from Lawrence, Sunday PhiloMadrid meeting: Do things change if we change? + news

Dear friends,

This Sunday we are discussing: Do things change if we change?

At heart we have a classical topic in philosophy, the subject of causality. As part of the Newtonian
world we have our own right to cause things in the same way that everything else in universe can
achieve if they operate in the Newtonian universe.

Of course, this does not mean that what we can cause will have an outcome we desire. But this goes
against the claim that the Newtonian world is governed by causality and determinism. If there are
determinism and causality and they do work, that is if an action of type A has the effect type B,
why is it that sometimes we do A but B does not happen?

Usually we put it down to the fact that we do not know enough about A or that in reality we did not
do what it takes to bring about B. Not to mention the idea that determinism and predicting the
future are in a way incompatible.

But what is a paradox or an issue in the Newtonian world, is quite normal in the quantum world. In
the quantum world we have things happening when they should not (tunnelling), we speak of the
probability of an event rather than the certainty of something happening, the possibility of a
quantum object existing over different space and time, and of course the dual state, of wave and
particle, a quantum object can have.

Basically, we just do not know whether things will change if we change. And worse, we also don't
know whether we can bring out the right outcome if we change. Of course, if we don't change it does
not follow that things will turn out the way we want them to turn out.

The bottom line is that sometimes we change, because we are changed, and sometimes we change because
we want to change others. However, if we're digging ourselves into a whole, and don't want to be
there, one of the things we can do is to stop digging.

Best Lawrence

In the meantime we have some news:
----from Miguel
ENCUENTROS DE PRIMAVERA EN EL PLANETARIO DE MADRID Mayo-Junio 2012
Les informamos que a partir del lunes 14 de mayo se podrá empezar a reservar invitaciones para la
conferencia "El Mecanismo de Antikythera, un planetario del siglo II a.C." perteneciente al ciclo
"Encuentros de primavera en el Planetario de Madrid".
Para más información sobre el ciclo de conferencias:
http://www.planetmad.es/PDFs/encuentrosposter-2012.pdf
Jueves, 31 de mayo a las 19 horas
"El Mecanismo de Antikythera, un planetario del siglo II a.C.". Conferencia a cargo de Toño Bernedo.
Planetario de Madrid

---- Cementerio Británico-----
Por el presente mensaje hago saber las fechas de las visitas comentadas programadas para mayo y
junio : si hay alguien que quiera formar un grupo, no importa que sea pequeño, en cualquier otra
fecha, sírvase avisarme para llegar a un acuerdo mutuo de hora y fecha.
This is to give you the dates of the guided visits on Saturday mornings in May and June : if anyone
wishes to make up a group, however small, independent of the dates I give below, I will be most
happy to make arrangements and take them round - all they need do is state their preferred dates and
we will work out a schedule.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Redacto el presente mensaje tanto en español como en inglés con el objeto de comunicarles que sigo
con el programa de visitas comentadas, sábados por la mañana, al Cementerio Británico.
Las visitas empiezan a las 11 horas en la entrada del Cementerio Británico, calle del Comandante
Fontanes 7, distrito de Carabanchel
*sábado, 26 de mayo, cuando daré las explicaciones en español
*sábado, 2 de junio, cuando daré las explicaciones en inglés
Lo dejo a su elección cuál día acuda y no hay necesidad de avisar.
Tomen nota de nuestra página web < www.britishcemeterymadrid.com > que contiene información de la
historia del Cementerio y el mapa de su ubicación.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am writing this in both Spanish and in English to tell you that I am continuing Saturday morning
guided visits to the British Cemetery.
We meet at 11 o'clock at the Cemetery entrance in Calle del Comandante Fontanes 7 in Carabanchel
* the visit on Saturday 26 May will be in Spanish
* the visit on Saturday 2 June will be in English
The choice of date is left to you and there is no need to inform me in advance of the visit whether
you are coming.
Do take note of our website < www.britishcemeterymadrid.com > where you will find details of the
Cemetery's history and a map with its location.
David Butler

-------end-------

take care
Lawrence



PhiloMadrid Meeting
Meet 6:30pm
Centro Segoviano
Alburquerque, 14
28010 Madrid
914457935
Metro: Bilbao

-----------Ignacio------------
Thursday's Open Tertulia in English
Important Notice: From December 1st, the Tertulia will take place at O'Donnells (ex-Moore's) Irish
Pub, c/ Barceló 1 (metro Tribunal)
http://sites.google.com/site/tertuliainenglishmadrid/

----------From Luisa---------
Please not you will have to let her know in advance if you wish to attend, thanks:
Data of language exchange,
Location: Café Comercial
Address: Glorieta de Bilbao, 7
Website location:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=es&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=glorieta+de+Bilbao+en+Madrid&fb=1&hq=glorieta+de+Bilbao&hnear=Madrid,+España&cid=168580715753984644



Dates: on Saturday
Time: from 12:30 to 14:45
Price: 2.50 € (exchange organizing, hiring the top of the cafeteria and coffee, tea, soda, wine or
beer are included).
Luisa - email to confirm please alvarez_luisa@hotmail.com
--------end----




from Lawrence, Sunday PhiloMadrid meeting: Do things change if we change? + news