IN HONOR OF ZENO

	Zeno was a greek from ancient times who ripped the philosophers
      of his day with his irreverent insight. He is not famous for any
      philosophical system of his own, but rather for finding the holes
      in the systems of others. This trickster has always had cult status
      with me as one of the all time great intellectual rebels. He lived
      in a culture that loved reason and nearly worshiped mathematics.
      Someone had to be the devils advocate and keep those boys on their
      toes so up jumped Zeno. He devised paradoxes to trip up thinkers
      who relied solely on logic. He showed that the world of logic is
      not quite so reasonable as many would have us believe.
	Zeno's most famous paradox bears his name and is a delightful
      little brain teaser. To illustrate let us use an empty glass and
      a pitcher of water. Our goal is to fill the glass half full of
      water. Before we can fill the glass half full we must at least
      fill to the mark that is midway between the bottom and our goal.
      Doing that, the glass is now one quarter full. Continuing we find
      that we must now fill to the mark that is midway between the
      present water line and our goal. Doing that, the glass is now
      three eights full. This process may be continued with the
      remaining distance being cut in half every time. Since there
      will always be a remainder, however slight, surely it follows
      that we can never fill the glass half way.
	The great beauty of Zeno's paradox is that it undermines
      one of the most popular and annoying philosophical questions
      of our time. So when you are next approached by a would be
      philosopher you may tell them "The glass can never be half
      full or half empty."

						   B.E.