Modern musical composition is so erratic; just when you start to feel the groove of some tune, everything is changed... I guess this is a world where artistry is left to the ADD crowd... :( This is of course without trying to offend anyone; it could actually be a reflection of our modern, distraction flooded environment... In that sense, we are ALL subject to ADD
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
Definition - Balance
Balance: Of equality, or equilibrium between two contrary entities or forces.
Balance is a special case of equilibrium, which is a word used to describe more objects. Most people seek balance or equilibrium amongst the competing interests of their lives; it is regarded as the search for a state of inner peace and complete belonging.
Usually, people seem to feel they are under constant pressure away from balance, that their work/lives are regularly summited to events, accidents, duties that require them to stray from the center of certain personal balancing acts, this particular issue draws a physical analogy:
All, dynamic system, juggles and quickly strays from equilibrium. Although thermodynamics, states equilibrium is eventually inevitable, this juggling between inclinations is what permits actual work within the system.
So, actually, what moves individuals, societies, and life in general is the assurance or ability to do work between a useless chaos and a useless equilibrium.
With all this said; I would add it as an argument as to why the world has not flocked to be Tibetan Monks of harmony and equilibrium. Progress does not lie in pure chaos, nor in full equilibrium. It is found in optimizing our efficiency; because of this, we must never stop trying to obtain balance; and yet, obtaining it would be to our disadvantage.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
What time perspective do you use?
What time perspective do you use for decision making?
Do you base your decisions solely on how your feeling at the moment?
Do you base your decisions simply on future plans?
This view prescribes an optimal time perspective from which to base your decisions and actions. Is he right? how do you use past experience, future predictions, and present circumstance to decide?
- Should I eat the apple now?
- Should I finish school?
- Should I leave him/her?
- Should I quit/take this job?
Any anecdotes you would like to share?
Can this be extended to societies? How are decisions made in your country?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Definition - Aloneness
Aloneness: of being alone; unaccompanied.
A feeling of being unconnected. Many times felt even while surrounded, arising from some misunderstanding, or incomprehension.
Curiously enough aloneness is a chosen sentiment; in a planet with billions of people, animals and plant life; feeling alone can only come from an individuals miss-adjustment to a surrounding he cannot / dare not change.
A feeling of being unconnected. Many times felt even while surrounded, arising from some misunderstanding, or incomprehension.
Curiously enough aloneness is a chosen sentiment; in a planet with billions of people, animals and plant life; feeling alone can only come from an individuals miss-adjustment to a surrounding he cannot / dare not change.
A Mathematician's Lament — an Indictment of US Math Education
Its something that always gets me wound up:
Scott Aaronson recently had "A Mathematician's Lament" [PDF], Paul Lockhardt's indictment of K-12 math education in the US, pointed out to him and takes some time to examine the finer points.
Scott Aaronson recently had "A Mathematician's Lament" [PDF], Paul Lockhardt's indictment of K-12 math education in the US, pointed out to him and takes some time to examine the finer points.
Life is indeed a gift.
Our senses bestow upon us a lasting appreciation for the whole of existence.
Whatever may be the case about time; its flow is a gift. Serendipitous, maybe, but a gift none the less.
Fortuitous surely; for LIFE in this universe is self building and self-justifying. All of life is tangled and built upon itself; in the mist of these surroundings it is little to say I am awed by these gifts.
This mountain view and silence is but an enduring reminder of our insignificance , freedom and spirituality.
Sent via BlackBerry® device.
Whatever may be the case about time; its flow is a gift. Serendipitous, maybe, but a gift none the less.
Fortuitous surely; for LIFE in this universe is self building and self-justifying. All of life is tangled and built upon itself; in the mist of these surroundings it is little to say I am awed by these gifts.
This mountain view and silence is but an enduring reminder of our insignificance , freedom and spirituality.
Sent via BlackBerry® device.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Definition - Contradiction
Interesting Word.
Its fun thinking: "uhm, what can I say about this word..." and then start having ideas bubble in ones brain! :D Mathematics has a way of molding your world view, and apparently, for me, this word has been completely taken over! hehe...
Contradiction: Self-negating; An argument or expression which concludes falsifying itself.
Contradictions are invaluable in the discovery of new truths; many famous contradictions are a critical part in the growth of knowledge and our understanding. In logic (mathematics) demonstration through contradiction is indeed one of the most powerful forms of proof! For example; a fables narates how a Greek named Hippasus drowned over a "proof through contradiction": most Pythagoreans thought there was no such thing as irrational numbers (as it went against their beliefs on the beauty of nature); so
like all other numbers must indead be rational... except that this leads to a contradiction. As the story states, Hippasus must have noted this, apparently sharing the demonstration just before being told to go drown somewhere.
