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