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Physics Week 2 - Uncertainty




Week 2 and we covered Quantum Mechanics in 2 hours - some of fun highlights, anyway. As we were talking about the Bohr-Einstein debate, I imagined it like this:

Einstein: Nothing can move faster than the speed of light
Bohr: Entaglement *mic drop*

I'm giving the Tao of Physics a try while taking this class, and it's really driving home the fact that Taoists and physicists have come to nearly identical conclusions concerning the workings of the world, when you allow for differences in lingo. Uncertainty is such a foundational concept in both. Also: humor. There is such joy in Taoism and such excitement in physics, which isn't what I would expect in these seeker subsets of people getting very comfortable with uncertainty. Because it's not a resigned, fatalistic humor: it's the joy of existing (or not existing). Maybe it's the acknowledgement that there are bigger plans in action that we humans might someday be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of. I can see how that acceptance would be both liberating and encouraging! 

As a student of CM, I can say I have gotten far more comfortable with uncertainty in this program. First there are large, seemingly separate chunks of information to be memorized by rote before fully understanding the context. Some things need to be taken on faith. I had a new student ask me 'so this will be explained later, right? I had to shrug and give her the most common and frustrating answer that is given to me: 'it depends'. Some connections and concepts in this medicine come by insight, some by a tiny paragraph in an overlooked textbook, some from a chance conversation with a student studying the medicine in another language. As I let go of my expectation that my education will be handed to me in tidy outlines, I'm able to let my mind make the connections it's intuitively drawn towards. And I can accept information from unexpected sources. The high I get from occasional flashes of insight keep me hungrily moving forward. So now I feel more comfortable in my mental map of the medicine, and aware that it is different than anyone else's maps. Since this uncertainty is so shaping me, it makes me believe there are bigger engines in motion than I can see from my small, singular point of view. Things are revealed in their own time. This leaves me frequently uncomfortable, feeling out of my depth, frustrated and happy and inspired.

And eating more desserts



Comments

  1. Dr.AmbaMay 20, 2018 at 9:33 PM

    I spell it Daoism--as my teacher does....and I agree that the two have very many similarities.

    SCIENCE AND THE DAO.....book- praised by my teacher ..haven't read it--but Dr Jerry Alan Johnson is my teacher---and he is at bottom of this...."his book presents a comprehensive examination of core Daoist facets from the point of view of modern science. Exploring its cosmology, physiology, psychology, cultivation, and visions of immortality in the light of astrophysics, particle physics, paleoanthropology, behavioral kinesiology, cell biology, and more, the book enhances the credibility of traditional Daoist ideas and practices, thereby making them more accessible to modern people. The work also offers additional perspectives to scientific understanding as well as new dimensions of practical application, offering a new and enhanced level of translation—of Daoism into Western science as well as of theory into practice—with beneficent effects for both. It is an absolute must for scholars, practitioners, and anyone interested in the interface of religion and science.
    Author
    Livia Kohn, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Religion and East Asian Studies at Boston University. The author or editor of over 40 books, she now lives in Florida, serves as the executive editor of the Journal of Daoist Studies, and runs various workshops and conferences.
     
    Praise
    This is a remarkable book bringing together the cosmology of Daoism with modern science. A tour de force.—Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale University, co-author, Journey of the Universe
    I can say without fear of contradiction that Livia Kohn is the currently most thorough and careful scholar, taking Daoist claims seriously by moving toward an increased integration of science and religion. Science and the Dao consistently explores the interface between Daoism and the hard sciences of physics, biology, and chemistry, reaching well beyond her earlier edited collection Living Authentically, which first brought critical study of Daoism’s sources and practices into the grammar of contemporary psychology. Kohn is not only the most respected scholar of traditional Daoism working in English, she is also an active practitioner of the Daoist way of purification, long life, and immortality. I do not hesitate to use this language, and those who read her chapters on “The Physics of Immortality” and “Be as Gods” will fully appreciate why. To scholars and practitioners of Daoism alike I say bluntly: This work is a must read.—Ronnie Littlejohn, Belmont University
    In her latest book, Science and the Dao, renowned Daoist specialist Livia Kohn successfully approaches ancient Daoist teachings and esoteric energetic philosophies from a strong Western scientific approach. In this highly illuminating work, she provides solid, modern research and scientific data that support ancient Daoist teachings and practices. The scope of useful information and depth of research in this thought-provoking work are exceptional, while its comprehensive presentation follows an easy format to follow. Covering widely disparate yet eminently relevant topics, such as astrophysics, particle physics, neuroscience, behavioral kinesiology, psychology of meditation, cellular biology, cognitive science, and much more, the book is comprehensive, informative, well presented, and enlightening. It is a joy to read, offering a veritable treasure trove of insights that will influence the hearts and minds of thousands for years to come.—Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson, International Institute of Medical Qigong, Tian Yun Gong Zhengyi Daoist Temple"

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