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Reflections on science, spiritual teachings, and mystical philosophy, by Thomas McFarlane
Morality and Mathematics
I have a vivid memory from my first or second year of college when discussing mathematics with an older student. I don’t remember the specific topic, but at one point he pointed out to me that mathematical truths are only true relative to particular axioms and definitions that we have assumed, and that they are […]
The Origins of Entropy
September 8, 2016
One of the unsolved mysteries of modern physical cosmology is explaining how the universe began in a low entropy state. From within the context of physics, an explanation can only be traced backward in time. To look deeper, one must seek an explanation for the origin of entropy itself. This, as it turns out, is […]
Posted in: Uncategorized
An Analogy between Math and Empirical Science
January 17, 2012
Empirical science is distinguished from mathematics primarily in one crucial respect: while mathematics requires that its propositions conform to pure logic, empirical science requires in addition that its propositions conform to empirical data. Because mathematics is unconstrained by the contingencies and uncertainties of empirical data, it has the virtue of great certainty and generality in […]
Posted in: Philosophy, Science
Suffering is Proportional to Resistance
December 29, 2010
An earlier post entitled Substantiality is Inversely Proportional to Ponderability discussed an insight of Franklin Merrell-Wolff which proposes a relationship between recognition of transcendent reality, or Substantiality, to cognition of objectivity, or Ponderability. Because of their inverse relationship, the more one experiences a world of ponderable objects, the less one recognizes transcendent Substantiality. This relationship can […]
Posted in: Philosophy, Spiritual Practice
About the Author
Thomas McFarlane is the author of Einstein and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings. A graduate of Stanford University in physics, he also holds advanced degrees in mathematics and in philosophy and religion. He is a US patent agent and founder of a Silicon Valley patent firm. View author profile on Google+
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True Nature 
August 18, 2018
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