Week Eight: Classical Physics

Newton's Three Laws and Frances




I tell myself not to be afraid of Newton's Three Laws. Though I identify with my Capricorn nature, I also feel tethered to a sometimes uncomfortable earth where the three laws of physics described by Newton show themselves. I don't like to get hit by hurling objects, such as when "two objects interact, say in a collision" exerting equal amounts of force on one another (Newton's third law). The matter of world, and my soft human parts living amongst it, seems awfully dangerous sometimes. Not to mention a little irritating at other times -- tripping on a shoelace, dropping keys in a sewer grate, bumping my head on a sharp edge. Hauling things around this place also feels like an uncomfortable chore at times -- I don't much enjoy moving my stuff from one home to another, for example. All those boxes of books add up to a lot of heavy weight to lift. They do not move themselves (Newton's first law -- objects at rest remain at rest and a force must be applied to change the state of motion of an object).

So. Newton's laws are kind of a drag sometimes. I think a lot of people feel this way, and therefore have invented ways in which to use these same laws to help out with the heavy lifting our lifestyles and this earth seem to require (tow trucks, dollies, back hoes, etc.). My spirit knows differently, however, and moving my body in concert with these laws can feel exhilarating and energizing (running several miles, dancing around, the crack of a bat on a baseball, having sex, etc.).

The other world of imagination, spirit, quantum mechanics, appeals much more to me. It is, I think, the world of energy, whereas Newton's world concerns itself with matter. I love the wide open possibilities in the other world. The surprises and the magic of connection possible in the "other world" where it seems anything is possible.

I want to say something else about Newton's ideas. The scientific method that he presented in Principia Mathematica reminds me of the kinds of things that teenagers might exert to their parents. If human history can be viewed like one long life, taken collectively, then I would propose that beginning in Newton's time we were adolescents (and might be on the verge right now of growing out of this stage). His rules of scientific reasoning basically seem to be saying "I want to validate my OWN experience and will believe only what I carry out on my own, and I will build my own world and beliefs from MY observations and you can't tell me anything different, unless you can prove it to me." Only now do we seem to be confident enough to acknowledge that perhaps some of the old wisdom was good and true, and that maybe our elders knew a thing or two.

One more thing. I don't want to place judgement on our adolescent stage. Breaking things down into parts one can understand the world through its tiniest bits -- it reminds me of the first stanza of the WIlliam Blake poem "Auguries of Innocence":

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

Our Energy Efficient Culture

I am repelled by this topic of energy use in the U.S. because I feel ashamed of our collective habits. "Energy efficiency" seems like kind of joke to me, especially with population continuing to rise and more and more regions around the world growing comfortable with Western-style consumption. As long as numbers of people consuming energy continues to rise, even if products are becoming more "efficient," we will continue to use energy at an unsustainable rate. The answer seems to be to just stop using so much. Reduction instead of efficiency?

Descartes has a lot to answer for!

My opinion of Descartes impact on our culture is similar to what I wrote above about Newton. I think it may have been a necessary step toward our growth. Again, for some coincidental reason, I am reminded of William Blake and the "innocence experience innocence" idea of our life cycle. We are born innocent, travel through experiences and lose that innocence temporarily, and in the end return to innocence, but this time consciously and with wisdom. Blake believed that true inncence was impossible without experience. We berate ourselves for the destructive path we have trod down like bulldozers, and place blame on thinkers like Descartes who led the way through the realm of experience, but without Newton and Descartes we would not be on our way to a higher innocence, one that is hard won as we fumble around in the darkness trying to find the light switch.

The Angel

I dreamt a dream! What can it mean?
And that I was a maiden Queen
Guarded by an Angel mild:
Witless woe was ne'er beguiled!

And I wept both night and day,
And he wiped my tears away;
And I wept both day and night,
And hid from him my heart's delight.

So he took his wings, and fled;
Then the morn blushed rosy red.
I dried my tears, and armed my fears
With ten-thousand shields and spears.

Soon my Angel came again;
I was armed, he came in vain;
For the time of youth was fled,
And grey hairs were on my head.

William Blake

Week seven: Chaos Theory

Ordered chaos - does this sound familiar

Yes and no. In the world of cafes and scrambled eggs, cars and streets and shops, weddings and bar-be-ques, funerals and summer novels, newspapers and fall fashions...we westerners usually just go about our lives without thinking much about the nature of “reality.” The straight lines of human built structures, the predictable ticking of the clock, the typical stages of ones life, are all "givens" we hold on to...but what happens when things spin out of control? We do more studies, make straighter lines, build better bridges, blow people up, create prisons, invent alarm systems and stealth technology and drink ourselves into oblivion and continue to search for the laws of the universe that will finally allow us to feel safe, and continue to look for ways to control, or at least predict, our environment and the future.

