My E-Prime Day...
The consciousness I know as me becomes aware of what appears to be a new day. The body this consciousness calls me stretches and yawns. I appear to move this body out of the bed and into the kitchen. I turn a knob that allows water to flow through the faucet and fill the container that serves to hold the water while it is heated on the stove. The thick moisture in the air makes the sky appear to have no color. the temperature registers as 65 degrees on the thermostat. The erector pilli muscles contract and my hair becomes perpendicular to my skin. I pour the heated water into a smaller container that is made our of a hard earthen material that registers as blue and brown to most human eyes and has a loop of the same material to hod it by. I add some aromatic vegetative material contained in a small permeable cotton container to the water and let is sit until the molecules from the vegetative material are suspends in the water at a concentration that gives pleasure to my mouth when I drink it.
Synthesizing East and West
The idea of synthesizing east and west is very exciting to me. I love the philosophy of the east and have studied yoga and Buddhism for years. I also love the science and math of the west and feel comforted by the reliability of that system. That "our" conversation is including both at the same time just tickles my soul. I chose acupuncture as a career because of how it blends the east and the west, the body and the soul. That acupuncture is being accepted my the western medical world will open so many doors for healing on so many levels. Bruce Robinson said at my orientation that is it a very auspicious time to be getting into this field. I agree.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Week 13 - Bionics and Our Biophysical Future
Would I support the development of a bionic person?
I support the development of bionic technology. I think it is amazing how our technology can interface with our biology. So many people could regain use of lost functions, such as the use of limbs and vision. Being a child of the 70's, I grew up with the TV show "The Six Million Dollar Man" (Lee Majors was HOT!) It was pretty science fiction then. It is exciting to see the technology evolve. Not is we are talking about something more along the line of "borgs" from Star Trek, that is something entirely different. But back to bionics... I think the ethical questions about how good, strong, efficient we make a bionic part must be considered. The Six Million Dollar Man was like a super man, he could run faster, hear more clearly and see sharper than any normal human being. I think if we are going to use bionics they should be in the realm of normal, and not be above normal just because we can.
How would I rate "the control of artificial limbs by thought alone"?
I think this technology is very promising. We have learned so much about how the brain works from mapping the functions of the body on the brain to being able to follow specific neural pathways that facilitate specific functions. But the brain and its functions are so complex it may be awhile before it can be developed in such a way that it has real value. It reminds me of the evolution of the human genome project. There is so much information to map and classify. But we are a determined and persistent species. I am sure we will see the day that controlling artificial limbs by thought alone will be normal. That is, of course assuming that there is some mode of communication between the brain and the artificial limb and we are not just talking about telekinesis.
I support the development of bionic technology. I think it is amazing how our technology can interface with our biology. So many people could regain use of lost functions, such as the use of limbs and vision. Being a child of the 70's, I grew up with the TV show "The Six Million Dollar Man" (Lee Majors was HOT!) It was pretty science fiction then. It is exciting to see the technology evolve. Not is we are talking about something more along the line of "borgs" from Star Trek, that is something entirely different. But back to bionics... I think the ethical questions about how good, strong, efficient we make a bionic part must be considered. The Six Million Dollar Man was like a super man, he could run faster, hear more clearly and see sharper than any normal human being. I think if we are going to use bionics they should be in the realm of normal, and not be above normal just because we can.
How would I rate "the control of artificial limbs by thought alone"?
I think this technology is very promising. We have learned so much about how the brain works from mapping the functions of the body on the brain to being able to follow specific neural pathways that facilitate specific functions. But the brain and its functions are so complex it may be awhile before it can be developed in such a way that it has real value. It reminds me of the evolution of the human genome project. There is so much information to map and classify. But we are a determined and persistent species. I am sure we will see the day that controlling artificial limbs by thought alone will be normal. That is, of course assuming that there is some mode of communication between the brain and the artificial limb and we are not just talking about telekinesis.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Week 8 - Classical Physics
Newtons Three Laws and Me...
