Physics + Faith = Music

What might our greatest creation be?

2009-06-15T23:40:00.004+02:00

I asked myself tonight: what is the greatest creation we can ever create? Some of the answers that came up were: our lifetime's accomplishments, our love and dedication to others, our children. Now all of these are great answers, surely, but ask yourself "what would really be the one thing, the one creation, accessible to all, that could encompass and surpass them all?" While you're pondering that, here's what I came up with.

As the only creatures in God's creation endowed with full and complete freedom, our greatest creation would be to create in ourselves a pure and radiant heart in which the divine light of love is reflected upon all humanity, to transform ourselves (or allow ourselves to be so transformed) so as to mirror forth all the names and attributes of God that are potentially latent within us. Wouldn't you agree that such a goal is attainable by each and every individual since the dawn of time and into the unfathomable future, regardless of our background, circumstances or station in life?

"Is any larger bounty conceivable than this, than an individual, looking within himself, should find that by the confirming grace of God he has become the cause of peace and well-being, of happiness and advantage, to his fellow men? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more complete delight!" - 'Abdu'l-Bahá

What caused scientific progress?

2009-05-01T20:14:00.003+02:00

My good friend Gabriel sent me the following:

From a speech by UCLA computer science professor Judea Pearl:

What Galileo showed us is that you cannot have one honesty without the other; scientific truth demands scientific honesty, and scientific honesty demands intellectual honesty overall.

We all remember the 1000 years of zero scientific progress through the middle ages -- what caused it?
The conventional answer is that the Church was repressive of scientific discourse. But this could not be the whole story, there was no repressive Church in the Muslim world. And Muslim scientists had access to the richest libraries of the time, well-funded astronomical observatories and all the writings of the Greek and Roman philosophers. So why didn't a genius like Galileo emerge in Cordoba or Alexandria or Baghdad in the 8th or 9th century?

Why was science held back, in almost total stagnation for 1000 years, until, as though by miracle, the genius of Copernicus, Vieta and Galileo emerged in dark-ages Europe, of all places? Can you imagine where mankind would be today had the renaissance and the scientific revolution taken place in the 5th century instead of the 15th?

What Galileo taught us is that permission to read, translate, observe and use fancy equipment is not enough; the development of Science requires a restless and rebellious spirit, a spirit that puts the individual at the center of the universe and proclaims: "I don’t care about Aristotle and his fancy books, I want to see these two rocks dropped from the tower of Pisa, and I want to see them with my own two
eyes."

In other words, what Galileo showed us is that you cannot truly search for the truth unless you are free to rebel against the detractors of truth: conventional wisdom, peer pressure, sacred cows, wishful thinking, revered authority and hidden agenda, in short, free to perceive yourself as an AGENT, in control of your destiny, not an OBJECT, at the mercy of destiny.

Remarkably, this Western perception of man as a free agent, sometimes called the "scientific philosophy", it not always taken for granted, even today.

and here is my answer:

There's something to be said for this professor's opinion. Here's another thought (credit goes to others who first proposed it):

The Revelation of Baha'u'llah required certain scientific and technological developments to be already in place so that His Cause could reach the whole world, as it was intended to do. (Note that the Spirit of Baha'u'llah has been eternally alive and has directed the course of human affairs since the beginning of history.)

Without the ease and speed of travel that enabled Abdu'l-Baha, Martha Root, and others to undertake their world-shaking journeys, the constant, reliable and near-instant communication between the center of the Faith and the followers of the Faith scattered throughout the world, the inexpensive mass-production of literature, and the rise of a global media network, among many such requirements, the Faith of Baha'u'llah could not have grown and blossomed as it has nor reached the thousands of citizens around the world whose lives are being transformed by His redeeming message of unity and peace.

This is why science flourished when it did. In my experience, scientific insights are not the result of a person's "own unaided efforts"–they are a divine gift entrusted to a receptive soul. The purpose of study and effort is to purify the soil so that the seed of insight may take root. How many and which kinds of seeds are planted is up to God–whether they are cared for and flourish is up to us.

In summary, we have to accept that we are objects of mercy and bounty while at the same time acting as free agents, responsible for the portion that has been given us in this life.

Two excellent TED talks

2009-02-28T12:57:00.000+01:00

Steven Pinker on the myth of violence:
Steven Pinker: A brief history of violence

Robert Wright on (cynical) optimism:
Robert Wright: How cooperation (eventually) trumps conflict

2009-02-27T16:50:00.000+01:00

I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind
Got my paper and I was free

- Closer to Fine, by Indigo Girls

If evolution is the response, what is the stimulus?

2008-12-23T12:05:00.001+01:00

Evolution and natural selection are the best descriptors of the process that results when a certain set of conditions are established and maintained in the physical world. This raises the question: how were these conditions established and maintained?

Untitled

2008-09-01T11:14:00.000+02:00

What are the pieces
and how do they run?
Who put them together
and made them all one?

Stare at the beautiful
pieces that run.
Admire the web
He has lovingly spun.

The future

2008-05-13T21:47:00.001+02:00

Five thousand years ago, the Egyptians built a civilization whose greatest art and science survives to this day, inspiring us with beauty and awe, a testatment to the capacities of the human spirit. If they could produce such marvelous works that have withstood the test of time, how much more should we, who are the inheritors of the entire world’s cultural, artistic, scientific and spiritual heritage, contribute our share of beauty and creativity to posterity. Today, in spite of our technological advancement, we are far from accomplishing anything even remotely as wonderful as what the ancient Egyptians have created.

The eradication of poverty and preventable diseases, the provision of employment and sufficient and nourishing food for all, the end of war and conflict, these are easy problems to fix. These are the easy questions. These are but the beginning of the rest of our collective life. What we do next is the real challenge.

Our duty is to work for the unification of the human race so that we can set ourselves to the more serious task of building a civilization whose works will bear testament to our capacity to work as a unified humanity and survive into the furthest reaches of time.

Amazon.com: The Last Lecture: Randy Pausch,Jeffrey Zaslow: Books

2008-04-14T13:59:00.000+02:00

Amazon.com: The Last Lecture: Randy Pausch
"I think the most important thing I learned as I grew older was that you can't get anywhere without help. That means people have to want to help you, and that begs the question: What kind of person do other people seem to want to help? That strikes me as a pretty good operational answer to the existential question: 'What kind of person should you try to be?'"

My Purpose in Life

2008-04-05T20:10:00.000+02:00

My purpose in life is to investigate reality and share what I discover with others.

Sounds vague, right? Well, it so happens it perfectly captures and explains my all-embracing curiosity and love of knowledge, whether it's art, literature, physics, math, medicine, cosmology, theology, meditation, dance, technology and the list goes on.

And it explains why I listen so intently and why I'm not afraid to appear in public, why I'll try almost anything at least once, why I love to travel and need constant novelty in my life.

Andre Gide quote

2008-03-14T15:21:00.001+01:00

Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
- Andre Gide

Going Public with the Religious Process

2008-03-14T12:41:00.000+01:00

Adapted from
"Going Public with the Scientific Process" by Ruth Cronje
published in Science 14 March 2008:
Vol. 319. no. 5869, p. 1483
DOI: 10.1126/science.319.5869.1483d
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/319/5869/1483d
(write me for a copy of this article if you cannot access it yourself)

==========
The idea of using framing strategies to communicate religion to the public has recently been taken up in religious forums, the mainstream media, and the blogosphere. Most participants in the framing religion debate limit their notion of religious information to religious truths. However, confining religion messages to just the truths interferes with public understanding of religion as a systematic, logical process of human inquiry and effaces the distinction between reality and religionists' reasoning about reality. To communicate successfully, we should focus on religious process by emphasizing two important elements of religious rationality: skepticism and dynamicism.

