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Week 2 Reflections




Causality
A cause leads to an effect. That idea has worked for me for most of my life. It helps me reflect of the ways we impact one another and our environment and see how everything is related. I am open to the idea that an effect can precede a cause, however I cannot fully grasp what that would mean. I think that idea can work if you can break away from the arrow of time. I am not there yet.  

The Uncertainty Principle
I think the uncertainly principle is wise and simply acknowledges the limitations of measurement. The uncertainly principle states that since you cannot measure momentum and position at the same time, you cannot know with certainty. Since you cannot be certain of both of these characteristics of a subatomic particle, you cannot predict its path.  This all makes sense to me. I am getting lost when we try to extrapolate this to a larger scale, especially since this principle was proposed for only quantum particles.
I do like the philosophical extrapolation that the more you know of one particular variable, the less precisely you can know another variable.  This highlights the overall limitation of observation. We know that when you observe an event from one perspective, you are not observing it from a countless number of other vantage points. We are limited by our experience. Acknowledging the limitations of our perspective does not discount it; it opens us up to value all perspectives.

Speaking of the limitations of (conscious) observation…
 The universe is not weird. The universe just is. Weird is a subjective term. We humans, as conscious beings, make judgments in order to make sense of the world and not get overloaded in our Beta (reasoning, conscious thought) mindset.  In the context of our culture in this country, with the knowledge and presumptions about the world that are widely held in Western society, oh yes, the universe is weird. We imagine theories, which are rules we want to apply to the world, and then we subsequently find a way that the universe does not follow the rule. Weird!! Is it not weird to think that we can comprehend the universe with our conscious mind? Could it be that the universe is too great to be reduced to characters on a computer screen or paint on canvas? I think yes. I don’t think the universe is weird. I think our attempt to intellectualize it can be weird.  
I do not wish to devalue the ways in which we strive to learn more about the universe. I think it’s great to explore and be curious and learn. I think if we keep in mind that we have a limited vantage point, it opens us up to stand in awe of our surroundings, and to respect what we cannot see or touch or verbalize.

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