The history of the universe, if the physicists are to be believed, traces the development of complexity. The big bang supposedly exploded some kind of incredibly energetic super atom. From there, various subatomic particles found expression, then some of the lighter elements, then heavier elements were cooked in stars and all of this was eventually followed by the development of complex organic molecules and living organisms, such as ourselves. Thus, we see a movement from a singularity to multiplicity, from simplicity to complexity.
When solving an equation, we see movement in the reverse, or largely in the reverse. It may start off being of moderate length. It may lengthen and become terribly long, several lines or even pages, consisting of numerous pieces. Then starts the process of simplification, in which we move numbers around, divide here and there, knock off this and that. And we simplify and simplify, knocking off piece after piece until we arrive at THE ANSWER, THE SINGULARITY.
Thus, scientific and mathematical thinking, or a least a large chunk of it, can be seen as a specious attempt to reverse the flow of cosmic history, at least in the imagination. When this thinking moves beyond the realm of the imagination, and is used to make smokestacks and manufacture automobiles, is it any surprise that this is resulting in the destruction of our species?
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