Religionists deliberately integrate skepticism into their procedures by trying to refute their own hypotheses, retaining them only when confronted with compelling evidence sought through carefully controlled procedures. Religionists tend to shy away from revealing the intrinsic skepticism of religion to the public, fearful that it will open the door to doubt about the validity of their conclusions. But communicating only the truths of religion (framed or unframed) destabilizes public confidence in religion. A truth doesn't allow religion communicators to reveal, justify, and ultimately promote the skeptical reasoning process that helps make religionists more confident that their reasoning is correct.

Religion is also dynamic; it is a cumulative enterprise that requires religionists to situate their instrumental activities and interpretations against the evidence that has come before and to alter them in light of new evidence. Insisting that new reality be interpreted within the context of past and future reality will ferret out and correct error over time, but it means that a truth cannot, by definition, be anything more than the (ephemeral and fallible) consensus of religionists at a given point in time. A "just the truths" strategy can and often does backfire, ultimately fueling public alienation from religion. When religionists inform the public of "truths" (as with the Catholic Church's 16th-century claim that the sun and planets revolved around the earth), and then that "truth" is refined or altered, the public is justifiably confused. Studies suggest that the public tends to regard normal religious refinement and self-correction as equivocation or incompetence. Instead of sweeping uncertainty under the rug, religion communicators should help the public understand the logical and systematic procedures by which religionists confront it.

The true majesty and promise of religion lies in its systematic, logical, skeptical, and dynamic reasoning procedures. "Successful" religion communication should not be regarded as any message that enlists public support for religion. Rather, we should define "success" in religious communication as achieving a public that celebrates religious reasoning procedures.
==========

I wanted to remain as close to the original as possible, so I made only the following substitutions:

science --> religion
fact --> truth

and I had to substitute a different example of refinement: in this case, I chose the flat earth claim.

Finally, I don't know what studies suggest regarding public perception of "normal religious refinement and self-correction" but I left the phrase intact.

Uganda has got it going on!

2007-12-01T16:00:00.000+01:00

A very recent article on the Baha'i World News Service site features a clip from a recently released film titled "Opening a Space - The Discourse on Science, Religion and Development in Uganda." Watch the video clip and tell me if its contents aren't THRILLING.

This. is. ex.ac.tly. what. I want to do with my life. To have this discourse, to contribute to these efforts, to see people come together and rise above their own limitations, to create beauty, to appreciate diversity, to contribute to our own well-being and that of others. What could be more exciting...?

Melting a stone block, breaking a crystal case

2007-11-19T22:28:00.000+01:00

Religion = Authenticity in all relationships.

The purpose of power is to protect the weak, as a parent to a child, a sovereign to his subjects.

We have tamed and harnessed nearly every power in the universe (albeit on a smaller scale) but the power to transmute and purify the human heart is still beyond our reach.

"I have desired only what Thou didst desire and love only what Thou dost love."
More than expression of a wish, it is a statement that all I have ever loved and desired in my life has been for God and because of God. The definition of love and desire is: love and desire for the things of God.

God is not limited or conditioned by His creation's ability to grasp or understand Him. What is said about Him in Holy Books and Scriptures is for our benefit, not His, and descriptions of Him evolve in refinement and complexity as our capacity grows and our understanding evolves.

Apologizing is the act of placing someone else above our shame. Forgiveness is placing the other above our pride.

Character building in children includes making them experience that which is beneficial to them. In this sense, one does not teach a child, one trains a child as a living being. The child will react in his or her unique way to the experience. The art of parenting is a dynamic interplay between how a child reacts and giving that child what they need in light of their past reactions.

Papyrus collection

2007-11-19T22:17:00.000+01:00

I visited the Egyptian exhibition at the German State Museum in Berlin a week ago (on the Birth of Baha'u'llah in fact) and I was deeply impressed by the artistry of their sculptures. What literally took my breath away however was the papyrus collection. I walked into this room, one of the last of the exhibition, completely unprepared for what I was about to feel. An overpowering sense of awe and wonderment at the timelessness of the written word, of its power to move, transform and preserve civilizations. One day it will also be all that is left of us, and yet it will still be alive and meaningful.

What does your Birth date mean?

2007-11-05T13:30:00.000+01:00

This is eerily accurate.

Your Birthdate: October 1

You are a natural born leader, even if those leadership talents haven't been developed yet.

You have the power and self confidence to succeed in life, and your power grows daily.

Besides power, you also have a great deal of creativity that enables you to innovate instead of fail.

You are a visionary, seeing the big picture instead of all of the trivial little details.

Your strength: Your supreme genius

Your weakness: Your inappropriate sensitivity

Your power color: Gold

Your power symbol: Star

Your power month: January

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Parents make a great birthday present

2007-10-16T18:11:00.001+02:00

Mom and Dad just left after spending two wonderful weeks with me. Having them here was the best birthday present ever. Not to mention they turned my apartment into a proper home.
Now it's back to focusing on work. I have also resolved not to do so much pondering about the world and more living in it. There'll be plenty of time for pondering later but right now I need more data (scientifically speaking).

Working to music

2007-10-05T15:57:00.000+02:00

Today I got a bunch of new music (mostly classical, devotional music) from my Mom. It's great to work to. I've missed working. This week was productive of quality but not quantity. Spent a lot of time with my parents who are only here for two weeks. Still, being given time to drown out the world and focus exclusively on my work is an opportunity that brings me joy and gratitude. Today has been better that way. And I feel my headache beginning to recede, for which I'm also grateful.

That's all for today. Just thought my many readers deserved some update. ;)

What is physics?

2007-09-24T17:49:00.000+02:00

This passage from an article written by John J. Hopfield, who served as President of the American Physical Society in 2006, is a beautiful summary of "what is physics". I hope you enjoy reading it and come to understand a little bit more of the world I get to play in every day. :)

What is physics? To me—growing up with a father and mother both of whom were physicists—physics was not subject matter. The atom, the troposphere, the nucleus, a piece of glass, the washing machine, my bicycle, the phonograph, a magnet—these were all incidentally the subject matter. The central idea was that the world is understandable, that you should be able to take anything apart, understand the relationships between its constituents, do experiments, and on that basis be able to develop a quantitative understanding of its behavior. Physics was a point of view that the world around us is, with effort, ingenuity, and adequate resources, understandable in a predictive and reasonably quantitative fashion. Being a physicist is a dedication to a quest for this kind of understanding.

—John J. Hopfield, APS News, 16 (8), Aug/Sep 2007, p.8.

The privilege of education

2007-09-18T15:01:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I read the Universal House of Justice's 9 Sep 2007 letter to the Baha'i youth of Iran who are still denied access to higher education. It brought tears to my eyes. The simple fact that I can be where I am and do what I do is something not everyone can have and for that, I should be deeply grateful and exert every effort to ensure that I make the most of the opportunity I've been given.

The Knowledge of God and the Knowledge of Self

2007-08-31T11:27:00.000+02:00

The existence of God would imply, amongst other things, that it is possible for every human being to experience the divine for himself or herself.

Sacred Scriptures state that

He who hath known himself hath known God. [Islam]

and also

Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting. [Bahá'í Faith]

So it seems the knowledge of God comes as the fruit of the process of self-discovery. The self that is to be investigated is the self described in all the Holy Texts of the world. For example:

We made man in Our own image and after our likeness. [Christianity]

and again

I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty. [Bahá'í Faith]

Skill is ...

