Un-topic

Rasheed · Post by **Rasheed** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:54 am

Well, remember the concept of the un-dead, first cornered by Bram Stoker as being someone not quite dead, nor quite living either, but something in between. The same thing applies to un-whatever, not quite whatever, nor quite the opposite, but something in between.

You have your un-conference. This is an informal meeting about formal topics. It isn't a structured conference, nor pure gossip and random talk, but something in between. It hasn't arrived in being a true conference (yet).

So I'm an un-animator, and an un-program developer.

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 12:01 pm

You must have been reading "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" -- there are always at least three alternatives...

Rasheed · Post by **Rasheed** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:51 pm

Have never heard of that book before you mentioned it.

Hmm, three states... that reminds me of quantum computing. That is based on the premise that when a particle is created, an equal, but opposite anti-particle is created, and both go their opposite ways. Which is the particle and which the anti-particle only becomes certain when one of the particles is measured (which determines the quantum state). So there is a third quantum state, which could be called "uncertain", or in the light of this thread, an un-state.

Of course, you can't do this quantum computing at home, unless you happen to have a particle accelerator lying around.

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:14 pm

Einstein once said that his mind's capacity for fantasy was of much more use to him than the ability to absorb scientific information...And I recommend the "Zen" book -- it's by a guy called Robert Pirsig.