[extropy-chat] Space elevator numbers III

[Thomas]

Jef Allbright wrote:

>[...] In short, I remember when as a child I first read "Nature abhors a
>vacuum" and I thought there was something profound about it, but not
>profound enough.  I was trying to generalize to the idea that all action
>is a result of difference of potential. Nowadays I tend to generalize
>this all the way down to gradients of entropy.
>
>So this can be seen as one of the general operating principles of the
>universe, effective at all scales, from the cosmic to the social.  It's
>built into our evolved psychology due to its general applicability to
>all action and thus behavior, with the result at the cognitive level
>that any perceived gradient creates intent to minimize the difference.
>Of course, from the unbalanced context of self, that tends toward
>actions that overshoot.
>
I think you meant "nature abhors a *steep* gradient."  I see it as a 
major theme of ancient Chinese philosophy 
<https://teach.lanecc.edu/lugenbehld/201/handouts/Golden%20Mean.htm>. -- 
Thomas

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