Sunday, August 27, 2023

Reflections on the song “Stardust”

Youtube Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjU6ZjrQulc

The song is definitely about the memory of a lost love but there are certain lines in the song that make me think of more than just the lost love of another human but additionally of the eternal loving connection we can have with God our creator.  Some of those lines are…

 “Leaving me a song that will not die   (a promise of reconciliation with God…)

Love is now the stardust of yesterday

The music of the years gone by.    (years gone by = before our estrangement from God…)

Sometimes I wonder, how I spend

The Lonely nights

Dreaming of a song

The Melody

Haunts my reverie…

But that was long ago

And now my consolation is in the

Stardust of a song…

The nightingale

Tells his fairy-tale

Of paradise, where roses grew       (the Garden of Eden?.?.)

Though I dream in vain

In my heart it will remain

My stardust melody

The memory of Love’s refrain.”     (God is love.)

 

These words and the reflective melody of the song make me think there is a part of us we carry in our deepest selves that we inherited from Adam and Eve from before the fall.  Before we became estranged from God.  Like Adam and Eve, we / I have become estranged from God.  Estranged from the paradise He created and meant for us to experience.  Now there is something in us that retains knowledge and understanding of the pre-estrangement state and in quiet, reflective moments we can recognize that connection we retain with God.  When the song speaks of “yesterday” and “long ago” I think of me and God in that pre-estrangement relationship and “the melody” that “remains” is God’s promise that each day even now I am / can have that same relationship and that someday that relationship will be fully restored.

I think this is the kind of thing he is referencing when the Apostle Paul said “…that which is known about God is evident within them: for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have clearly been seen…”

Monday, July 10, 2023

The Universe and Human Experience as a Simulation…

In 1988 I was in a library perusing the shelves, chilling, you know, like you do; and was intrigued by the cover of the Atlantic Monthly Magazine.  There was an article about a guy name Edward Fredkin who was putting forward the hypothesis that a computer was actually the core structure of the Universe. 

The title of this post is about simulations; and the idea that a computer actually generates the physics and chemistry we experience isn’t a simulation per say but it made me start to question what is behind what we experience.

Link to Article:  https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/88apr/wright.htm

Fast forward 10 years-ish and “The Matrix” starring Keanu Reeves is out and, spoiler alert, the idea that perhaps we are living in a simulation becomes part of popular culture.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix

 A few years after that a philosopher named Nick Bostrom published a paper titled “Are You in a Computer Simulation?” which launched a small cottage industry of philosophers and scientists speculating on:  if we are in a simulation, what is the nature and purpose of that simulation and so forth. 

Reference:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis

 Taking things up to contemporary times: simulation theory is prevalent in popular culture via such luminaries as Joe Rogan who has several podcast episodes on the topic. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6SmR8uRrv8). 

 Simulation Theory is out there in pop culture, and on our college campuses.

 So, let’s have a definition of simulation that can apply to the idea that we might be living in one.

 I have adapted a definition of the term simulation I found on vocabulary.com to align with my topic as follows:  a simulation is something purposely created to represent something else – it isn’t the real thing.  At times you might create or perform a simulation to accomplish a specific purpose.

  https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/simulation

With that definition in mind: what I and probably most of us don’t like about the idea of living in a simulation, is that if that is the case, in some way our life is not “real”.  It is “fake.”

But there is something I like about the idea of living in a simulation.  A simulation is very purposely created with a very specific objective.  But, we’ll get back to that shortly.

First, Let’s talk about the “fakeness” of living in a simulation. 

QUESTION:  How “real” as opposed to “fake” is our experience of the world?

In the interest of brevity I will permit myself only  one illustrative point on this.

When we look at the sun, or things that reflect some portion of what we call the electro magnetic spectrum coming from the sun, what do we actually see?  If the full electro magnetic spectrum with its progressively growing wave lengths was analogously laid out along a foot long ruler, the human eye only has the capacity to “see” about a quarter of inch of the full spectrum the sun emits.  Less than 10%.

Link:  https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.ro8yGkI2nC76tUjJHJUOtwHaD4%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=683050d7da8ece36fe80a2308ee0a8ce87cce614730d6481645afb4359fea38e&ipo=images

And of that tiny fraction that we “see” what does it really mean that we “see” it?  When this handful of wavelengths hit the back of our eye they activate some cells called rods and cones which in turn activate a series of specialized nerve cells which transfer “signals” via a series of chemical and electronic reactions over to the optic nerve bundle in which there is a similar series of electronic and chemical reactions which eventually signal back to the back of our brain.  By the time it gets to the back of our brain there is no light involved at all.  There are just all these electronic and chemical reactions that generate in our mind (whatever that is) the wonderful images we experience.  Images like a beautiful purple white hydrangea in late bloom or perhaps more importantly a delicious red apple hanging from a tree.

Reference Link:  https://discoveryeye.org/optic-nerve-visual-link-brain/

So, given all those intermediate steps and transformations that occur to generate sight, how can we say that what we “see” is “real?”  There is something out there but what we “see” is really just a very functional model of what is “really” out there.  A model generated by our biology.

And what’s more:  There are many similar intermediating steps for our sense of hearing, sense of smell and everything else we experience.

