This the conclusion the experiementers reached: The successful recovery of the true low-dimensional structure of the stimuli space by subjects exposed to a series of complex shapes is compatible with the similarity-space theories of shape representation, and can be used to guide the development of computational models of shape vision based on such theories. Maybe they figured if they wrote something understandable nobody would give them any money. Nothing like gibberish to keep the ol' grants flowing. Your statement "If I were needed I would be there since everything happens of necessity and as it has not happened was is obviously not necessary" is probably a wink and a nod to Spinoza. I hardly think that anything that happens is necessary. Kindly help me with my imperfect understanding. Andy Amago -----Original Message----- From: Robert Paul <Robert.Paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Nov 17, 2004 6:19 PM To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Magritte on Spinoza Harold asks where I am when I'm needed, but my job description says I am not needed here. If I were needed I would be there since everything happens of necessity and as it has not happened was is obviously not necessary. Of course, I may be misrepresenting Spinoza. As Hume said of miracles it would be more incredible that Spinoza would have thought what I attribute to him than that I attribute it mistakenly. I think that Spinoza is one of those people who (like Marx) cannot distinguish between logical relations and causal connections, but I'm probably wrong about that too. Apparently the Magritte picture is being used in a psychological experiment: http://kybele.psych.cornell.edu/~edelman/Magritte/psycho.html Robert Paul The Reed Institute ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html