Incompleteness

I finished reading the book Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Godel over the weekend...a great read for those of us interested in mathematics and philosophy. The gist of what Godel did was to prove that every mathematical system has unprovable axioms...that is, truths that must be taken without proof.

It seems to me that Godel's theorems have immense epistemological implications. If we grant that they have implications for philosophy and epistemology, then it seems that everyone must have as the basis of their worldview a set of presuppositions to which they hold...like it or not. Mankind in its pride has wanted to live in a closed system where man is "the measure of all things." It seems as if Godel's work illustrates the fact that we don't know it all. I will say more on this later.

Will they meet again?

Michigan came up short against Ohio State on Saturday, but it could be that the two rivals will face each other in January. Only time and a couple of other games between now and then will tell.

I picked up an interesting book Sunday about Kurt Godel and his famous incompleteness theorem. I'm sure I'll have more to say about this in the coming days based on the fact that I've already been spell-bound by what I've read. I know all you engineers are wondering why an engineer (read "applied mathematician") such as myself would be reading about a pure mathematician. I will leave you to wonder about that...

On the Eve of the Biggest Big Game

On the eve of this biggest of big games between U of M and OSU and as an electrical engineer, I wanted to pay tribute to Claude Elwood Shannon...the greatest Wolverine of all time and a Michigan graduate of 1936. While Shannon did not make a name for himself on the football field, he did so with his intellect and by ushering in the digital age in which we now live. His work has special importance for all of us whose job it is to get bits and bytes from one place in the universe to another and for those of us who teach students the foundations of communications theory. He has certainly made his alma mater and the great state of Michigan proud! Hail to the greatest Wolverine and...

It is also with sadness that I acknowledge on this day the passing of another great Wolverine.
Bo Schembechler died today at age 77. All of us who love Michigan football mourn his death.

GO BLUE!

What's Wrong Ohio?

Two days after the elections and I'm still wondering how a state that elected George W. Bush two years ago could elect a US senator that supports the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion. In addition, our new Senator - elect voted as far as I can tell, three times against the USA Patriot Act which seeks to protect our country from terrorists. He also voted against National Missile Defense which would defend our nation against missile launches from such countries as North Korea and Iran. All I can say is...

WHAT'S WRONG OHIO?

On Marriage

Yesterday I heard a great comment on the Puritans and their view of marriage. It went something like this. "Today we marry because we 'fall in love'. In those days, they 'fell in love' because they got married.

In our time marriage is all about me and what I can get from life in general and from marriage in particular. Marriage is about me and if I stop getting I leave the marriage. I have seen this on several occasions, yea even recently.

Yes, Mr. T. "fell in love" prior to marrying, but I will say that I didn't know what love meant then like I do now. Next week marks my 4 year wedding anniversary and I must say that God has used my marriage to change me a little more from that selfish man I once was into someone that is a little more like Christ. Marriage has a way of doing that as two sinful people find themselves sharing their lives in the most intimate ways.

So for those of you looking to marry, be wary of the whole "falling in love" thing. Rather choose to love the person that God brings you and you will find the joy that you'll never receive by living for yourself.

Mr. T.

New to blogging

I am new to the blogging world. I never thought I would be blogging, but I see that it could be a good way to interact with students and colleagues as well as family and friends. I am all about ideas and so will be recording here what I have been thinking about. Most of all, I think this will help me be disciplined in writing a little bit.

Most recently, I have been thinking a lot about engineering as a sacred calling. I recently (last Thursday) presented a paper on that topic at the Christian Engineering Education Conference. My presentation is posted on my website. What's fascinating to me is that God calls people to a variety of stations in life not least of which is engineering. In our callings we are to learn to find Christ in our neighbor and serve them faithfully.