Comments for MarkPNeyer.com http://www.markpneyer.com/wp Finding Interesting, Useful, and Beautiful Mathematical Patterns in the Universe Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:24:03 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by Chris Jones http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-418 Chris Jones Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:24:03 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-418 This is a very interesting and well written post, but I do think it is a facet of a deeper truth:<br><br>Your focus determines your reality.<br><br>This can be true at the most trivial of levels (you buy a new green Audi and suddenly you're seeing green Audis everywhere), but I think it's also true at the deepest levels of personality and is essentially an observation bias:<br><br>Once you have decided that you can look at the universe as a musical duet with yourself, and that music is beautiful, every time you experience joy or perhaps even pain, you have an associative framework within which to place that experience.<br>Music is probably a good choice since it's a very emotive form in and of itself, so it would reciprocate well with your new mode of thinking. Every event re-enforces the viewpoint (thus the observational bias).<br><br>For what it's worth, for a long time I've found any religious views of giant creators to be unsatisfying and have decided to not bother with the question since I believe it to be unanswerable in any meaningful sense. However, rather than stare at the abyss and see it as a meaningless waste of time, I've always seen creation as immeasurably humbling and beautiful.<br>I am a complex biological machine that has built itself out of a single cell, some billion years after the entire universe built itself from a single something, and everywhere I look I see other things that have self-created, or things that we have chosen to create. Some of those things are unpleasant, but all of them are marvels to wonder at :)<br><br>My focus is on the mind-boggling improbability of everything, so my reality is that everything is awe inspiring :)<br><br>I hope neither I nor any other commenters are able to dissuade you from continuing to think in this new way, because your new reality is really beautiful and you should absolutely continue to enjoy it :) This is a very interesting and well written post, but I do think it is a facet of a deeper truth:

Your focus determines your reality.

This can be true at the most trivial of levels (you buy a new green Audi and suddenly you're seeing green Audis everywhere), but I think it's also true at the deepest levels of personality and is essentially an observation bias:

Once you have decided that you can look at the universe as a musical duet with yourself, and that music is beautiful, every time you experience joy or perhaps even pain, you have an associative framework within which to place that experience.
Music is probably a good choice since it's a very emotive form in and of itself, so it would reciprocate well with your new mode of thinking. Every event re-enforces the viewpoint (thus the observational bias).

For what it's worth, for a long time I've found any religious views of giant creators to be unsatisfying and have decided to not bother with the question since I believe it to be unanswerable in any meaningful sense. However, rather than stare at the abyss and see it as a meaningless waste of time, I've always seen creation as immeasurably humbling and beautiful.
I am a complex biological machine that has built itself out of a single cell, some billion years after the entire universe built itself from a single something, and everywhere I look I see other things that have self-created, or things that we have chosen to create. Some of those things are unpleasant, but all of them are marvels to wonder at :)

My focus is on the mind-boggling improbability of everything, so my reality is that everything is awe inspiring :)

I hope neither I nor any other commenters are able to dissuade you from continuing to think in this new way, because your new reality is really beautiful and you should absolutely continue to enjoy it :)

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by MarkPNeyer http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-417 MarkPNeyer Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:04:38 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-417 I disagree; I have been dating Megan for almost a year now, and until I developed this idea, I thought her positive view of the universe was contrary to rational thought. I realize now that she had a better way of looking at it than i did all along. I disagree; I have been dating Megan for almost a year now, and until I developed this idea, I thought her positive view of the universe was contrary to rational thought. I realize now that she had a better way of looking at it than i did all along.

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by MarkPNeyer http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-415 MarkPNeyer Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:58:23 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-415 Tony,<br><br> The particles that make up the universe are not eternal, and modern physics (specifically, quantum mechanics) suggest that they're more like waves than that particles. As for eastern philosophy, that's a subject I've had interest for quite a while now. I just bought several books which explore similarities between quantum physics and eastern philosophy, similar to the ideas i've described here. Tony,

The particles that make up the universe are not eternal, and modern physics (specifically, quantum mechanics) suggest that they're more like waves than that particles. As for eastern philosophy, that's a subject I've had interest for quite a while now. I just bought several books which explore similarities between quantum physics and eastern philosophy, similar to the ideas i've described here.

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by MarkPNeyer http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-416 MarkPNeyer Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:55:12 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-416 This is true; most combinations of waves are simply noise. Would you say that your life has been noise, though? Have you not experienced love and beauty and happiness at times? Is love better characterized as noise, or as music? This is true; most combinations of waves are simply noise. Would you say that your life has been noise, though? Have you not experienced love and beauty and happiness at times? Is love better characterized as noise, or as music?

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by Flow » Blog Archive » Daily Digest for February 22nd - The zeitgeist daily http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-414 Flow » Blog Archive » Daily Digest for February 22nd - The zeitgeist daily Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:03:18 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-414 [...] Shared On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe. [...] [...] Shared On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe. [...]

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by haig http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-413 haig Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:15:01 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-413 The universe is pointless, but not necessarily meaningless. You've articulated how someone can find meaning in a pointless universe, though in my opinion its not because of some seemingly profound realization that the universe is a symphony. It's that you found a girlfriend to make you happy. Your happiness caused the change in perspective to find meaning, not the other way around. The universe is pointless, but not necessarily meaningless. You've articulated how someone can find meaning in a pointless universe, though in my opinion its not because of some seemingly profound realization that the universe is a symphony. It's that you found a girlfriend to make you happy. Your happiness caused the change in perspective to find meaning, not the other way around.

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by Geoff http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-412 Geoff Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:23:40 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-412 Intriguing world view. It still doesn't address your original problem (suffering), though. And there's the question, why is it music and not noise? Suppose God does exist, and intended for us to produce music with him. Instead, we choose to write our own cacophony (i.e. sin, which results in suffering). Then God redeems us by dying for us. Suffering exists because we chose it.<br><br>(See "The Silmarillion" as Stephen suggests for a working-out of this idea. See also "The Problem of Pain", CS Lewis) Intriguing world view. It still doesn't address your original problem (suffering), though. And there's the question, why is it music and not noise? Suppose God does exist, and intended for us to produce music with him. Instead, we choose to write our own cacophony (i.e. sin, which results in suffering). Then God redeems us by dying for us. Suffering exists because we chose it.

(See “The Silmarillion” as Stephen suggests for a working-out of this idea. See also “The Problem of Pain”, CS Lewis)

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by Kai http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-411 Kai Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:36:59 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-411 Great piece, thanks for sharing! :-) Great piece, thanks for sharing! :-)

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by GWF http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-410 GWF Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:14:48 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-410 I remain agnostic on your thesis. However, I do want to point out that the literal meaning of "universe" is "one song" as in "uni = one" and "verse = song". I remain agnostic on your thesis. However, I do want to point out that the literal meaning of “universe” is “one song” as in “uni = one” and “verse = song”.

]]> Comment on On the Fundamental Nature of the Universe by Devin http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/2010/02/18/on-the-fundamental-nature-of-the-universe/comment-page-1/#comment-409 Devin Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:12:36 +0000 http://www.markpneyer.com/wp/?p=580#comment-409 Not all music is beautiful; in fact, most of it is just noise. Not all music is beautiful; in fact, most of it is just noise.

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