a hook or a hook and eye.
3. Slang To work as a prostitute.

Phrasal Verb(s):
hook up

1. To assemble or wire (a mechanism).
2. To connect a mechanism and a source of power.
3. Slang
1. To meet or associate: We agreed to hook up after class. He hooked up with the wrong crowd.
2. To become romantically or sexually involved with someone.
3. To marry or get married.

No wonder Klypp likes this Scripture! With so many meanings he can surely figure out SOME example of me being "hooked", and thus cannot be wrong!

According to the same version of Klypp's Scripture at dictionary.com private means:

1. belonging to some particular person: private property.
2. pertaining to or affecting a particular person or a small group of persons; individual; personal: for your private satisfaction.
3. confined to or intended only for the persons immediately concerned; confidential: a private meeting.
4. personal and not publicly expressed: one's private feelings.
5. not holding public office or employment: private citizens.
6. not of an official or public character: private life.
7. removed from or out of public view or knowledge; secret: private papers.
8. not open or accessible to the general public: a private beach.
9. undertaken individually or personally: private research.
10. without the presence of others; alone.
11. solitary; secluded.
12. preferring privacy; retiring: a very private person.
13. intimate; most personal: private behavior.
14. of, having, or receiving special hospital facilities, privileges, and services, esp. a room of one's own and liberal visiting hours: a private room; a private patient.
15. of lowest military rank.
16. of, pertaining to, or coming from nongovernmental sources: private funding.
–noun
17. a soldier of one of the three lowest enlisted ranks.
18. privates. private parts.
—Idiom
19. in private, not publicly; secretly: The hearing will be conducted in private.

I think Klypp essentially means "not public", as in, "not open or accessible to the general public". According to the same Scripture public means:

1. of, pertaining to, or affecting a population or a community as a whole: public funds; a public nuisance.
2. done, made, acting, etc., for the community as a whole: public prosecution.
3. open to all persons: a public meeting.
4. of, pertaining to, or being in the service of a community or nation, esp. as a government officer: a public official.
5. maintained at the public expense and under public control: a public library; a public road.
6. generally known: The fact became public.
7. familiar to the public; prominent: public figures.
8. open to the view of all; existing or conducted in public: a public dispute.
9. pertaining or devoted to the welfare or well-being of the community: public spirit.
10. of or pertaining to all humankind; universal.
–noun
11. the people constituting a community, state, or nation.
12. a particular group of people with a common interest, aim, etc.: the book-buying public.
13. British Informal. a tavern; public house.
—Idioms
14. go public
a. to issue stock for sale to the general public.
b. to present private or previously concealed information, news, etc., to the public; make matters open to public view: The Senator threatened to go public with his Congressional-reform plan.
15. in public, not in private; in a situation open to public view or access; publicly: It was the first time that she had sung in public.
16. make public, to cause to become known generally, as through the news media: Her resignation was made public this morning.

I think Klypp intends "open to all persons" or "generally known".

I state ALL my definitions in this forum. Does that qualify as "open to all persons" or "generally known"?

Are you saying, Klypp, that I have definitions that I do not share with the rest of you? Seriously?

Or are you saying any of a multitude of other possible meanings? Wait, don't answer that, God Forbid We Define Our Words Ourselves For The Purposes Of Our Discussion. I will just decide which meaning from dictionary.com you intended. I think you meant that my definitions are "of the lowest military rank". Silly Klypp.

[junglelord]

Alton, we love you dude, but your square daddyo.


You should write a book, do a video, something.
I have never, ever, met a man who plays with words like you and also has his own language.
Thats got to be a best seller. I however am still waiting for you to materialize something I don't know.
You all to often assume that no one can understand your deep thoughts, so you hide behind those word games.
Re define, re create, re invent, re establish, re capture, re absorb, really....
You can just speak english. You know, like the rest of us. If the Razor is applied then how can you not tell us these deep and wonderful secrets you posses with simple english? If you were comfortable at all with your own "truth" you would not be so uncomfortable with how we "interpertrate" your posts. At the same time, you have real difficutly reading plain english.


You claim to have a new definition for all electric phenomanon, yet speak little of it in the first place....


Thats amazing in itself. You have a new definition for all electric phenomanon and yet speak little of it.
Wow either its lame or top secret. If I had the keys to heaven and earth as you claim you do, and have restored yourself from the tower of babble, then your some intellectual property the US Government would own. But when it comes down to it you have not produced these keystone observations beyond the term rope. Rope capacitance, rope inductance, rope conductance, rope charge, rope a dope. You say a lot without ever saying anything.

But your entertaing when I get tired of watching my hair grow.


In the end I fail to see how this material thread promotes you non material ropes. Or what ever they are. Because after all the post I have read, you have never answered a real question, you just dodge the whole thing and smoke screen yourself with the exact tactics that klypp pointed out. After he did, well it just kinda kicked me in the face, that after a time your predictable to a tee. For instance, simple question, one I have asked and others have asked over and over.

How do the non material ropes create matter? What created the non material ropes?
Ok two questions.


You got ten seconds....GO.
Party on dude.

