GÖDEL AND THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICAL TRUTH II [7.27.05] - A Talk with Verena Huber-Dyson

Edge - The Third Culture ^ | July 27, 2005

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Read this thread yesterday and was thinking about the consitutional routes to tyranny.

Although I'm sure this was not what Godel was thinking about (the timeline is wrong) the fact remains that probably the single biggest loophole in the constitution is none other than the 25th amendment. Here is part of section 4 of the 25th amendment.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Pulp fiction novels have been written about this and the possibilities are staggering.

It basically says that the president can be deposed by a cabal of the vice president and a majority of his cabinet officers. Imagine if this amendment had existed, say in 1862.

[RightWhale]

ANCSA and ANILCA might as well be treaties with foreign nations as that is how FedGov treats its biggest state. They made Alaska a state, admitted it into the Union, but retained most of it as territory. They used to call Alaska the Territory of Alaska. Most of it still is the Territory of Alaska.

[Blind Eye Jones]

I like the picture of Godel and Einstein. It reminds me of the Frankenstein vs. Einstein debates at Princeton in the late 30s. Frankenstein was coming off a few hit horror films with Dracula and bought his way into Princeton. The high point was a debate he had with Einstein at the student union hall. Einstein said, "pi r2" and Frankenstein rebutted with, "No! Pie are round!" Anyway, it caused a big stir and I think they chased him back to the dorm with pitchforks and torches.

[Allan]

More Godel.

I can't tell you
whether it is interesting
or not
since I haven't had time
to read it.

[aculeus]

Please don't publish articles like this.

Everyone "knows" FR is the home of knuckle-dragging ideologues who want to destroy science.

(/sarcasm)

[snarks_when_bored]

Please don't publish articles like this.

Everyone "knows" FR is the home of knuckle-dragging ideologues who want to destroy science.

(/sarcasm)

So sorry...I'll work on getting in closer touch with my FReeper self.

Wait...

[The_Reader_David]

Oh, there are lots of intuitionists left: if you have to work in a category of sheaves, intuitionistic logic is all that works. As a result most algebraic geometers and category theorists are closet intuistionists.

[Mitchell]

Thanks for the ping.