2007-08-23T15:40:00.001+02:00

paint brush
Originally uploaded by .tintin.

The artist's craft lies in knowing precisely how the slightest angle and pressure affect each stroke of the brush, what mix of pigments produces exactly which colour, how the canvas absorbs and molds the paint.
Her vision is in imagining the finished work before ever picking up a brush or choosing a canvas.

Skill is in seamlessly combining vision and craft to create a masterpiece: a work of art so perfect in its composition and execution.

Living is a skill.
Life, the greatest masterpiece.

How to do Science

2007-08-20T21:48:00.000+02:00

Thoughts on reading Julio Savi's "The Eternal Quest for God", a book I gladly recommend.

1. Approach research in the spirit of consultation (truth-finding).

2. Rely on sense perception (observation), intellect (reason), insight (imagination or intuition),
and tradition (previous research and literature).
When these four are in harmony, then a degree of certainty and truth is attained.

3. "The realities of material phenomena are impenetrable and unknowable and are only apprehended through their properties and qualities." —Abdu'l-Baha

4. "Reality is one and does not admit of multiplicity." —Abdu'l-Baha
Thus there exists AN answer to any question posed about reality.

5. Science, the outcome of man's intellectual endowment, is his most noble virtue and highest attainment. —Abdu'l-Baha

Creation as a Sign of God

2007-08-20T21:32:00.000+02:00

Everything that exists has a use to which it can be put. All things may be transformed in such a way as to serve man: cotton into fabric, trees into homes and their furnishings, minerals into tall buildings and computers, dead organic matter into plastics and fuels. Numerous plants serve as foodstuffs or pharmaceutical remedies while even poisons can be harnessed for some beneficial use (Botox anyone?). Is not this a token of the bounty and grace of an All-Mighty Creator?

We shall show them Our signs in the world and in themselves.
Qur'an 41:53

Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him — a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and primary purpose underlying the whole of creation... Upon the inmost reality of each and every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes and made it a mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things, man hath been singled out for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty.
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p.65

Thoughts on Artificial Consciousness

2007-08-20T21:27:00.001+02:00

The mark of consciousness is the ability to come up with a novel, singular idea that defies the imagination and comprehension of others. Thus, so long as a computer produces results that are wholly intelligible* to man, it has not achieved consciousness.

*Wholly intelligible means that method and interpretation are fully comprehensible. Of course, the number of computations a computer can perform are far beyond the reach of mortal man but their complexity lies nevertheless within the bounds of his imagination. Put simply, a computer will not produce a new statement that challenges your imagination.

Iced Coffee? No Sweat.

2007-07-01T15:39:00.000+02:00

By CINDY PRICE

Published: June 27, 2007

Without the bitterness produced by hot water, the cold-brewed coffee had hints of chocolate, even caramel. I dropped my sugar packet — no need for it. The best brews hardly need cream. It really is the kind of thing a gentleman might spend five days in hot-coffee solitary confinement for.
==

Now this is what I'm talking about. Can't wait to try this at home. (Especially since I have no coffeemaker at the moment.)

Oh, and I have the exciting task of selecting an espresso maker for our new offices. Guess who's excited? That's right; ME! :-D

Mommy Is Truly Dearest

2007-07-01T15:32:00.000+02:00

FASHION & STYLE

Mommy Is Truly Dearest

By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

Published: June 28, 2007

Cut the apron strings? Some mothers and daughters won’t hear of it.
==

Looks like some of us stay attached much longer to our parents now than we did before. I always thought it was the guys who didn't grow up (see the recent film Knocked Up for example) but now it seems girls have their own way of postponing adulthood. Interesting.

Reflections on departing from Ithaca

2007-06-26T05:41:00.000+02:00

These three weeks in Ithaca have been so much more than I'd expected. God has blessed my life and made it rich with friends. It has been an extraordinary bounty and privilege to spend so much time with so many wonderful people, to reconnect with old friends and to catch up on news. Watching one's friends progress through life parallel to one's own is amazing; it lends perspective to the journey and enriches the entire experience. My deepest gratitude goes out to all my friends, recent and long-standing, who have blessed my life by their warmth, their insight, their thoughtfulness and their character. It's been humbling and enlightening and oh-so-enjoyable. I depart out of this city with my heart set firmly on the Almighty, trusting in Him, and confident that whatever this world of ours must undergo it will emerge stronger and more beautiful because of the people that inhabit it. Words can barely express how joyful and at peace I am right now. Truly inspiring. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

My third German publication

2007-06-24T06:54:00.000+02:00

has appeared in the local weekend newspaper, the ExtraTip. The question was about friction between car tires and the road. Specifically, what force causes the tires to lose traction. You can check out the article (in German, many thanks to Angela for translating) here.

Below is the original article.

We know that friction occurs whenever two surfaces in contact try to slide past one another. As our reader correctly points out, the force of friction between any two surfaces is proportional to the force with which they are pressed together (the normal force) and the coefficient of friction, a pure number that depends mostly on the surfaces and on whether the objects are at rest (static friction) or moving relative to each other (kinetic friction). When the objects are at rest, the force of friction between them increases as we push harder. The maximum force with which we can push before moving one of the objects determines the coefficient of static friction. As one might expect, the coefficient of static friction is generally larger than the coefficient of kinetic friction. Our reader asks what happens when a car brakes and loses traction. How does friction work then?

Well the principle is the same as for flat objects but there is a subtlety. Let's examine a single tire on pavement as an example. The key is that no part of the tire ever slips along the ground. (To show this, place a colored dot on the side rim of the tire and slowly roll the tire back and forth. Does the dot slide along the ground or does it only touch the pavement for a moment?) When you want to change direction or speed, you have to apply some force onto the road through the tire. The force between tire and road that effects this change is the force of static friction; the maximum rate of change is thus determined by the coefficient of static friction. So having good traction means rolling smoothly without slipping.

When we exceed the maximum force of static friction by accelerating or braking too hard or by turning the wheel too sharply, the tire begins to slip and we lose traction. If we decrease the force required either by straightening the wheel or by releasing the brakes or gas pedal, the tire will regain traction.

In my native Canada, road conditions in winter are often very slippery from ice and snow. When I first learned to drive, I was taught to pump the brakes in and out if I had to stop suddenly. This lets the car decelerate as fast as possible while maintaining control. Anti-lock brakes work this way. And if the car starts skidding, you have to turn the wheel into the direction of the skid to reestablish control then gently bring the car out of its skid. It’s scary but I can tell you it works!

Late night at the movies

2007-06-21T07:17:00.000+02:00

It's 1:17am and I just got home from seeing Knocked Up. I'd been wanting to see it for a while and I'm happy I finally got the chance. I won't rehash the plot which I guess makes this less of a review and more of a personal take on it. Regardless, here are some of my reactions in stream of consciousness style.

Scary life decisions. Taking responsibility. Being angry. Being honest. Being yourself. Facing up to yourself. Being supportive. Being there for someone else when they need you. Get a good gynecologist. Don't do drugs. Laugh. Do have sex. Wear a condom. Sacrifice. Be beautiful. Ask for advice even if you don't follow it. And when you get to the big scary life decisions, go with your heart.