[altonhare]

How do the non material ropes create matter? What created the non material ropes?
Ok two questions.

dictionary.com on material:

–noun
1. the substance or substances of which a thing is made or composed: Stone is a durable material.
2. anything that serves as crude or raw matter to be used or developed: Wood pulp is the raw material from which paper is made.
3. any constituent element.
4. a textile fabric: material for a dress.
5. a group of ideas, facts, data, etc., that may provide the basis for or be incorporated into some integrated work: to gather material for a history of North Carolina; to write material for a comedy show.
6. materials, the articles or apparatus needed to make or do something: writing materials.
7. a person considered as having qualities suited to a particular sphere of activity: The boy's teachers did not think he was college material.
–adjective
8. formed or consisting of matter; physical; corporeal: the material world.
9. relating to, concerned with, or involving matter: material forces.
10. pertaining to the physical rather than the spiritual or intellectual aspect of things: material comforts.
11. pertaining to or characterized by an undue interest in corporeal things; unspiritual.
12. of substantial import; of much consequence; important: Your support will make a material difference in the success of our program.
13. pertinent or essential (usually fol. by to): a question not material to the subject at hand.
14. Law. likely to influence the determination of a case: material evidence.
15. Philosophy. of or pertaining to matter as distinguished from form.

n.

1. The substance or substances out of which a thing is or can be made.
2. Something, such as an idea or information, that is to be refined and made or incorporated into a finished effort: material for a comedy.
3. materials Tools or apparatus for the performance of a given task: writing materials.
4. Yard goods or cloth.
5. A person who is qualified or suited for a position or activity: The members of the board felt that she was vice-presidential material.

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or composed of matter.
2. Of, relating to, or affecting physical well-being; bodily: "the moral and material welfare of all good citizens" (Theodore Roosevelt).
3. Of or concerned with the physical as distinct from the intellectual or spiritual: "Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).
4. Being both relevant and consequential; crucial: testimony material to the inquiry. See Synonyms at relevant.
5. Philosophy Of or relating to the matter of reasoning, rather than the form.

adjective
1. concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests; "material possessions"; "material wealth"; "material comforts"
2. derived from or composed of matter; "the material universe" [ant: immaterial]
3. directly relevant to a matter especially a law case; "his support made a material difference"; "evidence material to the issue at hand"; "facts likely to influence the judgment are called material facts"; "a material witness" [ant: immaterial]
4. concerned with or affecting physical as distinct from intellectual or psychological well-being; "material needs"; "the moral and material welfare of all good citizens"- T.Roosevelt
5. having material or physical form or substance; "that which is created is of necessity corporeal and visible and tangible" - Benjamin Jowett [syn: corporeal] [ant: immaterial]
6. having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary; "the substantial world"; "a mere dream, neither substantial nor practical"; "most ponderous and substantial things"- Shakespeare [syn: substantial] [ant: insubstantial]

noun
1. the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread"
2. information (data or ideas or observations) that can be used or reworked into a finished form; "the archives provided rich material for a definitive biography"
3. artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress" [syn: fabric]
4. things needed for doing or making something; "writing materials"; "useful teaching materials"
5. a person judged suitable for admission or employment; "he was university material"; "she was vice-presidential material"

Function: adjective
1 : of, relating to, or consisting of physical matter
2 : being of real importance or consequence
3 : being an essential component material terms of the contract>
4 : being relevant to a subject under consideration; specifically : being such as would affect or be taken into consideration by a reasonable person in acting or making a decision —see also INSIDER

1. Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal; physical; as, material substance or bodies.

The material elements of the universe. --Whewell.

2. Hence: Pertaining to, or affecting, the physical nature of man, as distinguished from the mental or moral nature; relating to the bodily wants, interests, and comforts.

3. Of solid or weighty character; not insubstantial; of cinsequence; not be dispensed with; important.

Discourse, which was always material, never trifling. --Evelyn.

I shall, in the account of simple ideas, set down only such as are most material to our present purpose. --Locke.

4. (Logic.) Pertaining to the matter, as opposed to the form, of a thing. See Matter.

dictionary.com on matter:

–noun
1. the substance or substances of which any physical object consists or is composed: the matter of which the earth is made.
2. physical or corporeal substance in general, whether solid, liquid, or gaseous, esp. as distinguished from incorporeal substance, as spirit or mind, or from qualities, actions, and the like.
3. something that occupies space.
4. a particular kind of substance: coloring matter.
5. a situation, state, affair, or business: a trivial matter.
6. an amount or extent reckoned approximately: a matter of 10 miles.
7. something of consequence: matter for serious thought.
8. importance or significance: decisions of little matter.
9. difficulty; trouble (usually prec. by the): There is something the matter.
10. ground, reason, or cause: a matter for complaint.
11. the material or substance of a discourse, book, etc., often as distinguished from its form.
12. things put down in words, esp. printed: reading matter.
13. things sent by mail: postal matter.
14. a substance discharged by a living body, esp. pus.
15. Philosophy.
a. that which by integrative organization forms chemical substances and living things.
b. Aristotelianism. that which relates to form as potentiality does to actuality.
16. Law. statement or allegation.
17. Printing.
a. material for work; copy.
b. type set up.
18. Christian Science. the concept of substance shaped by the limitations of the human mind.
–verb (used without object)
19. to be of importance; signify: It matters little.
20. Pathology. to suppurate.
—Idioms
21. a matter of life and death, something of vital or crucial importance.
22. as a matter of fact, in reality; actually; in fact: As a matter of fact, there is no substance to that rumor.
23. for that matter, as far as that is concerned; as for that: For that matter, you are no better qualified to judge than I. Also, for the matter of that.
24. no matter,
a. regardless or irrespective of: We'll never finish on time, no matter how hard we work.
b. it is unimportant; it makes no difference: No matter, this string will do as well as any other.

n.

