Week 7 - Charles Miin
The new theory regarding the universe created by Robert Lanza may stand to be my favorite reading of the class thus far, and may be that of the entire class. I say this because the views expressed are very nuanced and exploratory while also being multi-disciplinary and entirely grounded in terms of fact and scientific basis. He introduces the views of historical thinkers such as Descartes, Emerson, and others to help understand the human perspective in regards to the universe. He quotes Emerson's thoughts on seeing mediately rather than directly which is a fundamental aspect of the human brain. The image that is produced by your eye is inverted due to the physics of lens and light refraction and it is your brain that interprets this signal to allow us to live in our world, right-side-up. Intrinsically, this is not entirely relevant until it becomes understood that an individual wearing inverted lenses that mediates the signal can cause individuals to see the world upside-down. Yet, Professor Theodor Erissmann of the University of Innsbruck, demonstrated that after 10 days of altered vision, the subject was able to navigate the world without hassle.
While the adage "Seeing is believing." is oft professed in society, I believe Lanza stands to have his readers reconsider that, while also not necessarily becoming skeptical of everything in the world as many scientists have become. Just as it is a popular assertion to state the human-constructed nature of time in contemporary culture, it is important to give that serious consideration with examples such as that of the paradox of The Arrow. It elucidates that perception is the key to experience and shows how such a simple action cannot readily be explained by physics, as we understand it. I would reason that I could quickly come to an agreement with a randomly selected individaul that ancient societies such as Stone Age China and Egypt existed thousands of years ago. Yet, as simple as this thought is, my personal belief is that time as we observe it does not exist tangibly, and that though humanity has clearly progressed and advanced in terms of technological and societal infrastructure, there has not been an overarching "passage of time". Neil deGrasse Tyson said it best I believe with the fundamental elements of a human being Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, and Nitrogen in that order. The most active elements of the universe are those same elements, in that order. He thus professes that the just as we live in the universe, the universe lives in us, and that because we are all made of the same material, no one is special. Just as easily as this could be philosophical romanticism, I believe it has actual merit in helping in moving humanity from the androcentric school of thought. Revelations such as that of the Eleatic school of philosophy and Heisenberg that tell us "A path comes into existence only when you observe it." do not conflict with this but rather tell us something incredibly important. Man is not the center of the universe, rather it is the abstract enigma of consciousness that commands all things.
Is it possible to shift cultural and societal consciousness away from the androcentric model and impartially explore the complex nature of consciousness as it mediates our experiences with the world?
Article: The American Scholar - A New Theory of the Universe by Robert Lanza
While the adage "Seeing is believing." is oft professed in society, I believe Lanza stands to have his readers reconsider that, while also not necessarily becoming skeptical of everything in the world as many scientists have become. Just as it is a popular assertion to state the human-constructed nature of time in contemporary culture, it is important to give that serious consideration with examples such as that of the paradox of The Arrow. It elucidates that perception is the key to experience and shows how such a simple action cannot readily be explained by physics, as we understand it. I would reason that I could quickly come to an agreement with a randomly selected individaul that ancient societies such as Stone Age China and Egypt existed thousands of years ago. Yet, as simple as this thought is, my personal belief is that time as we observe it does not exist tangibly, and that though humanity has clearly progressed and advanced in terms of technological and societal infrastructure, there has not been an overarching "passage of time". Neil deGrasse Tyson said it best I believe with the fundamental elements of a human being Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, and Nitrogen in that order. The most active elements of the universe are those same elements, in that order. He thus professes that the just as we live in the universe, the universe lives in us, and that because we are all made of the same material, no one is special. Just as easily as this could be philosophical romanticism, I believe it has actual merit in helping in moving humanity from the androcentric school of thought. Revelations such as that of the Eleatic school of philosophy and Heisenberg that tell us "A path comes into existence only when you observe it." do not conflict with this but rather tell us something incredibly important. Man is not the center of the universe, rather it is the abstract enigma of consciousness that commands all things.
Is it possible to shift cultural and societal consciousness away from the androcentric model and impartially explore the complex nature of consciousness as it mediates our experiences with the world?
Article: The American Scholar - A New Theory of the Universe by Robert Lanza
Comments
Post a Comment