Now going back to our definition “A simulation is something that represents something else — it isn't the real thing…”   Given the preceding, doesn’t it seem correct if we said… “When we experience the outside world we are experiencing something that REPRESENTS the outside world - it isn’t the “real” outside world itself.

I come at the above from the perspective of a Christian and thinking about it that way:  I think that is what we as Christians believe?  God created a universe and the consistent rules of physics and chemistry.   Then on top of that system - He made biology which culminated in His creation of Humans which He called very good.  He made us in a very purposeful way such that when we experience the world around us that it generates feelings of pain, beauty, delight, pleasure, joy and love among other things.

And coming to the point of “to what purpose”:  It is love.  To extend love from the spiritual world to the physical.  Love from God to us and from us to God and from us to us.  The purpose is love.

So, if you ask me, Do we live in simulation?  My answer is Yes:  We live in a world we were created to experience in a very specific and fabricated way for a very clear and specific purpose.  One in which the entity that made the simulation loves me and is constantly reaching out to me and has shown me the purpose for why all this wonderfulness and misery that I experience exists.  To be loved and to love. 

It is NOT just a cold random universe we live in.

It is a platform to love and experience love.  To make and see love flourish.

 

I will give thanks to You,

For I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139&version=NASB

Then Sings My Soul

My Savior God to Thee

How Great Thou Art

How Great Thou Art

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Great_Thou_Art

Monday, January 31, 2022

Love Your Enemy - Podcast Discussion - Instigator: Eric

I have put this entry out here to facilitate the discussion...

Etiquette:
We have some diverse opinions in our group. It is important to be respectful of all perspectives. Obviously no personal attacks. It is great to give differing views just be respectful in presentation. Remember on-line statements may sound more harsh than in person. So, bear that in mind. Rather than saying "I think you are wrong" in response you may want to say something like "you make an interesting point. However, I look at it this way..." Definitely you should not say something like "anyone who thinks that way should die a thousand deaths." or something like that. Finally, on the reverse side of things also remember that on line communication can sound harsher than intended. So please take any responses in the most positive light.

The Podcast Links...

https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/episodes/Arthur-Brooks--Love-Your-Enemies-e11vk8t

https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/84520225&af_web_dp=https://www.stitcher.com/episode/84520225&deep_link_value=stitcher://episode/84520225

Okay Eric:  Kick things off!

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Cyber Book Club Take 3 - Love Your Enemies

Hi All.  Thought it was time to try out another on-line book club.

Only this time it will not be an actual book.  I would like us to all listen to a podcast and get everyone's thoughts and ideas on it.

This will be a lot smaller time commitment.  Just 1 hour.  Actually slightly less than an hour  :-)

I think there is a fair amount covered in this little one hour podcast.  So...I am thinking we will have two "discussion sessions."

Some may recall the format which will only be slightly modified given we are dealing with a more bite sized chunk.  Between now and February 12ish take some time to listen the the below podcast.  I will put another post on this blog and ask Eric to kick off a discussion on the first part of the podcast and then on February 12ish I'll let everyone know Eric has "instigated" the first part of the discussion and everyone can jump in and post their thoughts.

If things go as planned I'll put another post out there a week or so after February 12ish and ask Thomas to instigate a discussion on the second half of the podcast.

I am sure this will be epoch!!!!!!

The Podcast is - Love Your Enemies Featuring Arthur Brooks and Scott Barry Kaufman

Here are a couple links...
 
Hopefully you will take time to listen to the podcast and participate in the discussion but feel free to just listen and read the posts and comments if you wish.

Oh.  One other thing, just to make sure everyone can get into the blog and post stuff.  Add a comment to this post and let us know if you think you would like to participate.  You can say something like.  "This sounds awesome!  I'm in!"

I made an example comment to get it started.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

How Humans Experience What We Call Gravity

 

The earth holds the blanket of its waters, its oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and ponds

Snugly and up tight against its chin,

Against the sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and tender shores of its chin. 

Resting warmly over the reefs of its shoulders, knees and hips,

Giving warmth and comfort to its entire being.

Friday, January 1, 2021

“The Infidel and the Professor” by Dennis Rasmussen. Introduction, Chapters 1, 2, Appendix

My Brother Thomas and I, based on Thomas’ suggestion, have decided to read “The Infidel and the Professor” by Dennis Rasmussen about the friendship between David Hume and Adam Smith.  So, we have taken a break from our discussion on Atheism and Theism to have a discussion about this book.

We will use the following few posts for this.

I propose we cover this in the following sections to focus our discussions.

Introduction, Appendix, Chapters 1 & 2 – Instigator: John

Chapters 3, 4, 5 – Instigator: Thomas

Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9 – Instigator: John

Chapters 10, 11, 12, Epilogue – Instigator Thomas

I will start here by commenting on…

Introduction, Appendix, Chapters 1 & 2

“The Infidel and the Professor” by Dennis Rasmussen. Chapters 3, 4, 5

My brother Thomas and I are continuing our discussion here on “The Infidel and the Professor” by Dennis Rasmussen.

 

Thomas will open the comments on

Chapters 3, 4, 5