Sep/090
Feynman on Physics: Gates Brilliant Philanthropy?
I recently stumbled upon a project at Microsoft Research called “Tuva” which is an enhanced video player that is aimed at providing a rich informational video experience. It features video searching, full transcripts, interactive extras, an indexed time-line, and bookmarking capabilities.
By visiting the Project Tuva website you can view in their entirety Dr. Richard Feynman’s “Messenger Series” lectures on physics at Cornell university in 1964.
Here’s a quick over-view of the knowledge Feynman will be spitting at you in glorious Black and white video.
The Messenger Series Lectures
- Law of Gravitation – An Example of Physical Law
- The Relation of Mathematics and Physics
- The Great Conservation Principles
- Symmetry in Physical Law
- The Distinction of Past and Future
- Probability and Uncertainty – The Quantum Mechanical view of Nature
- Seeking New Laws
Each lecture is approximately 55 minutes and is guaranteed to expand your mind, or make you laugh. Regardless, it’s a good way to kill an hour… or seven.
Sep/090
Well fuck you too, decoherence.
I recently finished reading a really fantastic book by Charles Seife called Decoding the Universe: How the New Science of Information is Explaining Everything in the Cosmos, From our Brains to Black Holes that talks about classical and quantum physics in the context of Information Theory.
The badassery of this book aside, that’s not what I’m here to talk about; I’ve got a bone to pick with the theory of quantum decoherence. As any good power-nerd reading up on quantum theory I was particularly interested in the wacky things that can happen at the quantum level of things such as superposed objects, and entangled objects that appear to communicate at faster than the speed of light.
As it turns out quantum decoherence is like being waken up in the middle of a great dream about flying over a city-scape at night, only to realize that your alarm is telling you to get off your ass and embrace the real-world. It says that I can’t remain unobserved (in a quantum state) for any measurable period of time because I’m so big. Weak.
Sep/090
Practical Introspection: Observing Your Thoughts
I would like to cover a simple meditative practice that I picked up from the Dalai Lama. In this practice the goal is to be able to observe and identify what your mind thinks about when you aren’t consciously directing it. I think it’s important to note that even though this exercise is put forth by the Dalai Lama, it is just a mental exercise to help cultivate better awareness, and does not depend on any religious or spiritual practice to be useful.
- Sometimes you need to follow the carrot right over the edge of a cliff, just to see what happens. Gravity isn't so tough.
- RT @StuMcDnld: Unaddressed assumptions will absolutely ruin relationships. Honest communication is imperative in ALL areas of life.