{"id":1882,"date":"2008-12-26T00:00:22","date_gmt":"2008-12-26T08:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/josephaleo.com\/blog\/?p=1882"},"modified":"2019-03-08T19:10:44","modified_gmt":"2019-03-09T03:10:44","slug":"solipsistic-nation-no-122-causal-domain-shear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/josephaleo.com\/blog\/solipsistic-nation-no-122-causal-domain-shear\/","title":{"rendered":"solipsistic NATION No. 122: Causal Domain Shear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philosophy and science fiction has always been a part of solipsistic NATION<\/b>. In fact, the name solipsistic NATION<\/b> was taken from Greg Egan<\/a>\u2018s science fiction novel, Permutation City<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n

Recently I\u2019ve been reading Neal Stephenson<\/a>\u2018s novel, Anathem<\/a><\/i>. Stephenson\u2019s books are great reads full of adventure, heady concepts and passages that have made me laugh out loud. Anathem<\/i> is a very different book for Stephenson. For one, it\u2019s written in the first person. Secondly, it takes place in the future and in an alternate universe. Stephenson thinks big and Anathem<\/i> is no exception.<\/p>\n

There are many themes in Anathem<\/i> and one of the most compelling is the idea of causal domain shear. Stephenson first introduces this concept through a dialogue between two characters, one, a student, the other, his mentor. These two characters belong to a monastic-like organization who pursue mathematicians and science rather than religion. They are cut off from the world and even within their order there are orders who are cut off from each other.<\/p>\n

In a thought experiment the mentor poses the idea that, if taken to the extreme, an order could be so cut off from the rest of the world that they become a unique culture with their own world, universe and timeline.<\/p>\n

Anathem<\/i> explores this concept and then slowly reintroduces the characters into the larger world that expands and expands until beings from alternate universes are in conflict with each other. Like I said, heady stuff.<\/p>\n

What does causal domain shear have to do with solipsistic NATION<\/b>? Thematically I hope this week\u2019s show will subjectively slow down the clock for you while you listen. With any luck, this week\u2019s show will prompt flights of fancy or insight gained through introspection that you can take back with you when you re-emerge with the real\/imaginary materialistic world.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: Simon Crubellier<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n