From Usenet, an alternative view on theology (some typos corrected): -- AnonymousDonor

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I'm trying to come up with the most general probability formula for a state of affairs starting with absolutely no information about a system (the universe).

Therefore, it is unknown what objects exist within the system or what processes can occur within the system.

I wish to find out if there are any properties of this formula or set of formulae that might account for all possibly observable phenomena.

To establish a formula, one must have at the barest minimum two nameable objects or quantities (call them A and B) and an operation that compares them.  Such comparison must default to either = (which asserts the objects are the same) or <> (which asserts that they are not the same).

Since we don't know whether or not there is more than one nameable quantity, nor the nature of the comparisons, there can only be one nameable quantity which identifies whatever may or may not be contained within the system. I call this quantity "shit".

A similar analysis applied to the concept of a mathematical operation leads one to the conclusion that, in the absence of a definable operation on a system which may or may not be empty, one can only assert that at least one undefined operation may exist.  Since the word "exist" fails to imply the dynamic nature inherent in a process as opposed to the simple concept of "being" which can be applied to an operation-free system, I define this operation with the word "happen".

By combining the concept of an undefinable quantity that may or may not exist within the system with the concept of an undefinable operation that may or may not occur within the system, we arrive quickly at the most fundamental of all logical statements that can be made about a system, even when nothing is known about the contents or processes that may be found therein:

"Shit happens."

In my personal theology, this would be the very first utterance of a creative deity to bring a universe into existence, triggering such events as the Big Bang.

Specifically, I'm wondering if this formula may be used to derive the number of dimensions and the direction of time, and possibly other derivations that might be interpreted as physical forces. That seems like quite a task, I'm know. But you never know how hard or easy it may be until you first see the formulae you start with.

Once you have accepted the Tao of objects vs processes, of nouns vs verbs, of being vs doing, the justaposition of the most general of all possible [objects/nouns/beingness] with the most general of all possible [processes/verbs/doingness] as I have cited above, all else is detail... 

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Link: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.sci.math.probability/browse_thread/thread/342071c02da8fbdc/56c53b9d85518822?lnk=st&q=universe+system+%22shit+happens%22&rnum=10#56c53b9d85518822
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CategoryWhimsy