virus: You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have...

Reed Konsler (konsler@ascat.harvard.edu)
Tue, 16 Sep 1997 15:02:03 -0400 (EDT)

> I look into my in my wallet and see I have 23$. That is a fact. I
> now know something new in the world . Am I a theorist now too?

>The Nateman

Yes.

What you have in you pocket is a set of metal objects attached to a ring.
These are valuable to you in some sense but not legal tender
You have one small round silver object which is very similar to
those objects you understand to be dimes.
You recall that dimes have a value of 10 cents.
You have two objects that are very similar and which seem
like those objects called nickels
And three pennies, you get the idea.

If "facts" are so obvious why did the US government stop issuing
Susan B. Anthony dollar coins? Sexism? Hardly, people glanced
into their pockets and mis-identified them as quarters.

So, yes, even in saying you have 23 cents in tour pocket you
are a theorist.

Reed

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Reed Konsler konsler@ascat.harvard.edu
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