Eureka!

I love the movie A Beautiful Mind because it introduced me to the work of John Nash. I will be the first to admit that I lack the capacity to work out the equations that express his theories on equilibrium. John’s subset of the larger umbrella that is game theory goes far beyond the scope of what we would consider games. The prisoner’s dilemma helps explore wars and international conflict. Nash’s theories and their applications have extended to botany, economics, anti-trust regulation and, perhaps most naturally, sports.

John Nash had the capacity of devising an original idea, a way of seeing the world anew so that the world could become a richer and more dynamic place. His theories went beyond explanation as they provided opportunity for decision makers to consider paths that they would have otherwise missed because of unknowing ignorance. John’s Equilibrium’s Theory was his original idea, his Eureka moment.

For similar reasons, I enjoyed the NOVA series The Fabric of the Cosmos presented by Brian Greene. His ability to both see the possibilities of the universe and then visualize them for the more common person allowed me to love the shape of time in my everyday life. Through his work, I experienced numerous “Aha” moments.

Yesterday, while discussing the nuances of the the magical powers of Harry Potter some of our staff discussed the implications of J.K. Rowling sharing with the world the curse necessary to kill but keeping from the world the secrets of the unbreakable vow. As the discussion progressed, one colleague posited, “What happens when an unbreakable bond meets an immovable object?”  A clever, if cutesy, question that led to my Eureka moment.

A well known paradox arises from the false dilemma of the immovable object and the irresistible force. One early rendition of this paradox tells the story of a weapons maker who sold both swords and shields. She bragged that the sword could penetrate any defense. She also bragged that the shield could  stop any weapon. When asked what would occur if the sword and shield met in battle, she had no response. Because these are seen as two incompatible premises, logicians claim that this paradox presents a false dilemma.

It does not.

Yesterday was my day to see the world in a completely different light. I trust the likes of John Nash and Brian Greene to express my idea with mathematics and physics. In those arenas I readily admit my inability.

When considering the immovable object paradox I suddenly visualized the solution. The premises are not necessarily contradictory. Many years ago I learned the theory, that has long since been demonstrated, that light and other matter exhibit characteristics of both particles and waves. As particles they leave their mark. As waves they pass on through. So I simply imagined an irresistible force that was made of wave characteristics that was capable of passing through an immovable object.

The immovable object does not move.

The irresistible force proceeds unimpeded.

Paradox solved.

Eureka!