The magic of the real

"I love both fantasy and science-fiction novels (even better: series) but they always leave me feeling somewhat disappointed because all the tricks and gimmicks don't work in reality. That's why I became a scientist: It's magic, but it's real." ~Sabine Hossenfelder (source)

 

From Wikipedia: Sabine Hossenfelder (born 1976) is a German theoretical physicist, author, science communicator, professional YouTuber, musician, and singer. She is the author of Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray, which explores the concept of elegance in fundamental physics and cosmology, and of Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions.

Agnosticism/atheism and the underlying zen

To be agnostic in the sense of "I don't want to get involved" or "I am sitting on the fence" is not a tenable position. It is incomplete in that it begs for a follow-up. However, most of those claiming an (operational) agnosticism are implicitly pointing out to a (philosophical) atheism. 

Otherwise, only "sitting on a fence" would implicitly recognize a certain region bounded by that fence. 

But there is no fence. 

And here is the zen.

Encounter at Farpoint

Star Trek TNG's pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint" (1987) concluded today on Heroes and Icons HD. 

Wonderful. It's a must see, but for everybody I paste here the plot from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encounter_at_Farpoint

In 2364, the new flagship of the United Federation of Planets, Starfleet's USS Enterprise, travels to the planet Deneb IV for its maiden voyage. Enterprise is to open relations with the simple Bandi people who have somehow been able to tap immense energy reserves and construct Farpoint Station, much to the surprise of the Federation. En route, the Enterprise is met by an omnipotent being who identifies himself as Q, a member of the Q Continuum—posing in appearance as a Grand Inquisitor—who declares that humanity is being put on trial then decides that their actions in their upcoming mission will be used to judge their worthiness and determine their fate as a race. Before letting the ship resume its course, Q warns Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) that he is destined to fail. As the Enterprise arrives, the crew members explore the offerings of Farpoint Station and establish relations with their Bandi host, Groppler Zorn (Michael Bell). The crew becomes suspicious when items they desire seem to appear out of nowhere moments later, and are unable to identify the power source that feeds the station. Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), an empath, senses a being with powerful yet despairing emotions nearby, and the crew discover a strange labyrinth beneath the station, but Zorn does not offer an explanation. As the Enterprise crew continues its explorations, a large unknown alien craft enters orbit and begins to fire upon an older Bandi settlement near Farpoint Station, and abducts Zorn. Before Picard orders the ship's phasers to be fired at the craft, Q appears to remind him of humanity's trial and prompts Picard to send an away team to the alien craft. The away team discovers the craft has passages similar to those under Farpoint and they are able to free Zorn. Their actions cause the alien craft to transform into a jellyfish-like space creature, and Picard is able to deduce the mystery of Farpoint Station. He confirms with the apologetic Zorn that the Bandi found a similar lifeform injured on their planet and, while attempting to care for it, they also exploited its ability to synthesize matter to create Farpoint Station. The creature now in orbit is trying to help free its mate by attacking those who hold it captive. Though Q goads Picard into punishing the Bandi, Picard refuses, instead ordering the Enterprise to fire a vivifying energy beam onto Farpoint after the station is evacuated. The beam allows the land-bound creature to transform back into its jellyfish-like form, and it flies into orbit to join its fellow being. As the crew watches the reunion of the alien creatures, Q reluctantly tells Picard that the humans have succeeded in their test, but hints that they will meet again.

Carl Sagan - gods as dreams

"It is said that men may not be the dreams of the god, but rather that the gods are the dreams of men." 

Carl Sagan - Cosmos

Hercule Poirot - belief

 

"Belief, monsieur le doctor, is good, but it is not good enough."

