Spinal Fire Scientia Est Potentia

Unfortunately, Mr. Dawkins's video is unavailable for viewing. Was his answer surrounding math? There's a lot to be learned in numbers. Even some of the old "mysticism" surrounding them is astoundingly misunderstood. The Tetractys, for example, says quite a bit about how, if not why, we are here. I wonder why we are not taught more about such things in early education.

Does it really seem likely that a pyramid of dots represented some Ethereal image of God to a mind like the one of Pythagoras? In metaphor, perhaps. But for him to take it as the sacred symbol of his school... it seems understanding what it meant was the issue, not worship. If you trace the connection of points from one, each stage reveals the simplest structure that can appear within its corresponding dimension: A point with no boundary being the 1st; a line begins the 2nd, three lines to three points makes a triangle, the simplest bounded plane; connection of two points to three points yeilds four triangular planes, to make a tetrahedron for the 3rd; three points to four continues the pattern, but leaves our physical perception of dimension. (Time is rumored to be the 4th. Some physicists like the idea of 11 with gravity originating outside of our own!)

I don't seem to remember anyone covering any of that in high school geometry. I wonder why. I've not been struck down for writing these words (curiously), and they don't seem to be anything more offensive than a run-down on physical relationship. They DO seem to be a bit more interesting (as does most of Pythagoras's lesser known work) than the "practical application" crap I was being fed.

I'll have to look into Euclid, as well as many others. I have to admit, I'm really a hack when it comes to math. I'm a musician who stumbled into the value of rational math through the pursuit of my art. Pythagoras has been invaluable, but I've been toying with the idea that many of the principles credited to him were known previously. I don't consider him to be a theif, nor do I think he would have wanted the "esteemed" position our society gives him. Pythagoras studied in Egypt, and was allowed to do so because he was known as a great thinker. I imagine he learned a thing or two from that society's scholars, and they from him. Perhaps their knowledge was a conglomeration of previous civilizations'.

I'll post when I've read up. Any site suggestions?

Those who dwell in a world of expectation will...