1.
1. Something that occupies space and can be perceived by one or more senses; a physical body, a physical substance, or the universe as a whole.
2. Physics Something that has mass and exists as a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.
3. Composed type.
4. Material to be set in type.
2. A specific type of substance: inorganic matter.
3. Discharge or waste, such as pus or feces, from a living organism.
4. Philosophy In Aristotelian and Scholastic use, that which is in itself undifferentiated and formless and which, as the subject of change and development, receives form and becomes substance.
5. The substance of thought or expression as opposed to the manner in which it is stated or conveyed.
6. A subject of concern, feeling, or action: matters of foreign policy; a personal matter. See Synonyms at subject.
7. Trouble or difficulty: What's the matter with your car?
8. An approximated quantity, amount, or extent: The construction will last a matter of years.
9. Something printed or otherwise set down in writing: reading matter.
10. Something sent by mail.
11. Printing
1. Composed type.
2. Material to be set in type.

intr.v. mat·tered, mat·ter·ing, mat·ters
To be of importance: "Love is most nearly itself/When here and

noun
1. a vaguely specified concern; "several matters to attend to"; "it is none of your affair"; "things are going well"
2. some situation or event that is thought about; "he kept drifting off the topic"; "he had been thinking about the subject for several years"; "it is a matter for the police" [syn: topic]
3. that which has mass and occupies space; "physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it"
4. a problem; "is anything the matter?"
5. (used with negation) having consequence; "they were friends and it was no matter who won the games"
6. written works (especially in books or magazines); "he always took some reading matter with him on the plane"

verb
1. have weight; have import, carry weight; "It does not matter much" [syn: count]

In physics, something that has mass and is distinct from energy. (See phases of matter.)



matter mat·ter (māt'ər)
n.

1. Something that occupies space and can be perceived by one or more senses.
2. A specific type of substance.
3. Discharge or waste, such as pus or feces, from a living organism.

Function: noun
1 : material (as feces or urine) discharged or for discharge from the livingbody matter from the intestine>
2 : material discharged by suppuration : PUS

Function: noun
1 : a subject of consideration, disagreement, or litigation: as a : a legal case, dispute, or issue matter within the court's jurisdiction> —often used in titles of legal proceedings <matter of Doe> —see also IN RE b : one or more facts, claims, or rights examined, disputed, asserted, proven, or determined by legal processmatter in controversy
1 : MATTER 1 called also matter in dispute
2 : the monetary amount involved in a casematter in issue
: a matter that is in dispute as part or all of a legal issuematter of fact
: a matter primarily involving proof or evidence rather than a question of lawmatter of form
: a matter concerning form or details often of a relatively inessential nature rather than substance matter of form>matter of law
: a matter involving or consisting of the application of law matter of law —National Law Journal>matter of record
: a matter (as a fact) entered on the record of a court or other official body matter of record>matter of substance
: a matter concerning the merits of a case rather than form or relatively inessential details
2 : written, printed, or postal material matter>

1. That of which anything is composed; constituent substance; material; the material or substantial part of anything; the constituent elements of conception; that into which a notion may be analyzed; the essence; the pith; the embodiment.

He is the matter of virtue. --B. Jonson.

2. That of which the sensible universe and all existent bodies are composed; anything which has extension, occupies space, or is perceptible by the senses; body; substance.

Note: Matter is usually divided by philosophical writers into three kinds or classes: solid, liquid, and a["e]riform. Solid substances are those whose parts firmly cohere and resist impression, as wood or stone. Liquids have free motion among their parts, and easily yield to impression, as water and wine. A["e]riform substances are elastic fluids, called vapors and gases, as air and oxygen gas.

3. That with regard to, or about which, anything takes place or is done; the thing aimed at, treated of, or treated; subject of action, discussion, consideration, feeling, complaint, legal action, or the like; theme. "If the matter should be tried by duel." --Bacon.

Son of God, Savior of men ! Thy name Shall be the copious matter of my song. --Milton.

Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge. --Ex. xviii. 22.

4. That which one has to treat, or with which one has to do; concern; affair; business.

To help the matter, the alchemists call in many vanities out of astrology. --Bacon.

Some young female seems to have carried matters so far, that she is ripe for asking advice. --Spectator.

5. Affair worthy of account; thing of consequence; importance; significance; moment; -- chiefly in the phrases what matter ? no matter, and the like.

A prophet some, and some a poet, cry; No matter which, so neither of them lie. --Dryden.

6. Inducing cause or occasion, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble.

And this is the matter why interpreters upon that passage in Hosea will not consent it to be a true story, that the prophet took a harlot to wife. --Milton.

7. Amount; quantity; portion; space; -- often indefinite.

Away he goes, . . . a matter of seven miles. --L' Estrange.