Thewtos three law can be used to decribe me at any moment of any day, as long as I exsist in a gravitational field, that is. All three of his laws have mass as a variable. Since mass is a function of gravity andy event or situation in a gravitational field can be defined as one or more of Newton laws. As a massage therapist Newton's laws affect me like this.
First: Objects at rest stay at rest, or momentum = mass x velocity. My clients make an appointment with sets up potential momentum. When the day comes for them to see me they activate that impulse and move their body (mass) in the direction of my office and (hopefully) arrive on time. Because their velocity has them moving in the right direction and the right speed (velocity).
In the course of their trip they will be described by Newton's second law: The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force acting on it. They will exert force to vary tieir speed and direction from moment to moment on their way. Once they arrive and get settled on my table they will settle into "an object at rest". In this state I will use the mass of my own body to apply a force.
Newton's third law describes why I don't work too hard. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. As hard as I may push, they push back just as hard. This can be very hard on my body so it is essential that My body mechanics are set up in such a way that the force I exert is efficient and the force that comes back at me travels easily though my own body.
Energy Efficiency...
All I can say on this subject is: Thank God we, as a culture, are becoming more conscious about how INefficient we are concerning our energy uses. The amount of energy that gets wasted everyday is dispicable. Ther are some of us that have been hip to this dilemma for awhile. It is a relief that our society is starting to catch up. I just hope its not a case of too little too late.
Decartes Has A Lot To Answer For...
I think it really interesting how critics of Decartes and reductionism step into an either/or argument about which theory is "right". That is reductionistic thinking at its best. Cartesian perspective allows us to peek into the working of our world from a particular point of view. I has value, not just in how we have learned the ins and outs of how we are put together from a biological, chemical and physical perspective, but in how we continue to understand our existence. I thnk that "new science" can be as arrogant as cartesian thinking. In referring to "The Rise and Fall of Reductionism" I find the "differences in mindest" could be addressed more completely if we took the time to "define our terms" better. What is "thought"? What is "life"? Some scientific descriptions ARE independent of the observers. I do have a hard time with Decartes' position that we are separate from nature though.
Thewtos three law can be used to decribe me at any moment of any day, as long as I exsist in a gravitational field, that is. All three of his laws have mass as a variable. Since mass is a function of gravity andy event or situation in a gravitational field can be defined as one or more of Newton laws. As a massage therapist Newton's laws affect me like this.
First: Objects at rest stay at rest, or momentum = mass x velocity. My clients make an appointment with sets up potential momentum. When the day comes for them to see me they activate that impulse and move their body (mass) in the direction of my office and (hopefully) arrive on time. Because their velocity has them moving in the right direction and the right speed (velocity).
In the course of their trip they will be described by Newton's second law: The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force acting on it. They will exert force to vary tieir speed and direction from moment to moment on their way. Once they arrive and get settled on my table they will settle into "an object at rest". In this state I will use the mass of my own body to apply a force.
Newton's third law describes why I don't work too hard. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. As hard as I may push, they push back just as hard. This can be very hard on my body so it is essential that My body mechanics are set up in such a way that the force I exert is efficient and the force that comes back at me travels easily though my own body.
Energy Efficiency...
All I can say on this subject is: Thank God we, as a culture, are becoming more conscious about how INefficient we are concerning our energy uses. The amount of energy that gets wasted everyday is dispicable. Ther are some of us that have been hip to this dilemma for awhile. It is a relief that our society is starting to catch up. I just hope its not a case of too little too late.
Decartes Has A Lot To Answer For...
I think it really interesting how critics of Decartes and reductionism step into an either/or argument about which theory is "right". That is reductionistic thinking at its best. Cartesian perspective allows us to peek into the working of our world from a particular point of view. I has value, not just in how we have learned the ins and outs of how we are put together from a biological, chemical and physical perspective, but in how we continue to understand our existence. I thnk that "new science" can be as arrogant as cartesian thinking. In referring to "The Rise and Fall of Reductionism" I find the "differences in mindest" could be addressed more completely if we took the time to "define our terms" better. What is "thought"? What is "life"? Some scientific descriptions ARE independent of the observers. I do have a hard time with Decartes' position that we are separate from nature though.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Week 11 - Energy Medicine and Energy Fields
Acupuncture as effective energy medicine...