Oh, and if you haven't already, go see Knocked Up. I entertained the audience with my bursts of laughter. :)

Difficult days

2007-06-19T02:03:00.000+02:00

Difficult days can be a Godsend. You never know what you'll get out of it until it's over or nearly over. Striving to do your best in the midst of difficulty is always a sure bet however. Taking time out to collect your thoughts and emotions, to read and meditate, to pray and reflect, is invaluable. These activities soothe the soul and calm the mind. They bring clarity, focus and joy where there was confusion, frustration and resentment. This evening I read from Baha'u'llah's Tablet of Wisdom (Lawh-i-Hikmat) and it was fabulous. Before closing with a few favorite passages I came across, may I simply point out that reading Sacred Writings as if they were addressed to you personally (which they are if you think about it) is an entirely different experience to that of reading them as addressed to someone else, or even to humanity as a whole. It's too easy to depersonalize it and to abstract oneself from the implications and challenges of the text. That said, I think any text can be (and perhaps should be) read this way: as a direct conversation between you and the author. And I do mean conversation because in my mind there are always thoughts and reactions to what I'm reading. Ok, now here are the passages. Enjoy.

Strive to be shining examples unto all mankind, and true reminders of the virtues of God amidst men. He that riseth to serve My Cause should manifest My wisdom, and bend every effort to banish ignorance from the earth. Be united in counsel, be one in thought. Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday.

Be thou as a throbbing artery, pulsating in the body of the entire creation, that through the heat generated by this motion there may appear that which will quicken the hearts of those who hesitate.

Say: Human utterance is an essence which aspireth to exert its influence and needeth moderation. As to its influence, this is conditional upon refinement which in turn is dependent upon hearts which are detached and pure. As to its moderation, this hath to be combined with tact and wisdom as prescribed in the Holy Scriptures and Tablets.

America, part 2

2007-06-19T02:02:00.001+02:00

I need to add another major plus for America: when I say Hi to people, they often will flash a smile and say Hi back. That conveys warmth and fellowship.

Europe vs. America, the Rematch

2007-06-15T16:22:00.000+02:00

So it struck me that yesterday's analysis was in fact extremely biased so I thought I'd put more thought into some of the things I appreciate about the United States. Lo and behold, wasn't that hard. My thinking was crystallized and epitomized by this morning's drive to work. With one turn of the dial, the radio went from three mainstream radio hosts joking about the sad state of porn today to songs of praise on "The Family Life Network: your christian companion." Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the U.S. of A., land of extreme diversity and diversity of extremes.

So hear me out. With the possible exception of India, I don't think any country in the world incorporates as much diversity as the United States does. Whether it's in politics, ethnicity, music, business, education, dress, lifestyle, wealth, culture, technology, one is hard pressed to find such a rich combination of different (often opposing) approaches, attitudes, perspectives, outlooks and styles.

This richness makes the United States the envy of the world but there's a catch. While everyone else looks up to and tries to emulate the most powerful nation on earth (I have a hard time hearing German music on German radio), who is the most powerful nation on earth to look up to? I've been reading the Kitab-i-Iqan, Baha'u'llah's Book of Certitude, written in answer to a question about the truth of the Bab's mission, and it is becoming so clear to me how much we need divine guidance in every age, what a deep and far-reaching influence it has on the course of human affairs. I'm not doing a very good job of expressing this idea so I'll come back to it later.

Europe vs. America

2007-06-14T04:40:00.001+02:00

People ask me what I like about Germany. How it's different. Why I like it better (I do). After much pondering, here are my observations. Note that this isn't a competition but just a record of my observations on the differences I've noticed. If it sounds biased, that's because it is. Enjoy.

1. There is more stress and tension everywhere I go in Ithaca. People are in a hurry, or else are purposely not in a hurry, which to me is just as bad because it's also self-conscious. Germans may hurry if they're late but overall I find them much less self-conscious.

2. Balance. Germans work hard but they know when to quit. Americans don't. Period.

3. The outdoors. Germans use them. Americans don't. They landscape and design and architecturize like nobody's business. Then they sit in their cars, their coffeeshops (they don't qualify as cafés.. for that you do have to go to Europe), their malls, offices and homes, safe behind that window pane, safe from other people. Americans seem afraid to interact with one another. Which brings me to my last point for today:

4. Germans will make and hold eye contact with complete strangers. There's no judgement, no appraising, no lust or disgust, not even joy or sadness really. Just two people acknowledging one another. Quietly. No nods. Just a look, held for a second or two, then on with the day.

The Purpose of Life

2007-06-12T04:39:00.000+02:00

I have determined that the purpose of life is to conquer my ego. When you think about it, what do all the really happy people in our lives have in common? I submit that it is their lack of ego. Ego is what holds us back. It's the little voice that reminds us of our fears, whispers to us of desire, distracts us with illusory dreams, boasts of our accomplishments. To recognize that voice and to teach it to obey us, that is true greatness.

Here's the next great bit. Baha'u'llah wrote in one of his prayers:

And when He (God) desired to manifest grace and beneficence to men, and to set the world in order, He revealed observances and created laws; among them He established the law of marriage, made it as a fortress for well-being and salvation, and enjoined it upon us in that which was sent down out of the heaven of sanctity in His Most Holy Book.

Now I've long wondered: what is it about marriage that makes it a "fortress for well-being and salvation"? Today, I think it has to do with conquering ego. In marriage, you have to put aside your ego and focus on someone else's needs. You have to learn to love another being so completely, devotedly and selflessly, and no matter the circumstances. Isn't that a beautiful thing?
Furthermore, our spouse serves as a mirror in which we see reflected those attributes we still need to develop. By that I mean that because our spouse is a witness to all our decisions and actions and because they know us and love us so intimately, we can't get away from our weaknesses and frailties: we are forced to confront them.
No wonder marriage is so scary, and so beautiful.

Greetings from Ithaca

2007-06-12T03:16:00.000+02:00

Gimme coffee... 4$.
Lunch at Aladdin's... 8.50$
Gas for the borrowed car... 15$
Hanging out with friends... priceless.

But window offices in the vet tower... are great. Except when the sun beats in cuz there's no air conditioning. Yeah, ouch is right.

Really though, it's all about putting out productivity while I'm here. And I'm relishing it. Gimme more!

a working maxim

2007-06-05T20:16:00.000+02:00

When I'm torn between considering all that can be done and what to actually do right now, I follow this maxim:

Tomorrow holds the richness of illimitable possibilities.
Today is simple. Do what comes next.

Feistiness

2007-05-24T13:16:00.000+02:00

I'm in a feisty mood right now. Singing and whistling and humming tunes of all kinds. We started discussing the current situation in Lebanon over lunch. Any armed forces who take refuge behind civilians automatically lose any credibility and sympathy in my eyes. If you're man enough to take up guns, you better be man enough not to hide amidst innocent civilians. GRRrrrrr. Wars and conflict and violence, particularly where innocents are concerned, REALLY gets me angry these days. My blog has already seen several posts about the Darfur so I won't go into that again. Anyone else get mad at this kind of news?

Coffee-love taken a step too far

2007-05-16T15:47:00.000+02:00

Aussies go crazy for cat poo coffee | Lifestyle | Reuters: "'It's as good as my private life is bad. This is the kind of coffee you renounce your religion and sell your child for,' one taster quoted by AAP said."

I like my cup'o'joe, but this is outrageous. But would I drink it if I were offered some? Of course! :)

Econbrowser: Northern Ghawar is in decline

2007-05-16T14:19:00.000+02:00

Econbrowser: Northern Ghawar is in decline: "If you end up being surprised by the big story of the next decade, you can't say, 'nobody told us.' Instead you'll have to say, 'we didn't listen.'

Stuart Staniford (Ph.D. in physics) has been conducting a very careful and detailed investigation of all that is publicly known about Ghawar in Saudi Arabia, which is by far the world's largest and most important oil field. "

I'm glad intelligent and reasonable people are looking at this question and providing us with (relatively) unbiased information. As our politicians were wont to tell us a decade ago, the new economy is all about information.