Contradictions are not paradoxes, and are neither undecidable nor incomplete; this is why philosopher's and mathematitians have found salvation and beauty in carrying out proofs through contradiction. The weight of this perspective can be condensed in the following quote by Ayn Rand: "Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong." Thats exactly how we can demonstrate irrational numbers exist. Because of this; it was once assumed that mathematics was a self healing body of absolute knowledge we simply pearing into; Galileo stated: "Mathematics is the language through which God has written the universe".
So: contradictory as it seems, contradictions have been the source of truth, new realizations and a more secure untainted view of our reality.
Its fun thinking: "uhm, what can I say about this word..." and then start having ideas bubble in ones brain! :D Mathematics has a way of molding your world view, and apparently, for me, this word has been completely taken over! hehe...
Contradiction: Self-negating; An argument or expression which concludes falsifying itself.
Contradictions are invaluable in the discovery of new truths; many famous contradictions are a critical part in the growth of knowledge and our understanding. In logic (mathematics) demonstration through contradiction is indeed one of the most powerful forms of proof! For example; a fables narates how a Greek named Hippasus drowned over a "proof through contradiction": most Pythagoreans thought there was no such thing as irrational numbers (as it went against their beliefs on the beauty of nature); so
like all other numbers must indead be rational... except that this leads to a contradiction. As the story states, Hippasus must have noted this, apparently sharing the demonstration just before being told to go drown somewhere.Contradictions are not paradoxes, and are neither undecidable nor incomplete; this is why philosopher's and mathematitians have found salvation and beauty in carrying out proofs through contradiction. The weight of this perspective can be condensed in the following quote by Ayn Rand: "Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong." Thats exactly how we can demonstrate irrational numbers exist. Because of this; it was once assumed that mathematics was a self healing body of absolute knowledge we simply pearing into; Galileo stated: "Mathematics is the language through which God has written the universe".
So: contradictory as it seems, contradictions have been the source of truth, new realizations and a more secure untainted view of our reality.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Definition - Duality
It was fun thinking about this word; it kinda triggered thoughts about Batman, the quest for the Grand Unification Theory, and super moms!
Duality: Ability to fit two models.
To be both rational & spiritual; mother & lawyer, duality implies in these cases individuals capable of two seemingly disparate roles.
Another famous duality is that of light; in which it was found to behave as both a particle and a wave depending on how the experiment is setup (this duality is then beautifully enclosed in Schrödinger's wave function).
Duality is a basic form of versatility, although dual personalities are frowned upon; and "two faced" is not a nice thing to call someone. The problem appears in so far as the individual's versatility arrives in detriment to the rest of society.
Duality: Ability to fit two models.
To be both rational & spiritual; mother & lawyer, duality implies in these cases individuals capable of two seemingly disparate roles.
Another famous duality is that of light; in which it was found to behave as both a particle and a wave depending on how the experiment is setup (this duality is then beautifully enclosed in Schrödinger's wave function).
Duality is a basic form of versatility, although dual personalities are frowned upon; and "two faced" is not a nice thing to call someone. The problem appears in so far as the individual's versatility arrives in detriment to the rest of society.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Definition - Exception
This second word was picked because it sounded nice and was a central part of the movie: 'He's just not that into you'; oh joy!
Exception: a statistically improbable outcome.
The film (which is, by the way, lackluster and mind-numbing) uses it in reference to our psychological inability to work with extreme odds, a 5% chance never seems that much worse than a 15 or 10 percent odd of success, let alone our attempt to compare 1 in a million with 1 in a thousand.
Our simple minds, seem to keep things in more robust comparison buckets like: very rare, rare, infrequent, etc. If two events fall into the same category, we don't really care that much...
So hey, we're the exception, now kiss me you fool!
Exception: a statistically improbable outcome.
The film (which is, by the way, lackluster and mind-numbing) uses it in reference to our psychological inability to work with extreme odds, a 5% chance never seems that much worse than a 15 or 10 percent odd of success, let alone our attempt to compare 1 in a million with 1 in a thousand.
Our simple minds, seem to keep things in more robust comparison buckets like: very rare, rare, infrequent, etc. If two events fall into the same category, we don't really care that much...
So hey, we're the exception, now kiss me you fool!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Definition - Maturity
I'm planning on starting a series of posts in which I'll simply write my personal definition for some words.. followed by some sort of quip.
Maybe this will be fun, lighthearted and profound?.. :D Any words requests you might have, or want to know what thoughts they trigger for me?
First experimental word:
Maturity: A complex landscape of peaks and valleys over the surface of social interaction. Said landscape is a function of net utility rendered to self and society over the area of all possible interaction scenarios.
Personality, foresight and past experience in general allow us to maximize said utility. The perceived mean height of this graph is more commonly used to call a person either mature or immature.
How is maturity related to play?!
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