For a modality to survive and thrive for over 3000 years it must be effective. 3000 years ago the Chinese did not have the anatomical and physiological undersanding that we have today. They figured out the energetic connections between the body, mind and spirit. The traditional correlations they figured out are still valid today. If we look deeper and deeper into the roots of acupuncture we will see that the earlier approach to health and healing was much more energetic. The ancients looked more closely at the spirit and emotions as causes of disease. It is more recently that the more physical aspects are even addressed. But as we are coming to see more clearly, as a culture, in recent years, the subtle flows of energy, thought and emotion affect us profoundly on a physical level.
I don't know how Chinese medicine describes anxiety and insomnia, but I would guess it has something to do with a disturbance in the heart energy. From a personal perspective I find acupuncture t o be very effective in dealing with these issues. My last treatment was specifically designed to balance my emotions. I have slept well for 4 nights in a row and feel relatively calm during a very stressful time.
Krilian photography...
So, I am feeling a little cynical today and honestly, I don't know what conclusions I can make about Krilian photography other that some folks are making money on other people believing that something valuable is being exposed with this technique. I never had my aura photographed before and I can't say it was a great experience. The woman at the store took one look at my photo and said "what have you been doing today?" with and air of disapproval. Apparently a white aura means lack of consciousness. Well, I had been driving for over an hour to get there and I hadn't slept well at all the night before. Now I realize that my experience is influenced as much by the reader as by the technique, I'm just not sure I buy it. If indeed Krilian photography is showing differences in the electromagnetic field I would feel much better about it if other devices could show the same thing. Yes, I am feeling very "western" today.
Human intent as it affects health...
Oh, this is such a tricky subject. On the one hand those of us in the healing arts want to think that our intention has something to do with how a person responds to our treatment. And a people who are looking to heal a particular issue withing ourselves we want to think that our intention will make a difference. But what happens with everybody's intention is focused on someone getting better or a condition improving and we just don't get the results we were intending? In the other side of the argument are examples where sick people are being prayed for and not even know it. And they get better, against all odds, without believing they could. In my practice I will err on the side that intention matters, but need to figure out a philosophy that that allows for intention to be ineffective. And that is a pretty deep philosophical/spiritual question.
For a modality to survive and thrive for over 3000 years it must be effective. 3000 years ago the Chinese did not have the anatomical and physiological undersanding that we have today. They figured out the energetic connections between the body, mind and spirit. The traditional correlations they figured out are still valid today. If we look deeper and deeper into the roots of acupuncture we will see that the earlier approach to health and healing was much more energetic. The ancients looked more closely at the spirit and emotions as causes of disease. It is more recently that the more physical aspects are even addressed. But as we are coming to see more clearly, as a culture, in recent years, the subtle flows of energy, thought and emotion affect us profoundly on a physical level.
I don't know how Chinese medicine describes anxiety and insomnia, but I would guess it has something to do with a disturbance in the heart energy. From a personal perspective I find acupuncture t o be very effective in dealing with these issues. My last treatment was specifically designed to balance my emotions. I have slept well for 4 nights in a row and feel relatively calm during a very stressful time.
Krilian photography...
So, I am feeling a little cynical today and honestly, I don't know what conclusions I can make about Krilian photography other that some folks are making money on other people believing that something valuable is being exposed with this technique. I never had my aura photographed before and I can't say it was a great experience. The woman at the store took one look at my photo and said "what have you been doing today?" with and air of disapproval. Apparently a white aura means lack of consciousness. Well, I had been driving for over an hour to get there and I hadn't slept well at all the night before. Now I realize that my experience is influenced as much by the reader as by the technique, I'm just not sure I buy it. If indeed Krilian photography is showing differences in the electromagnetic field I would feel much better about it if other devices could show the same thing. Yes, I am feeling very "western" today.
Human intent as it affects health...