Tobacco ads

2007-05-15T18:01:00.000+02:00

Went to see Spiderman 3 with friends from work yesterday annnd... the first 10 minutes (not exaggerating—i timed it) were filled with ads. And in the midst of all these ads was one for new Malboro Wides. Now this may not have seemed strange to my colleagues, most of whom are European, or for the other people in the audience but to me, coming as I do from North America, this was quite a shock. It took me a second to realize why I was shocked: it's because tobacco advertising has been banned for quite a while now where I come from. Plus one for Canada/USA.

Salute to a Brave and Modest Nation

2007-05-02T18:31:00.000+02:00

Salute to a Brave and Modest Nation: "Reprinted here is a remarkable tribute written by Irishman Kevin Myers about Canada's record of quiet valour in wartime. This article appeared in the April 21, 2002 edition of the Sunday Telegraph, one of Britain's largest circulation newspapers and in Canada's National Post on April 26, 2002."

I am proud to call myself Canadian. You should be too.

The weekend

2007-04-30T22:06:00.000+02:00

Today was a beautiful day. In fact, this whole weekend was beautiful. The highlights were the movies I watched and the emails I received. Yes, that's right, the emails. I am surrounded by smart, thoughtful people whose ideas and feelings inspire me and intrigue me. Having friends like that is very important I think. It reminds me of what's important in life. It focuses my thinking on issues that are relevant to others as well as to me.
As for why I watched three movies in two days... I was in the mood. The Holiday was a fun and entertaining look at love in the modern world, where cross-continental home-swapping is possible and jerks will cross an ocean to prove how slimy they are. The film's strength is its funny and balanced portrayal of what I consider to be the two primary ways of falling in love: love-at-first-sight and friendship-maturing-into-love. Although in this case the processes are significantly sped up, but I forgive them that.
The next movie I watched is titled No Good Deed and I picked it on a whim from the video store. Turned out to be an excellent (if at times violent) story about a cop who stumbles into a 10 million dollar heist by five thieves. The movie explores the social, emotional and psychological relationships between the characters while carrying on a gripping storyline. My curiosity was constantly piqued, waiting to find out what each character would do next, how'd they'd react. Greed, envy, fear, betrayal, manipulation... all these and more in what I thought was a delectable package. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy intellectual cinema. I just read the review on the imdb page I linked above and it's amusing that he considers it so bad. I still stand by my review of it. :)
Oh, and the final movie I watched was Dune, of the Frank Herbert novels, .... in German... with no subtitles. Yeah, pretty sweet. Thankfully, I remembered practically the entire story from having read it back in grade 11. Which was... spring of 1997, exactly a decade ago. Remarkable how much of it I remember. I feel like going back and reading the rest of the series. I'd stopped where it got too slow and political for me but that may appeal to me more now. We'll see.

That brings us up to today. Today was different. I spent a few hours reading from The World According to Garp in the garden of my favorite cafe. I hate not finishing books but this one can be infuriating sometimes. I have to put it down and let my anger at it settle out. Days or weeks go by before I can pick it up again. Well after reading I bought some groceries then spent the rest of the afternoon in our apartment not doing very much until it was time to cook dinner. I prepared a variation on my usual 'pasta with veggies and ground beef' using an Indian theme. I need to look up how to prepare a proper Indian curry for next time though for a first, uneducated attempt this was ok. At least my flatmates thought so, and that's what counts.

Vertical and horizontal dimensions of Faith

2007-04-29T13:05:00.000+02:00

Undeniably, the message of Baha'u'llah is, like every revelation of God, first and foremost a guide to the individual. It is the ancient path, cleansed of the encrustments and encumbrances of the past, along which man can achieve life with God, enlightenment, and spiritual rebirth. The revelation of Baha'u'llah is not, however, limited to this "vertical" dimension. The Baha'i religion is not merely a "creed"; it is a religion in an all-embracing sense, as it also has a fully developed "horizontal," a "political" dimension.

Cited from page 12 of The Baha'i Faith – Sect or Religion? by Udo Schaefer. Originally published in German under the title, Sekte oder Offenbarungsreligion? Zur religionswissenschaftlichen Einordnung des Baha'i-Glaubens (Hofheim-Langenhain: Baha'i-Verlag, 1982). ISBN 3-87037-134-X.

Udo Schaefers Homepage

2007-04-29T12:40:00.000+02:00

Readers familiar with Udo Schaefer's name will quickly realize the value of his Homepage. Students of religion and those interested in scholarly analyses of the Faith will find in Dr. Schaefer's work cogent and systematic expositions on a variety of themes and beyond this an example and inspiration for their own research. The breadth and depth of his work, which has been translated into several languages, is evidenced by the following partial list of his published articles.

Ethics for a global society
Religious Intolerance as a Source of Violence
Baha'u'llah's Unity Paradigm
Loyalty to the Covenant and Critical Thought
Infallible Institutions?

A list of his English books can be found and purchased here.

Cold Coffee Friendships

2007-04-21T00:26:00.000+02:00

CoffeeGeek - Cold Coffee Friendships: "A lot can happen between the top and the bottom of a cup of coffee."

One of the best articles on coffee I've ever read. Not only can I totally relate to his experience of cold coffee and getting to know someone, but I even have my own story about my first cup of coffee. It was drip coffee that had sat in a thermos for a few hours on a drive from Edmundston to Rimouski. The six adults in our minivan had had their two rounds and Dad called back from the driver's seat to ask if anyone wanted a third. I cheekily yelled back "yeah, I do!" only to find a cup of cool, black coffee handed over to our backrow a minute later. Since no one else wanted a third cup I decided it shouldn't go to waste (and who am I kidding, I was curious about this stuff Mom and Dad drank all the time). Funny thing is, it didn't really taste that good. But they all liked it so there must be something good about it. More than ten years later, I'm still appreciating the something good.

Sudan Defying Security Council on Darfur, U.N. Says - New York Times

2007-04-18T01:00:00.000+02:00

Sudan Defying Security Council on Darfur, U.N. Says - New York Times

This is now the second report critical of the Sudanese government's actions regarding Darfur. And this one is even more specific about the violations committed. I pray God that the U.N. finally acts decisively in this matter.

Crazy Indian Music Video

2007-04-06T12:12:00.000+02:00

What do you get when you cross early 90s Michael Jackson with a Bollywood music video? A Crazy Indian Music Video!

Gospel according to Judas | Salon Books

2007-04-06T11:51:00.000+02:00

I'm neither one to follow Salon closely nor to go looking for deep writing; but this morning I found myself doing both. My finds were fascinating, enlightening, and intriguing. (and yes, I do love putting commas before ands)
If you take the time to read this interview with religious historian Elaine Pagels (who was married to a physicist!) titled Gospel according to Judas, I think you'll find yourself very pleasantly surprised by the fair, balanced and inclusive view she holds of religion. I myself could learn a great deal from her. I'm rather hoping I have.

allBlog

2007-04-06T10:53:00.000+02:00

A political satire dressed in an Apple spoof. Who'd a thunk?
iRack and iRan

Easter Thursday

2007-04-05T14:23:00.000+02:00

So I know there's no such thing as Easter Thursday but I think you'll all understand what I mean.