I have thoughts to tarry a small matter. --Congreve.

No small matter of British forces were commanded over sea the year before. --Mi --lton.

8. Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or abscess; pus; purulent substance.

9. (Metaph.) That which is permanent, or is supposed to be given, and in or upon which changes are effected by psychological or physical processes and relations; -- opposed to form. --Mansel.

10. (Print.) Written manuscript, or anything to be set in type; copy; also, type set up and ready to be used, or which has been used, in printing.

1. To be of importance; to import; to signify.

It matters not how they were called. --Locke.

2. To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate. [R.] "Each slight sore mattereth." --Sir P. Sidney.

v. t. To regard as important; to take account of; to care for. [Obs.]

dictionary.com on create:

–verb (used with object)
1. to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.
2. to evolve from one's own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention.
3. Theater. to perform (a role) for the first time or in the first production of a play.
4. to make by investing with new rank or by designating; constitute; appoint: to create a peer.
5. to be the cause or occasion of; give rise to: The announcement created confusion.
6. to cause to happen; bring about; arrange, as by intention or design: to create a revolution; to create an opportunity to ask for a raise.
–verb (used without object)
7. to do something creative or constructive.
8. British. to make a fuss.
–adjective
9. Archaic. created.

1. To cause to exist; bring into being. See Synonyms at found1.
2. To give rise to; produce: That remark created a stir.
3. To invest with an office or title; appoint.
4. To produce through artistic or imaginative effort: create a poem; create a role.

verb
1. make or cause to be or to become; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor" [syn: make]
2. bring into existence; "The company was created 25 years ago"; "He created a new movement in painting"
3. pursue a creative activity; be engaged in a creative activity; "Don't disturb him--he is creating"
4. invest with a new title, office, or rank; "Create one a peer"
5. create by artistic means; "create a poem"; "Schoenberg created twelve-tone music"; "Picasso created Cubism"; "Auden made verses"
6. create or manufacture a man-made product; "We produce more cars than we can sell"; "The company has been making toys for two centuries" [syn: produce]

Cre*ate"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Created; p. pr. & vb. n. Creating.]

1. To bring into being; to form out of nothing; to cause to exist.

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. --Gen. i. 1.

2. To effect by the agency, and under the laws, of causation; to be the occasion of; to cause; to produce; to form or fashion; to renew.

Your eye in Scotland Would create soldiers. --Shak.

Create in me a clean heart. --Ps. li. 10.

3. To invest with a new form, office, or character; to constitute; to appoint; to make; as, to create one a peer. "I create you companions to our person." --Shak.

Klypp criticized me for trying to define some of the words I was using, apparently because we have dictionaries for that. Dictionaries make communication easier, he says. JL basically sounds off with Klypp. Here's what the dictionary has to say about a few of the words in your sentence JL. You have forfeited the right to tell me what you mean by these words, as has Klypp. You've both attacked me where my sole intention was to communicate clearly. The dictionary tells me what you mean.

Junglelord is asking me:

How do the non-constituent element ropes cause to happen physical substance.

dictionary.com on physical:

–adjective
1. of or pertaining to the body: physical exercise.
2. of or pertaining to that which is material: the physical universe; the physical sciences.
3. noting or pertaining to the properties of matter and energy other than those peculiar to living matter.
4. pertaining to the physical sciences, esp. physics.
5. carnal; sexual: a physical attraction.
6. tending to touch, hug, pat, etc.; physically demonstrative: a physical person.
7. requiring, characterized by, or liking rough physical contact or strenuous physical activity: Football is a physical sport.
–noun

adj.

1.
1. Of or relating to the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit. See Synonyms at bodily.
2. Involving or characterized by vigorous bodily activity: a physical dance performance.
3. Slang Involving or characterized by violence: "A real cop would get physical" (TV Guide).
2. Of or relating to material things: our physical environment.
3. Of or relating to matter and energy or the sciences dealing with them, especially physics.

n. A physical examination.

adjective
1. involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit; "physical exercise"; "physical suffering"; "was sloppy about everything but her physical appearance" [ant: mental]
2. relating to the sciences dealing with matter and energy; especially physics; "physical sciences"; "physical laws"
3. having substance or material existence; perceptible to the senses; "a physical manifestation"; "surrounded by tangible objects"
4. according with material things or natural laws (other than those peculiar to living matter); "a reflex response to physical stimuli"
5. characterized by energetic bodily activity; "a very physical dance performance"
6. impelled by physical force especially against resistance; "forcible entry"; "a real cop would get physical"; "strong-arm tactics" [syn: forcible]
7. concerned with material things; "physical properties"; "the physical characteristics of the earth"; "the physical size of a computer"

adj.
Abbr. phys.

1. Of or relating to the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit.
2. Involving or characterized by vigorous bodily activity.
3. Of or relating to material things.
4. Of or relating to matter and energy or the sciences dealing with them, especially physics.

n.
A physical examination.

Function: adjective
1 : having material existence : perceptible especially through the senses and subject to the laws of nature
2 a : of or relating to physics b : characterized or produced by the forces andoperations of physics
3 : of or relating to the body —phys·i·cal·ly /-k(&-)lE/ adverb

1. Of or pertaining to nature (as including all created existences); in accordance with the laws of nature; also, of or relating to natural or material things, or to the bodily structure, as opposed to things mental, moral, spiritual, or imaginary; material; natural; as, armies and navies are the physical force of a nation; the body is the physical part of man.