Oh, this is such a tricky subject. On the one hand those of us in the healing arts want to think that our intention has something to do with how a person responds to our treatment. And a people who are looking to heal a particular issue withing ourselves we want to think that our intention will make a difference. But what happens with everybody's intention is focused on someone getting better or a condition improving and we just don't get the results we were intending? In the other side of the argument are examples where sick people are being prayed for and not even know it. And they get better, against all odds, without believing they could. In my practice I will err on the side that intention matters, but need to figure out a philosophy that that allows for intention to be ineffective. And that is a pretty deep philosophical/spiritual question.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
week 10 - Life and Living Systems
I know I am a living system because...
...day after day this thing I know as my body continues to exist. But it doesn't just exist in a static state as, lets say, a chair or a table, bit it is constantly renewing itself. I take in raw materials like water, oxygen, and food, use these materials to replace dying cells and release waste in the form of CO2, dead skin, water, urea, feces, etc. It is the ability to renew myself that makes me sure I am a living thing. If I wasn't, the raw materials that compose my body would become food for other living things and I would be nothing but a pile of formless goo.
Biophysics and Oriental Medicine...
Oriental medicine approaches the field of biophysics by looking at how energy flows through the body and how that energy can be manipulated and transformed by needles, massage, movement, herbs, color and intention. There are instruments that can measure the flow of, and change in flow, of energy in the meridians. Unforunately I don't know exactly what is being measured with these instruments. Some of these instruments are callibrated to reflect inflammation (excesses), balance and depletions in an "organ system". They are also designed to reflect what would happen if a particular substance (or suppliment) were added to the system.
So lets say a person was toxic with heavy metals and that was putting a drain on their liver and kidney function, a practitioner skilled with this system could pull a specific combination of suppliments from the shelf and put it on a metal plate that connects to the instrument and the individualo, lets say milk thistle and (for the liver) and chlorella (to pull out heavy metals). When the most supportive combination for healing was found, the intrument would register a strong reading.
Very cool stuff indeed!
...day after day this thing I know as my body continues to exist. But it doesn't just exist in a static state as, lets say, a chair or a table, bit it is constantly renewing itself. I take in raw materials like water, oxygen, and food, use these materials to replace dying cells and release waste in the form of CO2, dead skin, water, urea, feces, etc. It is the ability to renew myself that makes me sure I am a living thing. If I wasn't, the raw materials that compose my body would become food for other living things and I would be nothing but a pile of formless goo.
Biophysics and Oriental Medicine...
Oriental medicine approaches the field of biophysics by looking at how energy flows through the body and how that energy can be manipulated and transformed by needles, massage, movement, herbs, color and intention. There are instruments that can measure the flow of, and change in flow, of energy in the meridians. Unforunately I don't know exactly what is being measured with these instruments. Some of these instruments are callibrated to reflect inflammation (excesses), balance and depletions in an "organ system". They are also designed to reflect what would happen if a particular substance (or suppliment) were added to the system.
So lets say a person was toxic with heavy metals and that was putting a drain on their liver and kidney function, a practitioner skilled with this system could pull a specific combination of suppliments from the shelf and put it on a metal plate that connects to the instrument and the individualo, lets say milk thistle and (for the liver) and chlorella (to pull out heavy metals). When the most supportive combination for healing was found, the intrument would register a strong reading.
Very cool stuff indeed!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
physics or biology?
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~lj237/BoP/
a fun quiz...not really physics, more physical science, but still interesting.
a fun quiz...not really physics, more physical science, but still interesting.
hysterical!
from the e prime link...
...Even more astounding, this Miracle can only happen if the priest has a Willy. Protestants, Jews, Zen Buddhists etc. have ordained many female clergy-persons in recent decades, but the Vatican remains firm in the principle that only a male -- a human with a Willy -- can transform the "essence" of bread into the "essence" of a dead body.
...Even more astounding, this Miracle can only happen if the priest has a Willy. Protestants, Jews, Zen Buddhists etc. have ordained many female clergy-persons in recent decades, but the Vatican remains firm in the principle that only a male -- a human with a Willy -- can transform the "essence" of bread into the "essence" of a dead body.
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