The intangible uneasiness that leads to so much craziness comes from that deep down feeling that nothing is truly within our control. The surprises are called “freaks of nature” and “freak accidents” and "just bad luck" and “margins of error.” And a million different conflicting explanations will be presented to try to explain what happened, or to try to find someone to blame. We try to make some sense of it in order to figure out how not to be taken by surprise again. There another response to all of this, and that is the complete surrender to chaos--which might be called religion or surrendering to God’s will. But wars break out all the time in the name of God. And priests become pedophiles. And churches kick people out and steal their money...and sometimes evil deeds are justified as being "god's will."

So, the search continues for the God particle, a unified theory of everything -- someone please tell us what is going on! Where are we? Who are we? and Why are we here? Ordered chaos indeed.

The only “answer” that feels right to me is that the message seems to be to stay in the present moment, have faith in the general goodness of everything, allow this universal energy to flow through and keep on trying to do the best we can. Give up the need to control, predict tomorrow, and just do what you can right now, right here, to tune into the moment, and try to spread a lot of love along the way.

Fractals as Patterns of Complex Systems

Fractals present an interesting message, and another solution to “ordered chaos.” Instead of trying to place straight lines over the “mess” of the universe, fractals show a consciousness, a sensibility, to unpredictability. The designs found in fractals are related to the whole, but are not predictable or ever exactly the same. They show infinite originality, but beauty and balance. Like a surprise package that keeps on surprising, without unnerving or exploding, while still making sense, but also without having to be locked up, locked in, and controlled. It’s like someone is saying to us, “Just relax and enjoy the show. Everything will be fine if you just relax.” It’s a place between order and chaos. A place that has meaning without force or coercion. What a relief. What a beautiful message. What an ingenious solution. Not wildly messy, but not predictable and in control either. Balance.

Consciousness out of chaos

I think this “chaos” can be explained only by allowing for every bit of everything and every non-thing to possess consciousness. Using fractals as our window, how can one look at the infinite, chaotic order of fractals and deny this consciousness? Everything is working together with a beautiful unified creativity if only we would relax in this and not try to restrict and restrain and control it. Easier said than done, of course, but eventually maybe we will tire of trying to have all the answers and pushing our desire for control on the infinite creation.



Cool Experiments in Classical Physics...

I read through several of the experiments and played with the silverware for a little while. Looking at the reflection of my face in the front and back of a spoon, flicking the fork tines and hearing the vibration in a table, and looking at how text appears in the reflection of a knife. I am having trouble making any of it meaningful to me. Though I am wondering why the knife seems to hold on to the reflection of the text on the page and the text will move with the knife instead of continue to reflect straight across.

I also read through some of the computer experiments and learned that the computer is giving off radio waves...why?

Week 6: Vibrations

[painting by Alex Grey]

Are all vibrations good?

Vibrations are energy; energy is life. All of the universe is in motion. Yes, I think this means that all vibrations are good, though something in me wants to refrain from judgments of good and bad and just remain in the middle. There are horror stories starring “bad vibes.” Maybe these are just blocked vibrations that become stored up and the matter they are trying to travel through leaves no exiting pathway. I am sorry that some vibrations have caused suffering, but I like to have faith that even though some things seem to cause suffering, in the end growth and understanding will result even from that which is considered to be “bad.”

The way we shape ourselves and the world about us can sometimes prevent vibration from being able to travel freely. Since there can be blockages in matter energy can get trapped; and since energy can not be “destroyed” the energy collects until it has enough power to blow the blockage out. I think something about my conceptualization here is a little off, but this is the only way I am wrapping my head around this right now.

Resonance in my world...

I spent time trying to understand the meaning of resonance, in physical terms -- to understand exactly what is happening. I don’t really understand this concept yet, though intuitively I do. Resonance seems to have something to do with the relationship between matter and energy -- the structure of matter and the way it allows certain vibrations to be realized. I found this definition of resonance: “resonance is the tendency of a structure to oscillate at maximum amplitude at a certain frequency.” And also, “The natural frequency is also related to the speed the waveform can propagate through the structure.” So, it’s the marriage between the properties of specific matter and the ability of a mechanical wave to travel through that matter. Mechanical waves need matter to transport their energy, like sound. Electromagnetic waves require no matter for travel, like light.

