A Blind Man Shaving...Uncommon Applications of Occam's Razor...?

I'm a big fan of the TV show called "the Shield". I was surprised to see ye ol' razor invoked in the plot of an episode.

A detective was given a case where a murder had a clear line of evidence and a plausible motive - an open and shut case. But the detective still underwent the process of exploring other angles. When a junior officer inquires about him doing this, he explains Occam's razor and how it can sometimes fail. His reasoning is that sometimes the simple answers are not always the correct ones, which is why detectives can't be lazy when doing their jobs. As the plot unfolds , the detective discovers that some of the evidence had been planted and the obvious outcome was indeed the incorrect one.

Always a pleasant surprise when philosophical concepts are discussed in prime time.

Occam's Razor is a tool used to find the most probable answer when no single resolution is subject to proof.

Throughout the history of thought, and philosophy Occam's Razor [or the cousin to it carrying different monikers] applied by thinkers a few generations earlier has been forced to the sidelines with the emergence of new data.

I've been thinking about your question for some while, and I can arrive at countless uses where it could be applied in modern life.

However, as a practical tool, a lot of the uses for Occam's Razor in modern thought have probably been smashed at ground level by developments in Quantum Physics during the past few years.

Occam's Razor might need re-evaluating.

I disagree that "if you don't need it, throw it out" is the summary of this philosophy. Rather that "true and sufficient" is the heart of Newton's version of Occam's razor. So the summary should be, look for the simplest answer, if it is both true and sufficient it is most likely the right answer.

With this summary in mind, I answer your question with a question...how many times have you seen people struggle to find complex answers to simple problems? The three ways to violate this philosophy is to fail the test of truth, or sufficiency, or to waste time and effort looking for unnecessary complexity (otherwise known as the Rube Goldberg method).

How does Occam's razor succeed in reconciling utterly incompatible General Relativity (c=c, G=G, h=0) with quantum field theory (c=c, G=0, h=h), each perfect in every prediction to the limits of observational error in all venues at all scales over all visible time?

Then we have the problem of compromise:

1) Given a complex problem, resolve it into orthogonal components. Graph each normalized vector on a scale of -1 to zero to +1 (Rightist fascist, middle compromise, Leftist socialist). The resulting unit n-sphere contains all possible solutions.

2) The preponderant volume of an n-sphere rapidly segregates to within 10% radius of its surface with increasing n. Complex problems have *no* compromise solutions, only fascist and socialist extrema.

3) The volume of a unit n-sphere asymptotes to zero with increasing n (maximum at n = 5.257). Complex problems have *no* centrally administered solution of any kind.

Government cannot work - a mathematical impossibility - if it seeks to micromanage nations. Personal responsiblity at small scale works. US personal responsiblity is as illegal as a Jew in late 1400s Spain. There are no Democrats and Republicans. There is the Party. You are its enemy.

Occam's razor then demands destruction of the polity to preserve its government. Wait a second... We've explained history!

http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/homesec.jpg

We horde by nature and we ain't throwing a damn thing out, including the stale fig newtons.

"Why did I miss my curfew? Because I didn't get home before the designated time. Any more details are nunayer beezwax!"