To-Do List:
1. send poster abstract to International Workshop on Non-Linear Dynamics in Excitable Media
2. reserve hotel room for above
3. pay doctor's bill
4. submit reimbursement claim for doctor's bill
5. submit reimbursement claim for DPG 2007
6. run lots and lots of simulations (start by debugging code... argh)
7. upload pictures from camera to computer
8. post to my blog
9. keep looking for an apartment (i've got an appointment at 6pm)
10. smile :D

9.5 out of 10 so far. Have I missed anything? Perhaps. But I'll take comfort in what I've done so far. And I'll enjoy the nice weather we're having. God bless Spring. Hope this flat I'm about to see is the one. Been apartment hunting for over a month now and it's getting old. *sigh* :)

Walk in the Sun

2007-03-31T15:54:00.000+02:00

Just got back from a nice walk by the Kiessee, a beautiful little lake about 20 minutes's walk from our apartment. Munir is here visiting as are Elizabeth and Flavio, two Ithaca researchers here for about 10 days. We took many pictures which will be posted soon. The sun is mostly out today which made for a very nice stroll.
Then we discovered Aldi on the way back. For those who don't know, Aldi is the quintessence of cheap grocery stores. Bought some chips and almond cookies. They even had an iPod speaker system on sale for 70euros. Not sure about quality so I let it go. I'll look it up online and if it's a reputable brand I may go back and buy it.
Three cheers for visiting family!

BBC NEWS From Our Own Correspondent

2007-03-24T22:41:00.000+01:00

The eagle that came to visit

Funny/sad true story. Wing on by.

Again and again and aga...

2007-03-24T22:24:00.000+01:00

"Repetition"

My friend Corinne wrote an excellent note about the benefits of repetition. Perhaps there is something to be said for old-style education where learning by rote was emphasized over "critical thinking" and "analytical skills."

Glow-in-the-dark Polizei

2007-03-17T11:07:00.001+01:00

Glow-in-the-dark Polizei
Originally uploaded by International Man of Mystery.

Six german police officers on horseback, half men and half women, plus a great number more regular officers, were deployed on this gray Saturday evening following a Fussball match in Hannover. (that's soccer for all you non-German speakers) The Germans are quite proactive when it comes to policing. I've never seen the likes of it in Canada or the U.S. The day a Nazi group demonstrated in Goettingen there were hundreds of police scattered across the city. Near downtown, where the demonstration was taking place, you could see dozens of officers in full gear (body armor and rifles) no matter where you stood. The best part of it is that they're there mostly to protect the Nazis from the radical anti-Nazis!! Go figure.

Report condemns Sudan over Darfur

2007-03-12T15:58:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS | Africa | Report condemns Sudan over Darfur

Well I'm glad someone on the international scene is finally speaking out boldly against the Sudanese government's total failure to take responsibility for the plight of its own citizens. The gross neglect the international community has shown for this particular tragedy irritates me so much. To me, this is a clear example of how not to conduct diplomacy.

Fasting

2007-03-12T09:14:00.000+01:00

Colleagues and friends ask me why I fast. It's a good question, one that I think every Baha'i asks him or herself. After all, why deprive yourself of two of the most basic human needs, food and drink, from sunrise to sunset every day for 19 days (one Baha'i month)? Well, here are a couple of answers I've come up with. If you have more, please add to the list.

DETACHMENT
The first reason we fast is to learn detachment from material things and to focus on the things of the spirit. The purpose of life is not to acquire material possessions but to develop one's spiritual qualities such as tenderness, generosity, love and patience. These are the things that you can take with you when you die. What you leave behind will return to dust and be no more.

COURAGE
Some people react with deep concern: "How can you not eat or drink all day? Is that healthy?" Well I'm happy to report that millions of people all around the world have survived the Fast year after year for over a century now. (The young and the elderly, those who are ill, pregnant or nursing and those involved in heavy labour are exempted.) So the idea is not to harm your body, which you need in order to operate in this world, but rather to teach you that you are much stronger than you think you are and that much of what you think you need, you don't actually need.
So imagine, if you can go 19 days without food or drink while the sun is up, what else can you do that you did not think yourself capable of? That should give you courage.

WILLPOWER
Fasting is easier for some and harder for others. Of course, I think the whole purpose of fasting would be defeated if it were easy. It's natural to get hungry and thirsty (sometimes very much so!) and the sight or thought of food can distract me from whatever it is I'm doing. But since I know I'm not going to give in because I've decided so (an exercise of will in itself), I focus on something more productive than dreaming about the end of the day. This is willpower. And if you can practice it now, where else can you practice it?

FAITH
Suppose you want to learn to play beautiful music on the piano. First you would find an instructor who can teach you what you wish to learn. The instructor gives you exercises so that you develop the skills you'll need to perform. Now you may not understand the purpose behind the exercises as you're doing them. But if you have faith in your instructor, you'll do them anyhow. Eventually you understand the wisdom behind the exercise and you appreciate it. But in the beginning this is not always the case. If you faithfully follow your instructor's guidance, you will achieve your goal of playing beautiful melodies much faster than if you decide that you know better than the instructor and you go off on your own.
Fasting is like that. Baha'u'llah tells you that this is a valuable exercise for your soul. If you have faith in him as an instructor, you'll follow his directions. If not, then it's like learning the hard way. You may still make it, but it'll be harder.
The other element of faith here is that when you wonder why you're fasting, sometimes the only answer you come up with is "because Baha'u'llah said so." And in that moment, you are testing your faith. Do you trust that he knows what is best for you?

Finally, I'd like to link to a post by Victor on fasting that addresses some of the science of fasting.
Anxiously Concerned: Some Food for Thought on Fasting

Happy Fasting everyone!

Blue skies

2007-02-21T10:00:00.000+01:00

Good morninnnnnnnnnng EVERYbody !!!
Just want to send a shout-out to all my peeps all over the world, in celebration of this fine, cool, crisp, sunny, blue sky day in happenin' Goettingen.

Hope this day as great to you all as I anticipate it will be to me.

The Wonder of Writing

2007-01-31T09:38:00.001+01:00

Writing to reach you
Originally uploaded by andre_mts.

Writing is the most amazing invention. I mean, the very idea of creating a physical expression of our thoughts and meanings, a physical expression that transcends us and binds us, is staggering. (As a means of recording and storing ideas for later use, it stands virtually unparalleled in the annals of human history. Even on the scale of a single human lifetime, its usefulness and efficiency are incredible.)

My memory for words is ever changing. My french vocabulary, spoken and written, has diminished from lack of use. And yet, were it to remain completely unused for another 50 years and were I then to read a french text, I would immediately recognize those symbols and understand the meaning carried by the words they symbolize.

Writing transcends our own memory. It allows us to leave to posterity a record of our thoughts and ideas which others, in centuries and millenia yet unborn, will be able to recognize and understand and, more important still, will be able to learn from and relate to.

Mona's Dream

2007-01-24T10:20:00.000+01:00

Mona Mahmudnizhad was a 16-year old woman who was killed for her beliefs in 1983. Her moving story was told in a 1985 music video called "Mona with the Children." Now, the full story of Mona and her companions will be told in a feature film to be produced this year. Please take a moment to visit the film's site and learn about their story and why they were willing to give their lives.

If — a poem by Rudyard Kipling

2007-01-14T23:44:00.000+01:00

What an inspiring poem. Or perhaps it's sad. I haven't decided yet.

Deeper beauty

2007-01-14T11:18:00.000+01:00

I quote the NYT:

the world we see around us is, as the Nobel laureate physicist Steven Weinberg has put it, “only an imperfect reflection of a deeper and more beautiful reality.”
(Where Protons Will Play, by Jim Holt, January 14, 2007)

Now doesn't that sound mystical and metaphysical and all that? Incidentally, I'm reading a great book by Dr. John Hatcher titled Close Connections: the Bridge between Spiritual and Physical Reality that goes into some detail about the nature of the link between physical and spiritual reality. Warning: it's for the serious reader only.

