Posted by A Voice in the Wilderness (67.31.157.160) on September 12, 2003 at 01:01:33:
Those who occupy the wonderfully fickle periphery of the known sciences learn to tread more lightly upon the edge of "occam's razor". I have yet to see any successes in our particular area of research done without a sharp focus borne of faith. Bessler was an inherent practitioner of the principle of parsimony. How much more poignant his words would be today spoken by a hypothetical modern counterpart, to the effect: "If I showed them the inner workings of my wheel, I should never be paid, for it is of such simplicity that a carpenter's son could build his own in a fortnight". I daresay that such a simple and powerful principle has not remained hidden from public consciousness by man's will alone. For all things there is a time and season, and in you is contained the reason. If the ancient chinese wisdom at all holds sway in our present age, then a strong curse wraps it's nebulous tendrils around the globe, for we do live in "interesting times". I will leave you, my contemporaries, with this: Much can be shown without showing it, and said without saying it, for what is art or science if it infers nothing? Such inferences hold the axle of the world in place. Who is any man to say which among us is worthy to grasp hold of that slippery pivot and change the time of the dawn? Be assured that the one to do so is judged worthy by the ONE worthy of doing so.