Week 3 Bionics

Bionic technology is incredible! A bionic organ or limb, is a device which is man-made and is integrated or implanted into a human in order to restore or increase the natural function. This development in science is incredible when we consider its application for replacing a limb or organ. 

Bionic technology is rapidly developing in the field of biomedical science, so much so that it is becoming common practice. However, this is very interesting to me because the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine is somewhat at odds with the idea that as parts of our bodies become weekend or ill that we should just replace them. For example in the case of a long term smoker that develops disease of the lungs, Traditional Chinese Medicine would say that the smoker was living out of harmony with life and even with bionic lungs something else would weaken or become diseased. 

With regards to the use of bionic technology in the military- i would say that i disagree fundamentally with the state military in all of their uses- from toilet seats to drones. 

Week 2 Energy Medicine and Energy Fields

Long accepted medical devices are an easy way to understand the impact of energy medicine- ie. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), laser eye correction surgery, radiation and/ or UV light therapy. Since these types of modalities/ interventions are commonly accepted its is not a difficult jump to consider that other modalities such as acupuncture are effective forms of energy medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long acknowledged subtle energy fields that are only recently being detected, studied, and utilized by Western medicine. With acupuncture these energy fields can be manipulated to achieve the desired health benefit.

Killian Photography proponents believe that the photos have the capacity to capture our aura. While I believe that our bodies have subtle energy fields I am not entirely sure that Killian photography is a legitimate representation of those energy fields. I do believe that the image is capturing a form of energy, but i think that our energy fields are more complex. 

Below is an excerpt taken from  http://www.lightstalking.com/what-is-kirlian-photography-the-science-and-the-myth-revealed/

“So if the glowing auras seen in Kirlian photography aren’t really caused by something spiritual, paranormal or our “life-energy” then what are they caused by? 

The answer is water. 

The high-voltage frequency applied to the metal plate rips the electrons off of atoms.  The air around the photographed object becomes ionized.  If that air contains any water, the resulting image will show the glowing silhouette around the object, which scientists actually call a “corona plasma discharge”.

When a person is sweating more due to being overheated, or excited in some way, Kirlian photographs taken of their hands at that time will show a larger more intense glow due to the increased moisture.  Conversely, cold dry hands will produce an image which shows a weaker glow.  Despite the ready availability of this accurate scientific explanation, New Age proponents of Kirlian photography will still argue that the person whose hands showed a larger, brighter glow is a natural healer when they are really just sweaty.”

I believe that our intention greatly impacts patient outcome. TCM is a medicine that is grounded in the practices of looking, listening, smelling and touching a patient- all of these are different ways in which we interact with and exchange experiences with the patient. The patients outcome is very much tied into both the conscious and unconscious aspects of this interaction. 

Week 1 Bio-Physics Life and Living Systems

I am a living system, perhaps better described as living systems and on a macro level only partially differenced from the entire eco system. Identifying as a living system on the gross physical level I am composed of complex systems of destruction, decomposition and production. On an energetic level I am separate and yet partially composed by the energies in my shared environment.

Biology studies the variety and complexity of living organisms and systems, while physics is the field of knowledge that seeks to understand the mathematical laws of nature. Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that applies the methods of physics to study biological systems.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is only one component of the Ancient cosmological world view that asserts that all things behave in particular ways, not necessarily because of prior actions or impulsions of other things, but because their intrinsic nature and position in the ever-moving cyclical universe. 

The underlying mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion are not self-evident when using the traditional scientific methods of understanding. However, the discipline of biophysics may lend tools needed to draw inferences from observable patterns  produced by TCM interventions. Research into the physical properties of points and channels, cellular effects of acupuncture, and physiologic effects may produce knowledge that allows us to better understand the organizing principles and inform our understanding of our bodies and the universe.

Week 8 Classical Physics

Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion

I really wish I could skip out on work and go to the state fair in Sacramento to ride the swings. That way I could experience Newton’s first law of motion… An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed. Hopefully, the swings would not malfunction by being acted upon by an alternative force.

Our “Energy Efficient” Culture

Living in an area where the general population identifies as progressive, I often find myself questioning weather or not we actually have evidence to substantiate this claim. While the city of San Francisco recently outlawed plastic bags in an effort to protect the environment from the pollution of carelessly thrown away grocery bags,  the city has also seen an exponential increase of cardboard waste- the result of online delivery companies like amazon.  The city’s Recycling program is somewhat unique in that it is employee owned, educates residents about recycling and employs hundreds of people to sort the materials. As a result SF states that is saves 92 percent of its trash from the landfill.

