Let's Work the Problem

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"Let's work the problem, people, let's not make things worse by guessing." --Apollo 13

I like his confidence, that working the problem
will certainly result in better outcomes than guessing.
A rationalist who does not depend on a higher power
to direct his decisions, but who may concede,
observe, realize and accept that he lacks the data
or the skills or tools to interpret data and these
decisions he leaves to his god.
                              But not before
thoroughly assessing the limits of his power. Guessing
before guessing is necessary makes things worse. The skills,
tools and experience are the accumulated wisdom
of earlier experts in his field.
                              Yet each generation
of communicants must examine the assumptions
from which the mathematics, logic, science or law
was derived. Rebuild the proofs from the simplest
truths, laws, physics. Taking God's first and only words
and extrapolating correctly, getting the trajectory
right for successful take off and re-entry.
                              And then
to explain the derivations to your students.
Until they too can care for the species and the planet,
making whole sentences, formulas and melodies
from few words, numbers, notes.

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Leo Larry Amadore

Date: 5/7/2015 10:19:00 AM

Although I admire your skill in presenting your argument, I'm not quite sure about positing that once a limit has been reached when/where no more available evidence is available one should then rely solely on faith or chance in lieu of reasonable trial/experimentation. An interesting write.