What is Reality?

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Typical male here, a long term dispute about where green ends and blue begins.

Blue/Green color blind is just a differance in the perception of yellow.

I am sure, it is a frog.

http://books.google.com/books?id=9I62Bc ... on&f=false

It's strange when I think that we're all here toing and froing in and out of each others reality.

We're all a million different people, to a million different people, all existing in a million different realities all at the same time.

It's no wonder my heads f*****g spinning.

You're probably less congested - both in mind and sinuses.

Wow,sorry I posted a thread stretcher.I have no idea how to post it where it won't distort the page.

That's a good way to describe it. I can spot the nonsense much more easily.

I assumed this thread would be somewhat serious, discussion issues such as subjective reality and objective reality and perhaps delve into the more surreal realms of reality such as quantum physics and the nature of mathematics. Anyhow, any excuse to post hypnotoad.

Mathematics holds the truth of reality!? No wonder I'm struggling.

Well you could argue that is the case (maths as the basis of reality not you struggling ) since the physical laws of the universe are found to follow mathematical principles. Most physicists say that mathematics describes reality but personally I take it one step further and say that reality IS mathematics but that is a very deep subject and I'd bore everyone to death / lose them very quickly so I'll skip that.

Anyway, on the level of objective reality you can say that 1 + 1 = 2. It always does. Never does 1 + 1 = 3. If different people count two objects they always (objectively) count to two. (Unless they are blind, drunk or otherwise unable to count!). So you could say that mathematics is an objective reality independent of observer.

On the other hand things like human interactions are subjective by their very nature and each person on the planet has opinions regarding human issues such as politics, philosophy, economics and religion. Nobody can objectively state that their opinion is the one and true position.

^^^^^With you on that,if math is the key than I'm doomed to wander in darkness.Once they put me in the special math class,and we were learning to count on our fingers.I can't remember what you call it,if you are good at it you can get the sum faster than a calculator.I saw a girl do it on Johnny Carson.(dam,I feel OLD )

I still count with my fingers.

I always kinda thought that math was a way of describing reality, not reality itself. But I'm out of my depth here.

Most people share your opinion that math describes reality; it is my own pet theory that reality IS mathematics. There are a handful of people in the world who have independently reached the same conclusion as me. I suspect that sooner or later physicists will make a big breakthrough and discover that the universe is built upon a simple repeating mathematical formula, similar to a fractal, but not necessarily a fractal, and the whole universe simply springs out of the mathematics rather like the Mandelbrot structure springs out of a simple formula. It is somewhat complex to describe, but you may get the general idea from that:

A big slice of Pi for TallyMan.

If reality is mathematics, is there free will?

Yes, no and maybe! In my (subjective) opinion there is no free will, but there is the illusion of free will. But on the other hand if the multiverse principle of the universe is true and there is an alternate reality (new dimension) for each and every alternative course of action then there exists a universe where you chose each one of your possible choices.

There is a free will. For example. you make the choice....obey rules/laws or do not. You can choose to go 40 mph when posted or you can choose to go 65. Either way you made the choice. Same with killing someone. You either choose to kill or not to. No one is forcing you to do it. You might have reasons for making your decision but this doesn't interfere with your ability to choose one way or another.
So your will is free in this respect.
HOWEVER.
There are consequences to your choices. If you speed, you could get fined. If you kill someone, you could go to jail or be executed.