Labor, in the physical world, is . . . employed in putting objects in motion. --J. S. Mill.

A society sunk in ignorance, and ruled by mere physical force. --Macaulay.

2. Of or pertaining to physics, or natural philosophy; treating of, or relating to, the causes and connections of natural phenomena; as, physical science; physical laws. "Physical philosophy." --Pope.

3. Perceptible through a bodily or material organization; cognizable by the senses; external; as, the physical, opposed to chemical, characters of a mineral.

4. Of or pertaining to physic, or the art of medicine; medicinal; curative; healing; also, cathartic; purgative. [Obs.] "Physical herbs." --Sir T. North.

JL is asking me:
How do the non-constituent element ropes cause to happen substance substance.

dictionary.com on substance:

–noun
1. that of which a thing consists; physical matter or material: form and substance.
2. a species of matter of definite chemical composition: a chalky substance.
3. controlled substance.
4. the subject matter of thought, discourse, study, etc.
5. the actual matter of a thing, as opposed to the appearance or shadow; reality.
6. substantial or solid character or quality: claims lacking in substance.
7. consistency; body: soup without much substance.
8. the meaning or gist, as of speech or writing.
9. something that has separate or independent existence.
10. Philosophy.
a. something that exists by itself and in which accidents or attributes inhere; that which receives modifications and is not itself a mode; something that is causally active; something that is more than an event.
b. the essential part of a thing; essence.
c. a thing considered as a continuing whole.
11. possessions, means, or wealth: to squander one's substance.
12. Linguistics. the articulatory or acoustic reality or the perceptual manifestation of a word or other construction (distinguished from form ).
13. a standard of weights for paper.
—Idiom
14. in substance,
a. concerning the essentials; substantially.
b. actually; really: That is in substance how it appeared to me.

n.

1.
1. That which has mass and occupies space; matter.
2. A material of a particular kind or constitution.
3. Essential nature; essence.
4. Gist; heart.
2.
1. Essential nature; essence.
2. Gist; heart.
3. That which is solid and practical in character, quality, or importance: a plan without substance.
4. Density; body: Air has little substance.
5. Material possessions; goods; wealth: a person of substance.

noun
1. the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists; "DNA is the substance of our genes"
2. the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story" [syn: kernel]
3. the idea that is intended; "What is the meaning of this proverb?" [syn: meaning]
4. material of a particular kind or constitution; "the immune response recognizes invading substances"
5. considerable capital (wealth or income); "he is a man of means" [syn: means]
6. what a communication that is about something is about [syn: message]
7. a particular kind or species of matter with uniform properties; "shigella is one of the most toxic substances known to man"

n.

1. That which has mass and occupies space; matter.
2. A material of a particular kind or constitution.

Function: noun
1 : physical material from which something is made or which has discrete existence substance of nerve tissue>
2 : matter of particular or definite chemical constitution
3 : something (as drugs or alcoholicbeverages) deemed harmful and usually subject to legal restriction substance> substance problem>

1. That which underlies all outward manifestations; substratum; the permanent subject or cause of phenomena, whether material or spiritual; that in which properties inhere; that which is real, in distinction from that which is apparent; the abiding part of any existence, in distinction from any accident; that which constitutes anything what it is; real or existing essence.

These cooks, how they stamp, and strain, and grind, And turn substance into accident! --Chaucer.

Heroic virtue did his actions guide, And he the substance, not the appearance, chose. --Dryden.

2. The most important element in any existence; the characteristic and essential components of anything; the main part; essential import; purport.

This edition is the same in substance with the Latin. --Bp. Burnet.

It is insolent in words, in manner; but in substance it is not only insulting, but alarming. --Burke.

3. Body; matter; material of which a thing is made; hence, substantiality; solidity; firmness; as, the substance of which a garment is made; some textile fabrics have little substance.

4. Material possessions; estate; property; resources.

And there wasted his substance with riotous living. --Luke xv. 13.

Thy substance, valued at the highest rate, Can not amount unto a hundred marks. --Shak.

We are destroying many thousand lives, and exhausting our substance, but not for our own interest. --Swift.

5. (Theol.) Same as Hypostasis, 2.

Synonyms: actuality, animal, being, body, bulk, concreteness, core, corpus, fabric, force, hunk, individual, item, mass, material, matter, object, person, phenomenon, reality, something, staple, stuff, texture, thing

So JL is asking:

How do the non-constituent element ropes cause to happen material material.

Dropping the redundancy for the sake of sounding better, and referencing the previous dictionary.com definition of material:

How do the non-constituent element ropes cause to happen constituent elements.

dictionary.com on happen:

–verb (used without object)
1. to take place; come to pass; occur: Something interesting is always happening in New York.
2. to come to pass by chance; occur without apparent reason or design: Don't ask me what caused it—it just happened, that's all.
3. to have the fortune or lot (to do or be as specified); chance: I happened to see him on the street.
4. to befall, as to a person or thing: Something dreadful has happened to me.
5. to meet or discover by chance (usually fol. by on or upon): to happen on a clue to a mystery.
6. to be, come, go, etc., casually or by chance: My friend happened along.
7. Slang. to be very exciting or interesting: That party was happening!