However, a reporter from Bloomberg in 2014 discovered that the claims were due to “creative and perfectly legal waste accounting.”  The article mentions that in SF the recycling company considers an apple core that ends up in a landfill can be officially considered recycled. The article states, “One might think of it as "Schrodinger's trash" (being both landfill and compost at the same time), and its environmental benefits are worthy of debate.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2014-07-11/san-francisco-s-recycling-claims-are-garbage

Week 7 Chaos Theory

Chaos theory describes complex nonlinear dynamics of sensitive systems and is based on the principals of the butterfly effect, Unpredictability, fractals, mixing, feedback, chaos and order. Chaos is more evident, and used to understand long-term systems that are mathematically deterministic but impossible or nearly impossible to predict.  The complex phenomenon associated with chaos is described by fractal mathematics, which captures the infinite complexity of nature. Many systems in the natural world can be understood to have fractal properties. Without chaos theory a forest, lake, or clouds for example which all exhibit complex, chaotic behavior would only be partially understood.                        

Fractals are infinitely complex never-ending patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating similar processes over and over in a feedback loop. Fractals can be observed in the natural environment- by observing  cloud patterns, flowers, shells, etc..  Understanding fractals gives us in

Recognizing the chaotic, fractal nature of our world can deepen our consciousness into how complex systems such as the body function, become ill and heal. In Chinese Medicine has historically applied the ideas of fractals, scaling and micro systems to support the body’s ability heal.

“Cool Experiment”

I choose to try out the 2 Ball Experiment. I grabbed a tennis ball and doggie toy ball that was slightly heavier and larger in mass. I dropped the two balls together, the slightly heavier one underneath the tennis ball. The balls separated as expected. Then the doggie ball hit the ground, rebounded and hit the tennis ball. The tennis ball went flying and the doggie ball fell back down. I observed that the energy of the doggie ball was transferred to the springy tennis ball.

This last week I was also in an auto accident. During the accident a car sped through a red light and hit the car that I was in on the rear passenger side. The car that I was in spun around approximately 540 degress absorbing the energy of the impact, while the other car only moved about 40 feet from the initial site of impact. 

Week 6 Vibrations

Last year I studied feng shui at the Golden Gate Feng Shui School. One of the subjects that we covered was ‘geopathic stress’. Geopathic stress is the measurement of varying natural vibrations, caused by underground water systems, natural or man made and geological formations such as faults. The relatively controversial asscertain of the teacher was that changes in the level of stress could positively or negatively affect ones health.

In 2005, the World Health Organization (WTO) released a report that looked at the effects of exposure to naturally occuring electromagnetic fields on the development and incidence rates of a number of different diseases.  The report stated that there was no evidence to suggest that exposure to electromagnetic fields has any impact on the development of diseases. The same agency has also denied the dangerous impact of electromagnetic fields caused by electrical appliances, power lines, or emitted by cell phones, radios, TV’s, and WiFi transmitters.

However, Sam Milham, MD, as well as other epidemiologists have written thousands of peer reviewed papers that point to the potential hazards of electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

Below is a great article and chart that details the links between known EMFs and corresponding diseases.

http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/electromagnetic-fields-and-your-health

The word resonance comes from Latin and means to "resound", to sound out together with a loud sound. With regards to sound, a resonant frequency is a natural frequency of vibration determined by the vibrating object. Musical instruments vibrate at their natural frequency when a person plays… or in my case tries to play them. The natural frequency of a musical instrument is referred to as harmonics. Using instruments such as singing bowls for the purpose of sound healing can also create entrainment.  Entrainment is the ability of a strong rhythmic vibration of one object to change the less powerful vibration of another object, and cause them to synchronize their vibration. Since every cell, tissue, organ and bone in our bodies is vibrating and our bodies have their own natural resonance, entrainment can harmonize our cells with a stronger frequency.  Entrainment synchronizes our brainwaves by providing a stable frequency which the brain and our subtle body can attune to. 

Week 5 Symmetry and Supersymmetry

I believe that most humans seek order and balance physically, mentally, and emotionally, in our personal and social lives. Perhaps because balance and order allow us to feel safe and secure. It is generally assumed that symmetry creates a sense of constraint, security, and stability.

Symmetry in physics is generalized to mean invariance under transformation. This concept is fundamental to classical physics and argues that all laws of nature originate in symmetries. However, new understandings have arisen that explain discrete symmetries, superficial symmetries, super symmetry and anti matter.

Through my own observations I would say in my personal, social and aesthetic preferences excessive symmetry is too restrictive and perhaps lacks complexity. Also, I believe there is the possibility for an asymmetrical balance. Perhaps symmetry and asymmetry existing in a form of harmony that I am unable to perceive.  

*CP violation reflection incomplete

Week 4 Energy Matter and the Four Forces

How has E=mc2 affected me?

