[Foundation-l] "The problem with Wikipedia..."

[Jussi-Ville Heiskanen]

Jussi-Ville Heiskanen wrote:
> The "original" original of the concept itself is of course
> "The Flight of the Bumblebee", with a related concept
> being the centipede losing track of it's legs, when it
> begins trying to "think through" what it is doing with
> them.
>

The concept of "Information Wants to be Free" has been
authoritatively shown to have roots in thinkers as ancient
as Aristotle. I would guess here too, that the instance
of scientists calculating the amount of energy it took to
keep the bumblebee up in the air, and measuring the
amount of food it actually consumed, is likely not the
earliest form of this paradox.

Not precisely the same, but much older, is of course the
following passage from Tertullian:

'Natus est Dei Filius, non pudet, quia pudendum est;
et mortuus est Dei Filius, prorsus credibile est, quia ineptum est;
et sepultus resurrexit, certum est, quia impossibile.'

(De Carne Christi V, 4)

"The Son of God was born: there is no shame, because it is shameful.
And the Son of God died: it is wholly credible, because it is unsound.
And, buried, He rose again: it is certain, because impossible."

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credo_quia_absurdum )


Yours,

Jussi-Ville Heiskanen