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>From: zeleny@zariski.harvard.edu (Mikhail Zeleny)
Newsgroups: sci.philosophy.tech,comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: The atom named 'Joe' ( was Re: ''...distincti
Message-ID: <1992Mar28.224354.10405@husc3.harvard.edu>
Date: 29 Mar 92 03:43:53 GMT
References: <kta5i4INN9iq@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> <1992Mar28.211255.10399@husc3.harvard.edu> <ktacb2INNanh@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>
Organization: Dept. of Math, Harvard Univ.
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Nntp-Posting-Host: zariski.harvard.edu

In article <ktacb2INNanh@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> 
silber@orfeo.Eng.Sun.COM (Eric Silber) writes:

>In article <1992Mar28.211255.10399@husc3.harvard.edu>
>zeleny@zariski.harvard.edu (Mikhail Zeleny) writes: 

MZ:
>>... but elementary particles lack individual identities, -- how
>>could you name a mere aggregate of such "things" anything at all?  Try it
>>on the macro level, as requested.

ES:
> As I recall, some classes of elementary particles lack individual
> identity, BUT NOT ALL.   The famous 'Pauli exclusion principle'
> expresses the fact that ELECTRONS are indistinguishable, however
> Atoms and , I believe some classes of subatomic particles, ARE IN FACT
> *distinguishable* !!  You may recall the well publicized media event a few
> years ago, when some physicists succeeded in filming over time 
> A SINGLE ATOM.  We are quite justified in naming THAT atom 'Joe' !!!!

I understand that "Joe" has gone to Utah and undergone cold fusion with
"Beth", forming "Mandy", who has since split into "Ralph" and "Alice".
Trouble is, no one knows whose elementary particles wound up where, so
there's some question as to whether "Ralph" is identical with good old
"Joe".

Last I heard, they were coming and going in the general vicinity of my
terminal, "Raoul".

`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
: Qu'est-ce qui est bien?  Qu'est-ce qui est laid?         Harvard   :
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: Connais pas! Connais pas!                                 think    :
:                                                             so     :
: Mikhail Zeleny                                                     :
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