Hmmmm, well Einstein’s equation dramatically shifted how we perceived energy a century ago. However, it is also associated in my mind the development of the atomic bomb. During World War II the equation appeared in a report presented to the US government prepared by physicist Henry DeWolf Smyth during the Manhattan project. The history is of course complex, Einstien himself was not directly involved, but his ideas were initially used by scientists in the development of atomic weapons theory.

http://www.universetoday.com/114617/a-fun-way-of-understanding-emc2/

Comparing the Four Forces of Nature

Gravitational force is relatively weak, but has a very long range. It is always attractive, and acts between any two pieces of matter in the Universe. Isaac Newton envisioned gravity as a pull between two objects that directly related to their respective masses and inversely related to the square of the distance separating them.  The laws of motion and gravity dontt apply to objects in high gravity or at high speeds, like the speed of light. Electromagnetic force causes electric/ magnetic effect such as repulsion between like charges. It is long-ranged, but relatively weaker than strong force. It can be attractive or repulsive, and acts only between pieces of matter carrying electrical charge.  Force that is excerted on the subatomic scale is explained through the phenomina of strong force. The force holding the nucleus together is called strong force.  Strong force is very strong, but microscopically short-ranged. It acts only over ranges of order 10-13 centimeters. Strong force is attractive, but can be repulsive in some circumstances. Lastly, weak force is responsible for radioactive decay and neutrino interactions. It has a very short range and is very weak.

Must Read: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/fundamental-forces-of-nature.htm

What is the function of gravity?

Gravity is a natural phemomenon that is responsible for the attraction of objects in space. It is the description of the energy or attraction between objects. It is responsible for the creation of many of the structures in the universe- stars, galaxies, etc.. In our own bodies we experience the effects of gravity in a multitude of ways. One observable aspect of gravity is its role in walking. When we walk or run we can hit the ground without losing contact with it, but we also have to work against gravity with each step. 

Week 3 Synchronicity

The ancient Chinese cosmological world view is grounded in the belief that all things behave in particular ways- not necessarily because of causation- but because their position in the ever-moving cyclical universe.  Within this worldview all things are endowed with an intrinsic nature which make certain behaviors inevitable for them. The cosmos continues to change, but there exists an observable pattern to that change.

Synchronicities are patterns that repeat in time. There is no scientific evidence for the concept. However, I believe that synchronicities are meaningful coincidences that occur within the patterns of our behaviors and the patterns of the universe. Obviously, the value of any synchronistic event is determined by our particular beliefs and desires- perhaps most often motivated by our attempt to make sense of, or give meaning to our lives.

Carl Gustav Jung described synchronicity as an 'acausal connecting principle' , described as a pattern of connection that cannot be explained by efficient causality.  It was a principle that Jung asserted is a governing dynamic which can explain the human experience and history. Jung believed that many experiences perceived as coincidence were not merely due to chance but, instead, synchronicities that arose from our collective consciousness.

Week 2 Quantum Physics

Dominate modern certainty rests on the acknowledgement of causality. Causality is the connection of phenomena through which one thing under certain conditions causes an effect. The connection between cause and effect is dependent on the logic of linear time (see week 1 reflection). Perhaps on occasion we have the capacity to clearly perceive the phenomenon that produce a given effect, but more often than not an infinite number of causes produce the effects that we are attempting to understand.  

The universality of causality is often denied based upon the limited nature of human experience, which prevents us from judging the numerous and interlocking connections beyond what can be understood through the logic of science or experiance.

This deterministic approach seeks to explain a process as being determined by certain causes and therefore predictable. However, in quantum physics and in living nature it is impossible to isolate causes and effects. Probability and statistical laws, can be used to make approximations regarding the future, however with the myriad of variables cannot predict and demonstrate that the universe is not deterministic.

The universe is weird, very very weird…

http://discovermagazine.com/galleries/2015/june/weirdest-objects-in-universe

Week 1 The Meaning of Time

Linear time is the hegemonic western cultural understanding of time. Within this worldview time is an absolute physical reality, and a physiological experiential perspective that allows us to make sense of how events and experiences change.

One of the best metaphors of this view is that time flows like a conveyor belt that moves horizontally from past to present to future at the same unchangeable speed. On the conveyor belt there exists a series of containers extending into the past on the one hand and into the future on the other. The way we 'spend our time' is by putting our activities into the containers as the conveyor belt moves along. Once the container has past, you can no longer put activities in and you cannot put activities into the containers that have not yet reached you on the conveyor belt. With the experience of the conveyor belt moving from past, present we have a variety of emotional experiences from feeling like we have wasted time (not put any activities into the container) we can worry about the future (looking ahead on the convey belt and imagine what we are going to put in future containers), we can feel overwhelmed (not enough containers), etc.

The conveyor belt metaphor elucidates what Arthur Eddington called ‘time's arrow’, the "one-way direction" or "asymmetry" of time which has no analogue in space and the related mental arrow that one's perception is a continuous movement from the known (past) to the unknown (future). We plan and take action (or nonaction) intended to affect the course of events in the future. Gravity, causality, thermodynamics, kinetic energy all comfortably substantiates this worldview.