Hercule Poirot, The Case of the Missing Will (1993)

Abhay Ashtekar on Gödel Universes, Buddha's Poison Arrow, Time Travel, and Loop Quantum Cosmology

 

 

Abhay Ashtekar - from Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhay_Ashtekar

Abhay Vasant Ashtekar (born 5 July 1949) is an Indian theoretical physicist. He is the Eberly Professor of Physics and the Director of the Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry at Pennsylvania State University. As the creator of Ashtekar variables, he is one of the founders of loop quantum gravity and its subfield loop quantum cosmology. He has also written a number of descriptions of loop quantum gravity that are accessible to non-physicists. In 1999, Ashtekar and his colleagues were able to calculate the entropy for a black hole, matching a legendary 1974 prediction by Hawking. Oxford mathematical physicist Roger Penrose has described Ashtekar's approach to quantum gravity as "The most important of all the attempts at 'quantizing' general relativity." Ashtekar was elected as Member to National Academy of Sciences in May 2016.

Abhay Ashtekar is an atheist, though he enjoys reading on Indian and other eastern philosophy, namely the Tao and the Zen traditions. Furthermore, he believes to be inspired from the Bhagawat Gita as regards his attitude towards work.

A human archaeology attempt - what Carmen liked just before her passing

 

Fixing the trouble with phenomenology

“Not finding one who observes, your view is exhausted. This is the beginning of your lucidly clear Awareness.” 

Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche)

"not everything that counts can be counted..."

`Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.'  ~William Bruce Cameron... that's an appropriate motto for this most interesting opinion piece, indeed food for thought from The Conversation:  

Our obsession with metrics is corrupting science

The final paragraph poses a good question and points out to the emergence of an opposition to the "h-index" hysteria, built on the idea that content is more important than metrics. As it should be!

"Does the h-index indicate anything other than a high citation rate, whatever that may mean otherwise? Ironically, science and hypothesis testing is needed. For example: do researchers with high h-indices contribute anything of more significance than those with lower ones? Internationally, opposition has taken the form of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). Institutions are urged to acknowledge that the scientific content of a paper is more important than publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which it was published. Content rather than metrics is what ought to count."

 

 

A human archaeology attempt - rediscovering my sister (3) Februarie 7, 2014

``Deci. Dl.Ravi ma provoaca la o discutie filozofica. De la ce porneste totul? De la faptul ca un mutual friend, nu importa numele, o persoana cu talente si cu o inteligenta deosebite, a indraznit sa critice sistematic matrapazlicurile clericilor, cunoscute de toata lumea. Aceeasi persoana, probabil exasperata de atitudinea fariseilor noi, a comis un gest retoric si si-a autoaplicat eticheta de antiteist.Altfel spus, a calcat cu stingul apasat si ce-i drept,a facut sa sara citiva stropi pe cei ce s-au nimerit sa-i fie in preajma,indivizi cam simandicosi...Colegul meu Ravi stia bine ca prietenul nostru comun e o fiinta deschisa la minte,cu o viziune superioara asupra transcendentei, si ca aceasta eticheta pe care si-a pus-o singur e doar un consemn,o licenta de stil, un mod mai strident de a atrage atentia asupra deraparilor grave ale institutiei bisericesti. Bineinteles, antiteismul e in sine un termen nepotrivit, pentru ca nu Dumnezeu e de vina pentru scaderile oamenilor. El e VICTIMA, ca de obicei. Asadar, Ravi vine si il invoca pe Jaspers numai pentru a-l pune la punct pe amicul comun. Aduce in discutie ideea de dialog constructiv,elaborata de filozoful german. Acesta a spus,insa :Dialogul e ceva sacru. Nu se poate dialoga pe un substrat de ipocrizie. Apoi, acelasi Ravi trimite, in mod tendentios,spre ideea de transcendenta imbratisata de Jaspers. Uitind sa mentioneze, insa, ca Jaspers s-a pronuntat categoric impotriva ideii de conditionare a credintei de ritual. A fost impotriva bisericii ca institutie de localizare si garantare a transcendentei, cum insusi a spus. Adica, i s-a parut o nerozie sa afirme cineva ca daca nu mergi la biserica si nu te impartasesti nu te mintuiesti. Ar insemna, de aici, ca 99 la suta din oameni sa mearga in iad. De aceea am refuzat categoric orice dialog filozofic pe acest substrat aluziv si ipocrit. Multi dintre barbati vor sa-si manifeste superioritatea si puterea in orice conditii. Din nefericire pentru ei, mai exista si intuitia femeii...Gata.'' (7 Februarie 2014)

© Mihai Caragiu