Dr. Meyer: Your letter gives me much food for thought. I go for a walk and think it all out, and then I am too tired to write it down, and too tired to call. Such was today, at any rate. I am sorry I have been a poor correspondent. I do feel things are getting better though. (It seems a long time.) The question of the use of faith is an important one. It seems I am suspended between different faiths, or rather in constant doubt.... Nick. On Fri, Oct 30, 2020 at 7:56 PM Ernst Meyer wrote: Dear Nikola, Thank you for writing to me. I'm relieved to know that you are reasonably well. I have been reading Feynman's lectures on quantum physics. He referred to Schroedingers "discovery" of his equation. I asked myself about the difference between "discovering" a physics equation and "inventing" it. In perusing, trying to untangle, to memorize and internalize various mathematical formulas of physics which I do not "understand", I have "discovered" or "invented" some issues entailed in "not understanding". E.g.: Acts 1:9-12 King James Version 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. an account of an event that fundamentally I do not understand in the prose of the King James Version, but that obtains a musical significance to me in listening to a performance of Bach's Oratorio (BWV 11). I ask whether it is possible to replace or supplement failure to understand with belief, with faith that a statement is true. What, for example, would it mean to have faith that Acts 1:9-12 is "true". How would my faith that Acts 1:9-12 is true, differ from my faith that a linear partial differential equation which describes the wave function or state function of a quantum-mechanical system, i.e. that the Schrödinger equation is "true", describing a quantum mechanical system which I "understand" as little as I understand the gravitational basis of Acts 1:9-12? Good night. I hope you sleep well. EJM ~ ~ On 10/30/2020 07:09 PM, Nikola Chubrich wrote: > Dear Dr. Meyer: > > I am doing quite a bit better today. I have in mind much to write, but > have set none of it down yet. These thoughts have had the habit of > coming in awakenings in the middle of the night, around 3 am. I lie in > bed and fall asleep around 5:30, and wake late. > > There seems to be a degree of completion in them, now, so I am going to > relax tonight and try to sleep through. Tomorrow is another day. > > I hope you are well. > > N.I.C.