My American accent is...

2007-01-14T00:27:00.000+01:00

What American accent do you have?

Your Result: The West

Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.

What American accent do you have?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Which Superhero Are You?

2007-01-14T00:19:00.000+01:00

From seriousness we turn now to frivolity (what a great word).

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		80%
Spider-Man		65%
Robin		62%
The Flash		55%
Hulk		50%
Supergirl		50%
Wonder Woman		40%
Iron Man		40%
Batman		40%
Green Lantern		30%
Catwoman		20%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Immigration & the Oneness of Mankind

2007-01-13T14:19:00.000+01:00

The more I follow the news, the more I realize this is becoming a serious issue in N. America and in Europe. Just this morning, I read an article in the New York Times that highlighted once again how difficult it seems to reconcile human rights with societal obligations. The subject of the article, an African immigrant to Sweden who was appointed minister for integration and gender equality, expresses an opinion which conflicts with that of other immigrants in her country. One recalls also the recent and ongoing debate in the United States about illegal immigrants, the Paris riots last year and the fury over satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark.

This question is one I've been thinking about more and more. It is a sign of the integration of the planet into one common land, and it is stretching our political, legal and most importantly our social systems beyond their breaking points. Something is going to have to give. The question that must be answered is this: what happens when my personal beliefs and practices intersect other people's beliefs and practices? The search for a universal set of values that can be adhered to and applied anywhere in the world will have to be recognized and pursued vigorously by leaders of thought and of nations. (I believe Dr. William Hatcher laid a foundation for this in his seminal book Love, Power and Justice: the Dynamics of Authentic Morality.)

As early as 1931, in words at once challenging and prophetic, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, expounded on the principle of the Oneness of Mankind:

Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of Mankind—the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve —is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and good-will among men, nor does it aim solely at the fostering of harmonious cöoperation among individual peoples and nations. Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence. It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced. It constitutes a challenge, at once bold and universal, to outworn shibboleths of national creeds—creeds that have had their day and which must, in the ordinary course of events as shaped and controlled by Providence, give way to a new gospel, fundamentally different from, and infinitely superior to, what the world has already conceived. It calls for no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world—a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units.

It represents the consummation of human evolution—an evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the city-state, and expanding later into the institution of independent and sovereign nations.

The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, carries with it no more and no less than a solemn assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short of a power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it.

(The World Order of Baha'u'llah, Selected Letters, p. 43)

As I understand them, these statements call for a radical change at all levels of society. Thus the 'problem of immigration' is not separate from other world developments nor will it be solved by the means currently available. No law, no government programme, no call for mutual tolerance and good-will can ultimately succeed in binding together diverse peoples, cultures and nations.

Weihnachtsmarkt

2007-01-10T00:09:00.001+01:00

Weihnachtsmarkt
Originally uploaded by International Man of Mystery.

I never could understand how an economy can grow and shrink if the number of people wanting/able to work is roughly constant. Tonight I had a small insight I thought I'd share.

Have you ever noticed how some cities feel so alive and vibrant while others are calm and quiet? I'm sure you have. Well consider two such cities, each the same size and with the same demographics. The vibrant city would have what we'd call a vibrant economy because people are willing and wanting to go out and do things, whereas the quiet city may have a stagnant economy because there isn't a sense of innovation, of creating something new. Hmmm... this seems to tie into my previous post about imagination. Perhaps economic health is related to a people's capacity to imagine, to have hope and faith in better things and to strive for those things.

On the power of Imagination

2007-01-10T00:00:00.001+01:00

In the light of Antiquity
Originally uploaded by International Man of Mystery.

The Baha'i Writings state that imagination is one of the mental properties of the soul. The other powers are thought, understanding and memory. Imagination has always struck me as the odd member of this set. It dawns on me however that without the use of the power of imagination, one's life becomes dull. Reading books (particularly novels), watching movies, playing games, ... all these activities exercise the power of imagination. We call it play or leisure and we think it is less important than work, thought, reasoning. The lack of play seriously diminishes one's quality of life, one's ability to envision a better life, one's ability to create and appreciate beauty. Beauty fires the imagination. I want to be surrounded by beauty. And now I realize why it has always seemed so important to me to spend time away from work. To spend time alone, or with friends, to drink coffee, to go for a walk, basically to rest and give my soul a chance to drink from the fountain of beauty and imagination.

Einstein's words in this regard seem particularly apt:
Imagination is more important than knowledge...

Parting thoughts

2006-12-20T08:52:00.000+01:00

I finished packing. It's almost 3am. In spite of my rather pointed dislike of packing, I seem to have done a fairly decent job of it. Everything has been carefully placed in one of two suitcases, neither of which is too heavy, and the remainder stored in a plastic storage bin for shipment in a few months. I even managed to include my heavy winter coat, three pairs of shoes and one pair of winter boots!

There are a few knicknacks left that I'll offer to friends or simply throw away. My one unaccomplished task was to find someone who'd like an extra-long single bed with mattress. It's made of solid wood, quality stuff, and I got it from a guy who supplies surrounding universities. Friendly fellow as I recall. Anyhow, I figure a posting to the international listserve ought to take care of that.

I suppose I should have something more interesting to say as my seven weeks on the American continent come to an end, but the lateness of the hour has drained me and I really ought to catch some zzz's before tomorrow. If you'd like to follow along, I'll be reading three of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh letters, "The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh", "The Goal of a New World Order" and "The Unfoldment of World Civilization," all by Shoghi Effendi, in preparation for the Changing Times conference. Some excellent speakers on the program this year, including Mr. Glenford Mitchell, member of the Universal House of Justice, and his wife, Dr. Bahia Mitchell.

Home sweet home

2006-12-16T03:28:00.000+01:00

My first full day at home. I'm more tired than I would have believed. After getting a haircut (picture yet to be posted) I went to International Grounds for a few hours (a Stratford coffeeshop owned by a very young couple who happen to be good friends of ours) and had a double shot latte (perhaps that's why the picture's shaky... not). Revised my abstract for the German Physical Science Conference in Regensburg in March. Then Dad came and met met me. Also bought two new pairs of shoes: winter shoes from Merrell and a beautiful pair of brown leather Hush Puppies. I can't tell you how long I've wanted a pair of brown dress casual shoes. Now if only I had somewhere to wear them... I do have the outfit though. Bought it at the Gap outlet store in Waterloo on the way home yesterday. Let's hear it for outlet stores, yeah! We actually stopped at outlet malls in Waterloo anddd in Niagara Falls. Pretty sweet. I had a burger from Burger King and I've decided to forgo all fast food burger joints. Their food is only marginally better than that stuff you buy in vending machines and heat up in a microwave, and they charge you way too much for it. So bye-bye to bad food and good riddance. I won't miss you at all.

Artist of the...

2006-12-09T19:11:00.000+01:00

As I was perusing the web, I came across some pretty glowing reviews of this new artist, Ferraby Lionheart, (you gotta love the name) and, well, he rocks. Actually, he folks, pops, and rocks. I'll give credit to bahaiblog.net for pointing him out to me. You can follow the links there to check out some of his songs and buy his CD (only 7$ for 6 songs, + 2$ for shipping). So if you have a minute, head on over and check him out. Oh, and the music video of him serenading an old lady is classic.