#

1. To come to pass.
2. To come into being.

# To take place or occur by chance.
# To come upon something by chance.
# To come or go casually; make an appearance

dictionary.com on occur:

–verb (used without object), -curred, -cur⋅ring.
1. to happen; take place; come to pass: When did the accident occur?
2. to be met with or found; present itself; appear.
3. to suggest itself in thought; come to mind (usually fol. by to): An idea occurred to me.

intr.v. oc·curred, oc·cur·ring, oc·curs

1. To take place; come about. See Synonyms at happen.
2. To be found to exist or appear: Copper deposits occur in the region.
3. To come to mind: The idea never occurred to me.

verb
1. come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important" [syn: happen]
2. come to one's mind; suggest itself; "It occurred to me that we should hire another secretary"; "A great idea then came to her"
3. to be found to exist; "sexism occurs in many workplaces"; "precious stones occur in a large area in Brazil"

Oc*cur"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Occurred; p. pr. & vb. n. Occurring.] [L. occurrere, occursum; ob (see Ob-) + currere to run. See Course.]

1. To meet; to clash. [Obs.]

The resistance of the bodies they occur with. --Bentley.

2. To go in order to meet; to make reply. [Obs.]

I must occur to one specious objection. --Bentley.

3. To meet one's eye; to be found or met with; to present itself; to offer; to appear; to happen; to take place; as, I will write if opportunity occurs.

In Scripture, though the word heir occur, yet there is no such thing as "heir" in our author's sense. --Locke.

4. To meet or come to the mind; to suggest itself; to be presented to the imagination or memory.

There doth not occur to me any use of this experiment for profit. --Bacon.

dictionary.com on appear:

–verb (used without object)
1. to come into sight; become visible: A man suddenly appeared in the doorway.
2. to have the appearance of being; seem; look: to appear wise.
3. to be obvious or easily perceived; be clear or made clear by evidence: It appears to me that you are right.
4. to come or be placed before the public; be published: Her biography appeared last year.
5. to perform publicly, as in a play, dance, etc.: He appeared as the king in the play.
6. to attend or be present, esp. to arrive late or stay but a short time: He appeared at the party but left quickly.
7. to come into being; be created, invented, or developed: Speech appears in the child's first or second year.
8. Law. to come formally, esp. as a party or counsel, to a proceeding before a tribunal, authority, etc.

intr.v. ap·peared, ap·pear·ing, ap·pears

1. To become visible: a plane appearing in the sky.
2. To come into existence: New strains of viruses appear periodically.
3. To seem or look to be: appeared unhappy. See Synonyms at seem.
4. To seem likely: They will be late, as it appears.
5. To come before the public: has appeared in two plays; appears on the nightly news.
6. Law To present oneself formally before a court as defendant, plaintiff, or counsel.

verb
1. give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect; "She seems to be sleeping"; "This appears to be a very difficult problem"; "This project looks fishy"; "They appeared like people who had not eaten or slept for a long time" [syn: look]
2. come into sight or view; "He suddenly appeared at the wedding"; "A new star appeared on the horizon" [ant: disappear]
3. be issued or published; "Did your latest book appear yet?"; "The new Woody Allen film hasn't come out yet"
4. seem to be true, probable, or apparent; "It seems that he is very gifted"; "It appears that the weather in California is very bad"
5. come into being or existence, or appear on the scene; "Then the computer came along and changed our lives"; "Homo sapiens appeared millions of years ago" [ant: disappear]
6. appear as a character on stage or appear in a play, etc.; "Gielgud appears briefly in this movie"; "She appeared in 'Hamlet' on the London stage"
7. present oneself formally, as before a (judicial) authority; "He had to appear in court last month"; "She appeared on several charges of theft"

Function: intransitive verb
1 : to present oneself before a person or body having authority appear before the officer who is to take the deposition —Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 37(d)>: as a : to present oneself in court as a party to a lawsuit often through the representation of an attorney; also : to participate as a party to a lawsuit in a way other than by physical presence (as by mail) b : to present oneself in court as the attorney for a party to a lawsuit <appearing for the defendant>
2 : to have an outward look appears unethical>

1. To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible.

And God . . . said, Let . . . the dry land appear. --Gen. i. 9.

2. To come before the public; as, a great writer appeared at that time.

3. To stand in presence of some authority, tribunal, or superior person, to answer a charge, plead a cause, or the like; to present one's self as a party or advocate before a court, or as a person to be tried.

We must all appear before the judgment seat. --[hand] Cor. v. 10.

One ruffian escaped because no prosecutor dared to appear. --Macaulay.

4. To become visible to the apprehension of the mind; to be known as a subject of observation or comprehension, or as a thing proved; to be obvious or manifest.

It doth not yet appear what we shall be. --1 John iii. 2.

Of their vain contest appeared no end. --Milton.

