New Atoms Doing the Same Dance
I stand at the seashore, alone, and start to think. There are the rushing waves ... mountains of molecules, each stupidly minding its own business ... trillions apart ... yet forming white surf in unison.
Ages on ages ... before any eyes could see ... year after year ... thunderously pounding the shore as now. For whom, for what? ... on a dead planet, with no life to entertain. Never at rest ... tortured by energy ... wasted prodigiously by the sun ... poured into space. A mite makes the sea roar. Deep in the sea, all molecules repeat the patterns of one another till complex new ones are formed. They make others like themselves ... and a new dance starts.
Growing in size and complexity ... living things, masses of atoms, DNA, protein ... dancing a pattern ever more intricate. Out of the cradle onto the dry land ... here it is standing ... atoms with consciousness ... matter with curiosity. Stands at the sea ... wonders at wondering ... I ... a universe of atoms ... an atom in the universe.
The same thrill, the same awe and mystery, come again and again when we look at any problem deeply enough. With more knowledge comes deeper, more wonderful mystery, luring one on to penetrate deeper still. Never concerned that the answer may prove disappointing, but with pleasure and confidence we turn over each new stone to find unimagined strangeness leading on to more wonderful questions and mysteries -- certainly a grand adventure! [...]
This is what it means when one discovers how long it takes for the atoms of the brain to be replaced by other atoms, to note that the thing which I call my individuality is only a pattern or dance. The atoms come into my brain, dance a dance, then go out; always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday. [...]
What, then, is the meaning of it all? What can we say to dispel the mystery of experience? If we take everything into account, not only what the ancients knew, but all of what we know today that they didn't know, then I think that we must frankly admit that we do not know. But in admitting this, we have probably found the open channel.
--Richard Feynman, in Value of Science
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16 Past Reflections
On May 24, 2011 Ganoba wrote :
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On May 24, 2011 Kinjal wrote :
Amazing intersection of science meeting philosophy! I guess new atoms doing the same dance is not necessarily true as new atoms might tweak the same dance to form a slightly new dance that may go on to become the "same dance" for newer atoms. However, it is simply amazing to know that there's way more left to discover than we might think.
To Prathiba: I think new atoms probably are derived from energy that is not created or destroyed so to speak... That's my take on it :)
Have a great day everyone.
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On May 23, 2011 Somik Raha wrote :
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On May 20, 2011 Dinesh wrote :
Last Wednesday, we had the honor of having Professor Ron Howard join us for an evening filled with insights and humor. Below is the audio recording ...
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On May 20, 2011 pratibha wrote :
response to deepa: where do those atoms come from? do they have a causation and origination? Would like to throw out this question and later I'll give my view.
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On May 20, 2011 deepa wrote :
New atoms doing the same dance is just superb. It's a new age story and it is inspiring
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On May 18, 2011 Ganoba wrote :
The atoms don't do the same dance, very similar, but not the same.If they did evolution would not happen. i am surprised that feynman did not notice the small changes.
Nature does not repeat itself. It is the most creative artist there is and the most effortless.
As to purpose we humans do not where all this is going, if at all. that does not mean there is no purpose. But we have always done this. What we do not understand, we label as nonsense.
One more thing. Being curious is not the same as being doubtful.
Being present is being on the edge of knowing and not knowing.
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On May 15, 2011 PK wrote :
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On May 15, 2011 Ricky wrote :
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On May 15, 2011 xiaoshan wrote :
This is one of the most insightful writings I have ever read.
You throw some atoms together in a way, call it a 'car', and drive it to a city in far distance. You throw the some atoms together in another way, call it a 'rocket', and shoot it to the moon. Perhaps later on you notice the same set of atoms, forming a thing called 'rabbit', hopping into the woods...
What, then, is the meaning of it all?
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On May 15, 2011 Manasi wrote :
I love that he says "With more knowledge comes deeper, more wonderful mystery, luring one on to penetrate deeper still"
It seems to me that knowlegde conventionally is the pursuit of certainty rather than a willingness to open into the mystery; and very often is the product of an intellect than seeks constant validation of it's usefulness.
But then when we look at much of what all the great seekers say it is much more about the pleasure of asking itself, which leads to the humbling conclusion of not knowing rather than knowing.
"If we take everything into account, then I think that we must frankly admit that we do not know"
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On May 14, 2011 Pratibha wrote :
New Atoms Doing A Dance......... I think that the atoms and molecules are the evolutes of nature and they go on and on without a purpose except that there is always change in the world, in ourselves, in everything. Everything comes and everything goes. Purpose? Yes and No. Purpose is in fact the expression of the phenomenal world in all its many facets. Humans being the last of the created creatures can direct its purpose more than any other creature. It can transcend, transform, and know its consciousness as well as direct one's life toward this end.
Pratibha
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On May 14, 2011 Conrad P Pritscher wrote :
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On May 14, 2011 Edit Lak wrote :
This to me is 'One 'Breath' the breathe we take to live and to live and to live.
Thanks