karp@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (Peter Karp) (05/25/89)
Chris Overton: Yes, I should have made my earlier remarks clearer. The goals of the Matrix are relatively clear in my mind, and I think they're relatively clear in other people's minds as well. What I would like to see is a clearer written, public statement of what these goals are than I have seen in the past. My intention is not to criticize past attempts at this because I don't think that writing such a statement is an easy task (I don't think the goals are THAT clear in anyone's mind, nor are the goals in everyone's minds the same). Maybe I will give this a shot after D-day (which is when my thesis is due...) On the subject of physics envy, I am not that convinced that physics and biology are all that different; I will have to check out the Morowitz and Smith article that you mentioned. In the mean time, just for the sake of argument, is there anyone out there who would like to argue that physicists are not swamped with information and that therefore a physi-matrix would be a bad idea? How about chemists? Astronomers? Peter