Skip to main content

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"

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Physics - ChAOs tHeoRy

“ordered chaos” - does this sound familiar? - in TCM, yin and yang balance each other. We have a lovely black and white yin/yang symbol, with a spot of one deep within the other to symbolize yang is always within yin, and yin is always within yang. This symbol is a little misleading, because it looks like roughly 50% yin and 50% yang. When yin is the substance, and yang is the warming, motivating force, we only need enough yang to keep the yin from stagnation. I think of this when I hear 'ordered chaos'. There is a balancing proportion to all systems, but within the systems, there can be all sorts of chaos – unpredictable, changeable. The order comes with finding the tipping point. That proportion, that perfectly predictable point of overwhelm when one system tips into the other, is evidence of a well-functioning system. Fractals as patterns of complex systems - I am still pretty confused about fractals, which seems like a common problem. Can people be fractal...
1 comment
Read more

Biochem: Living Diversity

This is a terrible truth. "The human species is living as if it had more than one planet to occupy". And more weighty than ever with the present administration - at first impression, it seemed they were simply overturning their predecessor's policies across the board. But worse than that, they are overturning the earth-protecting policies which hamper the profits of large corporations.  The Dakota Access Pipeline, disavowing all evidence of climate change, dismantling protections for the earth, air and water, endangered animals - not to mention horrific crimes against people who aren't wealthy or white. It's hard to even write about without getting my heat up and feeling frustrated and angry at myself for not taking action. I'm gone off topic a little here, focusing on the crimes of this administration specifically instead of humankind in general, but the ones here on home soil are so much more glaring to me.  In the US, we seem to be living as i...
2 comments
Read more

Biochemistry Week 11: The Chemistry of Life

The Hippocampus and Depression Trusting and loving the hardworking-but-gets-no-credit brain can only end well. The Chinese call it the Shen and it's seen as one of the '3 treasures' of the human system, the other two being Jing and Qi. The 3 can be roughly summed up as body, mind, and spirit - all need tending, and I love the fact that scientists did research on what can be summed up as instructions on how to work out your brain in a loving way.  The hippocampus assists in memory, learning, and giving proper context - I'm imagining a discreet personal assistant at a party, reminding us that we met Mrs. Holt at the dog fights last month, and makes a note to send her your layer cake recipe. Like everything else in the body, the hippocampus may be affected as we age, losing neuroplasticity and having a harder time recalling past events.  In addition to memory loss, depression can be seen as loss of hippocampus function: a  2015 article from Medical News Daily r...
1 comment
Read more