by: Richard D. Stafford, Ph.D.

1) We know what we know whatever that might be! Of significance is the fact that it is all in the past and that the future is completely unknown!

2) We want to understand what we know! That means we are looking for an explanation of what we know. An explanation can be thought of as a collection of ideas which, taken as a whole will make describing what we know as easy as possible. Such a collection of ideas is called a mental model of reality.

3) A useable mental model of reality must be self consistent as, if it is not, it will not serve its purpose. It may give a different answer to the same question depending on the attack taken.

4) Finally, the explanation can not change as more information is added. That is, the "model" must be valid, no matter what the future consists of.

My entire presentation is based on those simple four ideas and it will "explain" any conceivable reality.

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