5. To seem; to have a certain semblance; to look.

They disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. --Matt. vi. 16.

dictionary.com on exist:

–verb (used without object)
1. to have actual being; be: The world exists, whether you like it or not.
2. to have life or animation; live.
3. to continue to be or live: Belief in magic still exists.
4. to have being in a specified place or under certain conditions; be found; occur: Hunger exists in many parts of the world.
5. to achieve the basic needs of existence, as food and shelter: He's not living, he's merely existing.

intr.v. ex·ist·ed, ex·ist·ing, ex·ists

1. To have actual being; be real.
2. To have life; live: one of the worst actors that ever existed.
3. To live at a minimal level; subsist: barely enough income on which to exist.
4. To continue to be; persist: old customs that still exist in rural areas.
5. To be present under certain circumstances or in a specified place; occur: "Wealth and poverty exist in every demographic category" (Thomas G. Exter).

verb
1. have an existence, be extant; "Is there a God?"
2. support oneself; "he could barely exist on such a low wage"; "Can you live on $2000 a month in New York City?"; "Many people in the world have to subsist on $1 a day"

1. To be as a fact and not as a mode; to have an actual or real being, whether material or spiritual.

Who now, alas! no more is missed Than if he never did exist. --Swift.

To conceive the world . . . to have existed from eternity. --South.

2. To be manifest in any manner; to continue to be; as, great evils existed in his reign.

3. To live; to have life or the functions of vitality; as, men can not exist water, nor fishes on land.

How do the non-constituent element ropes cause to be present in a specified place constituent elements?

I could keep going but it just seems I'll go in circles.

The dictionary didn't help me this time . Guess we're SOL. JL is prohibited from telling me what he means. If the dictionary don't got it, nobody does. Nobody gets to say what they mean anymore. I tried to distinguish between my own usage of predict and guess, in addition to trying to make clear my usage of other words in other threads. Burn me at the stake using heathen dictionaries, and raise your True Dictionary up high!

[altonhare]

In the end I fail to see how this material thread promotes you non material ropes.

lol I created this thread purely at the request of webolife because he was interested. It was intended purely as a continuation of some discussions he and I have had (along with some others at various points), and not as a "promotion" of the rope hypothesis.

[klypp]

Did I forget to mention flooding the forum???
Silly me...

[klypp]

altonhare:

Besides that, he objects to my definition of change as motion but cannot provide a single instance in which it is violated. Not only has he not provided an example, he cannot even provide a good reason.

It is all answered in my first two postings in this thread.
http://www.thunderbolts.info/forum/phpB ... a&start=15

But JL is right, you do have a problem with reading plain english.

[altonhare]

altonhare:

Besides that, he objects to my definition of change as motion but cannot provide a single instance in which it is violated. Not only has he not provided an example, he cannot even provide a good reason.

It is all answered in my first two postings in this thread.
http://www.thunderbolts.info/forum/phpB ... a&start=15

But JL is right, you do have a problem with reading plain english.

What's this "plain english" you speak? Oh, like this:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/this

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/is

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/easier

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/period

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/you

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/have

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/not

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shown

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/a

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/single

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/instance

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/of

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/change

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/without

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/motion

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/period

By the way, webolife and I disagree on some pretty significant issues but we have no problem engaging in thought provoking discourse. Also, Solar seems to understand me perfectly well, as well as Plasmatic. I've even had a few good exchanges with Kevin and Mague, with whom I probably disagree about a lot with.

You and JL are simply incapable of forming an argument all on your own. Arguments are (obviously) based on the meaning of the words involved. So when pressed for meaning that you can't provide you avoid conceding the point and instead fling mud at your opponent's face. As if defining the words in one's argument were a sin!

On the contrary, a person's argument stands or falls based on what it MEANS. When pushed to offer meaning you not only write off your opponent for trying to define the relevant words in the argument, you then invoke authority (dictionary). All this indicates that there is nothing to your actual argument. All you have are insults for your opponent and appeals to the Almighty Dictionary.

[junglelord]

But JL is right, you do have a problem with reading plain english.

Or speaking it. I of course win the quppie doll, as Alton was predictable and couldnot answer my questions about his own theory....how material.

[flyingcloud]

[altonhare]

But JL is right, you do have a problem with reading plain english.

Or speaking it. I of course win the quppie doll, as Alton was predictable and couldnot answer my questions about his own theory....how material.

Why don't you try (gasp) asking in the thread devoted to that subject!!!??? ZOMG CRAZY TALK.

For all your criticism your behavior is incredibly hypocritical JL, as you started a whole thread about the use/misuse of definitions in physics. Additionally you had no problem offering alternatives.

It's only okay when JL does it.

http://www.thunderbolts.info/forum/phpB ... ons#p13187

[altonhare]

If you take the dictionary as your Authority and Holy Book, I recommend you not continue reading below this paragraph. You may find it blasphemous, offensive, and if you listen it may even change your mind about something. So unless you want to think something different than when you clicked the thread do not read further. Do not try to be martyrs by reading this (and placing yourself at risk) in hopes of saving my Soul. I know the repercussions. I know I may end up burning in a sea of heathen dictionaries. I accept the consequences of trying to make clear what my words mean myself, rather than submitting to the Holy Book. Turn away now, all Children of Webster, you've been forewarned.

