Joshian Meditations: Superultramodern Meditations

The Necessity of Creation

The Non-Eternal Universe

I cannot deny the necessity of creation for every aspect and element of the non-eternal universe, which is generally known as the material universe. This form of the universe is not logically necessary. However, this inability to deny creation necessarily leads me to the idea of ultimate creation, an idea whose invalidity I cannot deny.

The Eternal Universe

On the other hand, I consider the eternal universe, which is generally known as the ideal or conceptual universe, to be logically necessary and without creation. This belief, whose falsehood I cannot apprehend, stands in stark contrast to the idea that even the order and disorder of prime numbers might be a matter of creation.

The Paradox of Prime Numbers

Don Zagier, in his inaugural lecture at Bonn University, presented a fascinating paradox about prime numbers:

"There are two facts about the distribution of prime numbers which I hope to convince you. The first is that despite their simple definition and role as the building blocks of the natural numbers, the prime numbers grow like weeds among the natural numbers, seeming to obey no other law than that of chance, and nobody can predict where the next one will sprout. The second fact is even more astonishing, for it states just the opposite: that the prime numbers exhibit stunning regularity, that there are laws governing their behavior, and that they obey these laws with almost military precision."

Based on this idea, if I form a supposition that even the order and disorder of prime numbers is a matter of creation, it contradicts my belief that all aspects or elements of the eternal universe had no creation.

Possible Conclusions

These two ideas together lead me to the following three possible conclusions, stated in ascending order of likelihood:

1. The Universe Operates in an Unknown Manner: Some or all of its secrets shall one day be discovered by humans.
2. Some Truths Are Forever Unknowable: Human reasoning is fundamentally flawed, and some truths of the universe are beyond our grasp.
3. Reason Itself Is Flawed: No thought or reasoning, not merely human but of any possible kind, can accurately describe at least some aspects of the universe.

The Pursuit of Understanding

Despite the possibility that some truths may be forever unknowable, I have decided not to give up. I shall continue my journey to try to understand the nature of the universe.

The Principle of Universal Doubt

What is it that I can know for certain? The answer is "nothing." The fundamental principle of universal doubt—"Anything may be possible"—prohibits me from even ascertaining or believing my own existence with absolute certainty. This principle suggests that what is believed to be 100% certain at present may be due to the limited intellectual capacities of the believer.

• Dr. Kedar Joshi, BSc MA DSc DA, Cambridge, UK

Interesting Statistics

• Prime Numbers: There are 25 prime numbers between 1 and 100. The largest known prime number, as of 2023, is 2^82,589,933 − 1, which has 24,862,048 digits. Source: GIMPS
• Human Knowledge: According to a study by the University of California, Berkeley, the amount of new information stored in the world has roughly doubled every three years since the 1980s. Source: UC Berkeley

Conclusion

The journey to understand the universe is fraught with paradoxes and uncertainties. While some truths may remain forever elusive, the pursuit of knowledge continues to drive us forward. Whether the universe operates in an unknown manner, some truths are unknowable, or reason itself is flawed, the quest for understanding remains a noble endeavor.

This article has been refined and expanded to provide a more detailed exploration of the philosophical ideas presented. It includes interesting statistics and authoritative sources to enhance the discussion.