Outside of that scientific meaninglessness, I think I have personally experienced what may be a sort of human energetic “resonance.” It’s kind of close to what is termed “ESP” for me. When I’m feeling really “in tune” with myself and another person, I have this strong feeling/thought on occasion that I know exactly what they are going to say and what they are thinking--but I know it with my full body, almost as though we are one body/mind. This resonance happens to a lesser extent when I first meet certain people, like at a party -- people that I just really “click” with.

Connections between energy an qi...

From my very elementary understanding of both “energy” (in the scientific sense) and “qi,” it seems that an understanding of qi cannot be divorced from the body’s meridians. I see qi as the way energy flows through matter, how successful the energy vibrations are flowing. A build up of energy in the physical world can lead to major events like earthquakes and tsunamis--the energy is still trying to get through and can be blocked for only so long until it bursts forth. Perhaps this what happens in the human body if energy is blocked, resulting in a build up of stress which can lead to sickness or violent outbursts. The study of mechanical energy in Western science looks at how vibrations move through matter and the study of qi in Chinese medicine looks at how qi moves through the body. There is also electromagnetic energy which requires no matter to move itself and perhaps this “light” energy can be felt by the spirit even if the “matter” of the body is blocked or sick in some way. The spirit always has a way of transferring energy regardless of the condition of the physical body.

Excitement about sound

I can't help but get a little too enthusiastic about the topic of week 6...sound...music! I just had to share this musician Evelyn Glennie. She is the world's only "solo percussionist" and the thing she doesn't like known, but which for me teaches so much about what it means to truly "listen" is that Evelyn Glennie is profoundly deaf. She has several clips on you tube and I had a really hard time picking just one...so I picked two short ones. There's a thirty some minute on you tube as well called "how to listen to music with your whole body..." I really hope you enjoy her music and wisdom as much as I do!

Week Five: Symmetry and Sacred Geometry

My (a)symmetrical world...

At our core the universe is symmetrical - in pure truth and beauty. In the outer realm of "reality" things are choatic. Calm down to find the symmetry again, get caught up in the craziness and the patterns are lost. I think perhaps this is the reason that Quantum mechanics and classical mechanics do not follow by the same rules. They tell two different stories. One speaks to the "unbroken wholeness" the other to the shattered mirror. A world view coming from the inside will see pattern, meaning, balance; a world view taken from the outside will see chaos, meaninglessness, imbalance. Meditating on the balance, on the symmetry is said to work to restore the calm, connected core. What you look for, you will find.

I offer no explanation, but it doesn't take their beauty away... Crop circles....




Creating symmetry...




Bipolar art...





Just what does this CP violation really mean?

"CP violation has so far been observed in one system only, namely in the decays of neutral kaons..." I think of it as the coyote, the trickster, in the story. This is a paragraph from Wikipedia on the subject, which really is fascinating...what went wrong? It seems we shouldn't really be here, but just existing as pure light:

The Big Bang should have produced equal amounts of matter and anti-matter if CP-symmetry was preserved; as such, there should have been total cancellation of both. In other words, protons should have cancelled with anti-protons, electrons with positrons, neutrons with anti-neutrons, and so on for all elementary particles. This would have resulted in a sea of photons in the universe with no matter. Since this is quite evidently not the case, after the Big Bang, physical laws must have acted differently for matter and antimatter, i.e. violating CP symmetry.

...."a sea of photons in the universe with no matter...." The universe should be pure energy!

CP violation means that the mystery continues. Here is a really good link I found trying to communicate the concept in friendlier terms: http://www.phy.bris.ac.uk/groups/particle/PUS/A-level/CP_violation.htm

Are there connections between Sacred Geometry and Physics?

Yes. Sacred Geometry speaks to the unity of the universe. It is like the rosetta stone, sort of. Metaphysical messages plunked down by sages who, through deep inner practice, I suspect, discovered the unified theory of everything. Hence, we see the pyramids, mandalas, crop circles, the "flower of life" pattern, etc. This is precisely what physicists are searching for - an equation as simple as E=mc2 that will tie the universe together in one pretty picture. Look at a picture of DNA...it is quite symmetrical and unified.



Dr. Masaru Emoto's work--made famous in that movie What the Bleep Do We Know-- on the structure of water crystals and human thought/intention ties all of this together for me. The water crystals resulting from thoughts of love are very symmetrical, balanced, pleasing. Those resulting from thoughts of hate directed toward them are chaotic, ugly, disorganized. Do we indeed project what we want to see in this world? This (a)symmetrical world... See www.hado.net.