[NicknamedBob]

"The very notion that fallible man could unmake a candle and wick and then remake both to their former state is nothing short of magic-thinking. By far the easiest part of this fantasy resides in the unmaking of the wick. Yet even here, the act of untwisting and separating the threads would result in irreparable damage to them. In short, the threads having been permanently altered by the act of unmaking, will never return to their former state."

And yet, that's actually the easy part. Just how would one go about disassembling a flame?

As physical objects go, candles are relatively low-tech. One wonders what level of technology Mr. Mikulecky is envisioning in his comparisons of complex systems versus machines. My point about the candle is that complexity is in the eye of the beholder.

[spirited irish]

snip: My point about the candle is that complexity is in the eye of the beholder

Spirited: Cognitive dissonance is a deformation of the mind and thinking processes. Like a wall, it keeps what is true and real locked away behind a little door with a warning on it that says, “Do Not Open!” Reason is not disabled, yet in the absence of what is true and real, reason is deformed. Your claim is an example of deformed reasoning, for complexity is a permanent part of reality. It is there whether you allow yourself to be cognizant of it or not. It does not ‘disappear’ simply because you need to believe it is not there. This is magic-thinking.

Cognitive dissonance and materialism/empiricism are like a hand and glove.