Reprinted from SCIENTIFIC AMERICA, February 1983

The Post-Heisenberg Determinacy Principle
by Gerard O'Neill

Gerard O'Neill is the Christopher Columbus of Space Migration.

One of the most important forces in moving human intelligence from the Old Science (Euclidian-Newtonian) to the New Science (Einsteinian-Planck) was the Principle of Uncertainty introduced by Werner Heisenberg.  The very presence of the experimenter and hir measuring instruments becomes a determining factor in the field of investigation.

This principle seemed to eliminate any hope of objectivity.  A philosophic angst, a sense of scientific futility, was the first reaction to Heisenberg's dictum.  "Alas," the Newtonians groaned, "we can never really know what God of Nature hath wrought, because, the very act of investigating changes the situation."

We have now matured enough as an intelligent species to realize that Heisenberg's Principle is, in actuality, one of Self-Actualized Determinacy.  We now understand that everything we see and know is a function of our reality-mapping, i.e., a function of the way we program our brains.  Let us call this the Principle of Neurological Determinacy.  And with the Self-confidence, courage and freedom thus attained, let us accept the responsibility implied.

Yes, within the limits of our genetic stage we shall responsibly determine (construct, create, fabricate) the new realities we inhabit!

MESSIAHS, GURUS AND SIMILAR GENE-POOL NAVIGATORS ARE JUDGED BY THE ACCURACY OF THE EVOLUTIONARY MAPS THEY TRANSMIT.

GENETIC HALL OF FAME
BUCKY & ANNE FULLER

Go to Next Page