Saturday, November 24, 2007

In the News...

Here's some news items of possible interest:

Democracy in Action. The chairman of the local Republican Party informs me that Rudy will be in Sarasota on December 6. For the sum of $2,300.00, I can attend the VIP Reception and have a photo taken. For the nominal sum of $500.00, I can attend the general reception with the great unwashed. I offer the info in case anyone out there is interested.

First it was Global Warming. Some scientists say astronomers are hastening the death of the universe simply by observing "dark matter." It's pretty deep. Fermi, are you out there? To read about a pretty esoteric discussion, click here.

For What it's Worth. Janet "Helga" Reno's latest project: Songs of America. No, no, no, it doesn't include the old CS&N song or Bromberg's "Judge, Judge, Send me to the 'Lectric Chair."
It should. Read the fluff piece here.

From the Absurd. An Italian archaeologist thinks he has discovered the cave where the she-wolf purportedly nursed the mythical founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. Okay, so it's where the Romans thought the same had taken place. But it makes for a good story which you can read here.

Read all about it. From Payo Libre, one of the hottest items at the independent libraries in Cuba is the actual text of the Bush speech. Hundreds of copies have been given out in the few locations where available. Librarians have been reduced to turning their homes into reading rooms. According to the report, the reaction to the regime's misrepresentation of Bush's comments has been indignation.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can our mere observation of an event determine whether or not the event would have occurred if we didn't observe it? Remember the old 'tree falls in the forest' riddle. If an observer is not there to hear/record the sound, then no sound is made. Similarly, if there are no observers (intelligent life forms) in the universe does the universe 'really' exist? Are we a necessary component in determining the existence of all that we observe? And any time we make an observation of an event or measure something about an object, does the object change? And if a change occurs, how does it affect the future ramifications of the event or position/speed of the object in the future? On the quantum level, where objects are so small that there is a blurring of their particle and wave natures, 'events' such as the interaction of an electron and a photon have the potential for an infinite number of outcomes which are assigned probabilities of occurring. When scientists observe these 'events', the probability of any particular outcome is affected by the interference caused by the act of observation. The article in your blog makes reference to a theory which attempts to extrapolate these quantum effects to the level of our universe. If scientists 'discover something' in our universe through observation, will it effect the probability or way that this particular 'something' will interact with the universe in the future? Read the article......not so crazy a concept as you first thought, eh? Fermi

rsnlk said...

Is this physics or is this Plato? I'm a bit confused. I love the idea, though, the universe as vibrating particles in which conception leads to conception. Wasn't there a physicist who wrote a book about finding God through physics?

Anonymous said...

Physics and philosophy have always been linked. Newton's physics predicted a God who created a universe which followed strict mathematical rules. The genius of Newton was ( among other things )his theorization that rules which objects followed on Earth could be applied to all objects regardless of their position in the universe. Einstein showed that the mechanistic rules of Newton fail to predict the behavior of objects which are extremely small or large, which approach infinity at opposite ends of the mass scale. Physics can not PROVE the existence of God, but our pursuit of knowledge about the universe can certainly lead us to a sense of awe at its beauty, and give us pause to wonder what, if anything, exists beyond the infinite. It just comes down to faith, rsnlk!
Fermi