Two Ball Bounce Experiment

Sorry I forgot to post this to my blog on chaos theory...

I did the experiment on bouncing two balls together. The results turned out exactly as expected. I put a small ball on top of a large ball and dropped them together. The bottom one hit the ground first and rebounded. On its way up, it hit the top ball, which was on its way down. The energy from the large ball was transferred to the small ball, which made an especially big bounce. This was really interesting and especially fun for my dog. We did it many times.

Assignment 7

Ordered Chaos - Does This Sound Familiar?

Yes it does. This reminds me of the process that I undertake when writing a paper. I am always overwhelmed by too many ideas and a feeling that I simply will not be able to organize them in a way that will result in something intelligible. My process is very unstructured. I simply start writing. I get a few paragraphs which come together until I am moved to follow a certain direction. Then, I write some more and sometimes my direction changes. I write a lot of stuff down, reorganized it and re- read it. I do this over and over again. I simply cannot rest until the thing is finished. By the time I have completed it, I feel good.

Fractals As Patterns of Complex Systems

As I understand it, a fractal is a geometric shape they can be divided into parts, each of which is a reduced size copy of the whole. They are inordinately complex because at all levels of magnification they appear the same. In nature, fractals appear in clouds, mountain ranges, and snowflakes. Straight lines are not fractals even though one part of the line is just like the whole. I think the reason for this is because it is one-dimensional. Not sure.

Consciousness Out Of Chaos

I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go with this question, so I am going to talk about the way I personally relate to chaos. Well, I don't handle it very well. I have a very strong internal need for order. This started from a very early age. I can remember, as a young girl in first grade, planning how I was going to organize my desk or clean my room. I would actually have a premeditated plan for how I was going to go about it and then I would do it. I didn't need any prompting for my mom, I just liked to create organized spaces.

I still love to organize and throw things away. I don't like clutter because I find I can relax more easily without it. I don't need a lot of stuff. I don't like to have too many clothes in my closet, for example, because it makes it too complicated to get dressed. At least three times a year I give stuff away just so I can create more empty space in my home. This makes me feel lighter in my mind. I can think more clearly about things that matter to me when I don't have a lot of unnecessary stuff to contend with.

Assignment 8

Newton’s Three Laws of Motion and Me

First law: Objects at rest will remain at rest, and objects in motion will remain in motion in a straight-line at constant velocity. A force must be applied to change the state of motion of an object. An example of this law is when I walk with a glass of water. When I stop short, the water comes spilling out of the glass. The water continues in motion and spills out of the glass.

Second law: the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force acting on it, and inversely proportional to its mass. When I drop something out of the second-story window the object falls to the ground at a rate directly proportional to gravity (the force acting on it).

Third law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When I am out bear hunting, I can feel the recoil of my rifle against my shoulder (just kidding).

Our Energy-efficient Culture

Some improvements in energy efficiency have been made over the last few decades. For example we are increasingly using hydroelectric, solar and wind power. However, air pollution continues to be a serious environmental problem. Poor air quality has contributed to a staggering increase in respiratory illnesses. Average annual visibility has decreased in winter to an average of 25 miles, and in summer to an average of 12 miles. Petroleum prices are at record highs with no end in sight. The US is reliant on an outdated electric grid in which sufficient improvements have yet to be made. All of these issues add to growing concerns about global warming. I think the US has a long way to go before it can consider itself an energy-efficient nation particularly from the point of view of consumption of fossil fuel.

Assignment 6

Are All Vibrations Good?

Clearly, no. As we studied in class this week, the effect of certain types of vibrations can be catastrophic. For example, the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (aka Galloping Gertie) both collapsed as a result of vibrations. Perhaps an even more startling example was the devastation in Indonesia as a result of the tsunami which struck on December 26, 2005. These are obviously dramatic examples of how vibrations can negatively impact life. They can, however, operate on a more subtle level as well. We have all experienced people who possess so-called “bad vibes.” To my knowledge there is no way of measuring bad vibes, or even good vibes for the matter, but we can certainly feel the effect they have on us.

Resonance in my world.

There is resonance all around me, or should I say “in me.” For example, I resonate with music, art, architecture, people, animals and nature. Sometimes resonance feels good and sometimes it doesn't. Hideous architecture can make me feel angry, likewise with strident music. But a beautiful Rachmaninoff or Bill Evans piece can make my heart soar. I especially resonate with nature. It almost always soothes and relaxes me.

Connections I can make between energy and Qi.

I think Qi is energy. We can’t precisely measure it, but we know it exists. We can feel it. For example, we can feel it when our Qi is flowing smoothly and when it is not. Sometimes our Qi is deficient. We can feel that too. Qi is our lifeforce; It is energy.

Qi is all around us. It is the energy that we sense in all of nature. We can certainly feel the affect that a cold rainy day has on our bodies. Weather has a certain Qi or vibe to it, depending on if it’s windy, cold, hot, dry etc. Since I started studying Chinese medicine, I've become extremely aware of the affect that weather has on me.

We also feel Qi when we step inside a dwelling. One of the most palpable experiences I had in this regard was when I went to visit a home that was for sale. I felt a strong visceral reaction when I stepped inside. The ceilings were oppressively low, there were hardly any windows, the air reeked of cigarette smoke, and absolutely no care had been taken toward this home. I could feel the energy or Qi of the people who lived there, even though they were not physically present.

Assignment 5 cont.

What Does CP Violation Mean?

Well, after spending far too much time trying to discern the meaning of the CP violation, I still feel confused them frustrated. I know it has something to do with the behavior of particles and anti-particles. As I understand it, particles and antiparticles behave the same whether going backward or forward in time. Only in the decay of kaons, is the behavior of particles/antiparticles variable.

This makes me think of my own behavior as I write this paragraph. There is the “me” that is frustrated and with myself for not being able to adequately comprehend these concepts, and there is the “anti-me” who is sitting on a beach somewhere feeling very relaxed drinking a Margarita. This is what CP violation means to me.

Assignment #5

My Symmetrical World

When I think of symmetry, I think of proportion. I see symmetry all around me. For example, symmetry can be found in man-made objects. The cars we drive (two headlights; a driver’s seat and a passenger seat), Greek and Roman architecture, various cultural symbols (the mandala and the I-Ching). Symmetry is found in all of nature. For example, leaves are symmetrical. The Human body is symmetrical in many respects. We have 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 arms etc. Such symmetry can also be found in every species I can think of. For me symmetry is beauty. I like balance and proportion.


Are There Connections between Sacred Geometry and Physics?

Both sacred geometry and physics use math to help make sense out of the world around us. Sacred geometry can be described as objects or shapes that have religious or cultural significance and which are based on complex mathematical relationships. For example, the golden ratio was used in the design of Greek and Roman architecture. Pyramids and crop circles also have a mathematical order to them. Since early times math was used to make sense out of abstract concepts such as time, life, and consciousness. Physics is the study of nature, in its broadest sense. Physicists seek to understand and explain the properties of energy and matter by using complex mathematical formulas.