Predictability:

I'd said before that prediction is infallible, while guess is fallible. In contrast, before I said that I was using the words synonymously as both fallible. What I mean when I say prediction is fallible is the following. We can say that IF object X is at location Y and moves at velocity Z it will be at location Y2 after time T if nothing else affects it. This is a prediction because it cannot be wrong. It cannot be wrong because of how we have defined all the terms. Essentially this is an entirely hypothetical situation in which we have perfect knowledge (we know every affect). If we are predicting the location of a comet based on the influence of the sun and the standard 8 planets and someone accidentally fires a nuclear missile and it hits the comet, the prediction was not wrong simply because there is no longer a situation to which it applies.

On the other hand guessing is fallible. We might say that this pendulum will swing X times by tomorrow at this time. But a race of aliens comes and kills every last human, then leaves. Now there is nobody left to confirm the guess. In the comet example, perhaps we guess the comet's location but the warhead blows it to smithereens. The guess is wrong. Many experimentalists and theorists through the years have made intuitive guesses (or "hunches") about what might happen in certain situations. They see certain behaviors of certain materials and make intuitive guesses about what might happen if the materials were rearranged, some added, some removed. Many people are impressed when the researcher turns out to be correct. This comes from experience. Just like the avid football watcher guesses when his favorite team's quarterback is going to complete the pass or not. Do we really think the football watcher knows the quarterback's state in detail, his fatigue, how he slept last night, when he ate, if he had a fight with his wife, etc.? Does the watcher actually know what's going on? Or has he correlated some particular observations with particular outcomes? The QB hesitates a bit, raises the ball a few times before passing, probably won't make the pass. The QB hesitates but doesn't raise the ball, probably will make the pass. This time the QB doesn't act exactly like the watcher has seen before, he rotates his head back and forth but doesn't raise the ball, the watcher says he'll probably make the pass and the QB does These are guesses based on past experience, but they don't explain why the QB did or didn't make the pass. Similarly many experimental and theoretical "physicists" today see certain scenarios giving certain results, and often guess about new scenarios will play out (on a more complicated scale than the football analogy).

The most clear way, I think, to see the difference between a guess and a prediction is in measurement versus mathematics. If we are measuring the location of an object at even intervals we get a series of data X1, 2*X1, 5*X, 26*X1... We get velocities V1=X1, V2=3*X1, V3=21*X1. What will the next position/velocity be? Is this a prediction, or a guess? It's a guess, unfortunately. If we cut the interval in half would we get 1.5*X1, 2*X1, 3.5*X1...? We don't know. No matter how short the interval is, we have to assume something about the motion from there to here. In particular we have to assume the velocity was constant, although this may not be true.

On the other hand, if we write the equation Position = Time^2 + 1, this is a prediction. We are stating how the object moves ahead of time rather than guessing from data in retrospect.

The reason I'm going on about this is to point out that we will never be able to guess with 100% accuracy. We are always assuming something between location 1 and location 2. In this sense humans will never be able to predict (infallible) any actual phenomenon, ever.At best they can make reasonable guesses and sometimes be right based on predictions in hypothetical situations (hopefully more often than not).

So my "unpredictability" criteria for life is difficult. On the one hand I assert that a living entity is unpredictable and that this distinguishes self-locomotive nonliving entities from living ones. On the other hand I reason out that even a rock has a degree of unpredictability. The rock is not self-locomotive, but a rocket is, at least for a time. I could argue that a living entity had to "push the button" on the rocket to set it off on its trajectory to wherever, but all of us had to have a "button pushed" by another living entity at some point. Perhaps it was the meeting of sperm and egg, perhaps something occurs after that point that sets us off on our inevitable trajectory to death.

So I'm wrestling with this. My reason and intuition tell me that there is a fundamental, distinguishable difference between a rocket or a train constructed by a living entity that is moving itself for a time via a fuel reservoir and an actual living entity. We make guesses about rockets, trains, balls, etc. all the time that turn out to be close enough to correct. But with regards to life we find our ability to guess and be often right is baffled. Even the most basic component of life, the cell (if you disagree the cell is the fundamental component of life that's another topic), largely eludes our ability to make reasonable guesses. On the other hand significant strides have been made, and the cell is not quite the mystery it once was. Can it really be just a matter of degree, a matter of complexity? Something tells me there is a breaking point, a "phase transition" so to speak, from inanimate to living. What I mean is that guessing for inanimate objects approaches 100% accuracy, though it never gets there, as we take more and more precise measurements. I think this may not be the case for living entities, although I can't justify it yet. I think the ability to guess may be fundamentally capped at some lower value for living entities. In any event, living entities are still deterministic in the sense that a specific situation must have a specific outcome, regardless of our ability to measure all the parameters involved.

so show me (with some evidence to back it up) a deterministic/materialistic/causal mechanism for your "why not?"

Where do you want me to start web? Fusion of basic elements into C, N, O, P, etc. inside stars? Earlier than that, before there were stars? Earlier than that, before there were atoms? Earlier than that, when there were atoms again? Is a cyclical model okay with you? Would you prefer "abracadabra" and the chain/rope was there, then started oscillating back and forth between dense and expansive? Or would you rather an abracadabra and that's it? Do I need to explain the mechanism of fusion in perfect detail? Do I need to tell you how the atoms associated with life made it from the host star to the planet?

How far are we going here Web?