Taking photos is FUN

2006-12-09T18:39:00.000+01:00

I've been having a lot of fun today taking pictures outdoors. I've posted a number of them to my Flickr site. (see link on the right) No guarantees that the posting streak will continue but I'm having fun so far. Please visit and leave comments.

Hmm... think I'll do some personal reading today. Need to catch up on my reading for the online course I'm taking on the Ministry of the Shoghi Effendi (he was the head of the Baha'i Faith from 1921 to 1957) and also prepare for the Changing Times conference I'm attending between Christmas and New Year's. Should be lots of fun, plus I'll get to see some old friends.

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

First snow

2006-12-08T22:50:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the first day of proper snow in Ithaca. Surprising how much I miss this white stuff. It made me really happy. Though admittedly I was watching it blow around from a warm 7th floor window. Too bad I didn't take a picture right then. (I just took a few that I'll post on my Flickr site a bit later.)

The air today is cold and crisp, just the way I like it. Walking back from lunch with Andrew I managed to avoid the temptation of getting a Gimme! coffee. Instead I made my own cappuccino back in the lab. Amazing how happy that makes me. My man Gabe is home alone this weekend so we're gonna hit up Gimme! tomorrow morning and perhaps check out the new Denzel Washington movie, Deja Vu. It's a fun-filled weekend ahead of me. Woot.

Back to reality

2006-12-05T03:32:00.000+01:00

Another day, another night. Sitting in Starbucks sipping a Chai Latte (i've decided to reduce my consumption of coffee) and randomly surfing the web. Tonight was the second dance show I've seen in three days. Friday evening was faculty choreographies, which were complex and intellectual. Tonight's were mostly student choreographies, simple, beautiful, creative... I loved it. The purity of spirit expressed through dance, through voice, through gesture. One piece in particular touched me by the harmony she maintained among the three dancers. That, and it was the only piece that was racially diverse. Yeah, every student chose dancers of their skin colour to be in their pieces except this one black girl, Paige I believe was her name, who had a white, a brown and a black girl in her piece. The girl next to me (who I'd met at the interfaith dinner a few weeks back and was in Friday's performance) noticed the same thing. I wonder...

Mightier than the sword

2006-10-21T20:34:00.000+02:00

How amazing the potentialities latent within a single word. The multitude of passages from past or future texts to which it can refer and the myriad meanings and interpretations it may contain or be subject to endow each word with a potency greater than that of all the world's powers combined. Thus hath it been said: "The pen is mightier than the sword."

The need for arms

2006-10-21T20:29:00.000+02:00

I found the following quotation of Baha'u'llah in Mr. Ali Nakhjavani's Towards World Order:

"that ye may need no more armaments save in a measure to safeguard your territories and dominions..."

This for me represents the Baha'i view on armaments. The goal is to have the minimum necessary. Thus the approach to military spending and readiness is predominantly one of "how little can we get away with" rather than "how much?" Contrast this with the attitude currently en vogue in the world.

To constantly be thinking of new vulnerabilities is to chase one's own tail. By this logic, no amount of spending is ever sufficient and we are never safe. One must pause and seriously consider the implications of such an attitude.

Divestment as political strategy

2006-10-08T13:47:00.000+02:00

Apologies to all my loyal fans who have been anxiously awaiting the next installment of Physics+Faith=Music. Here it is.

As I was perusing the BBC World News website this morning I came across this article on the Darfur genocide. There is a systematic and well-organized campaign in the U.S. that has been lobbying state governments, cities and other institutions to divest their investments in companies whose business with the Sudanese government most impacts the poor victims of genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Their website is called the Sudan Divestment Task Force and it contains some very interesting information, including documents and reports on the efficacy of divestment as a pressure strategy. I am happy to report that Cornell University has adopted such a policy.

TGIF!

2006-09-15T17:01:00.000+02:00

After many weeks of grayness, we've had about a week of blue skies and sunshine. Too bad I was so tired all week. Perhaps that was the lack of caffeine yesterday and today (though I did have tea, which was very nice)... Tuesday's workout included 1/2 hr on the elliptical machine (like running but without the impact) and I've been feeling it in my calves since Wednesday. We had a pretty intense intra-lab basketball game Tuesday evening; several injuries were sustained. I personally have a bruised big toe to show for my efforts on the court. Wednesday evening Gabriel and I hosted a big going-away / birthday party for Katja, an undergrad from Mannheim (sp?) who's been with us for about 5 weeks (she started the day after I arrived). I made a big batch of pasta sauce and spaghetti, which almost fed everyone. (I haven't learnt how to estimate quantitites for large groups.) Gabriel made two cakes. People brought all kinds of drinks and snacks. Special thanks to Lisa for bringing the salad. We managed to use just about every dish we have in our apartment. Yay! = : s

Tonight we're going to hear the Goettingen Symphony Orchestra at the Stadthalle, and there's talk of going to see a basketball game tomorrow evening. All in all, a weekend of hard work. Incidentally, I also have to finalize my Monday group presentation, by which I mean of course that I haven't started yet. : ) But not to worry, I have a fair bit of material and a few presentations already under my belt to draw from, and I'm comfortable speaking on my work. Cheers and have a good weekend!

TIRF

2006-09-15T16:55:00.000+02:00

Today was "fix the TIRF microscope" day. That means I spent 5+ hours at the microscope imaging different samples under TIRF microscopy. For the layperson reading this, TIRF is an acronym that stands for Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence. It's conceptually rather easy and in practice not much more difficult. That said, the fluorescent bead solutions used to calibrate it show up fine. But when I try to image our cells the signal is very low and there's a band structure across the image. That might have been the special coverslip I used introducing interference effects in the laser beam but when using the same coverslip with the fluorescence beads there's no such band structure, so it must be something about the cells themselves. Warrants further investigation; ie. call the Olympus Techs for help

Rooftop with a view

2006-09-10T18:02:00.000+02:00

I discovered today that my building has a rooftop patio with an amazing view of the surroundings mountains and the Goettingen valley. I even sunbathed. :) I would post pictures (of the view, not of me sunbathing) but alas, still no digicam. *Ahem* *birthday present* *cough* --clears throat-- Excuse me. As I was saying...
I also discovered that it's vital to have good, inspiring books with you at all times. In those moments when inspiration is lacking, I turn to one of my favourite science books (no, not the textbook kind) and read about all the cool things people have thought and done and the interesting stories associated with this event or that discovery. That all said, I also found a cute little program called VoiceCandy that will record anything you say into your computer's microphone... and if you should so desire it will even lend your voice one of eight cool themes, including Darth Vader, Old Radio and Chipmunk. Oh, and by the same people who make VoiceCandy is Podcast Maker, which I have yet to try but would in theory enable me to join the ranks of such eminent internet-enthusiasts as Munir Squires (no relation) and Co. But before that, I'm going to try using VoiceCandy to dictate to myself, as I've found writing off the cuff to be a great challenge.

We have liftoff

2006-08-31T18:21:00.000+02:00

Excitement in the lab. We saw strong calcium-induced fluorescence signals from heart cells in the microscope today. Dr. Bodenschatz was happy. (That's my advisor by the way.) Kudos to Claudia for preparing the cells and staining them. It's days like today that make it all worthwhile in the end. Hooray for little glowing critters!

We strong like bull

2006-08-27T14:11:00.000+02:00

Gabriel, my flatmate, and I went to the fitness room today. We're both a little sore but it's the good kind of sore. A hot/cold/hot shower took some of the muscle tension away. Having thus exercised the body, a half-hour of meditation s'imposait to exercise the mind and spirit. Planned to go walk about town this afternoon, but the regnet (rain) has to let up first. Any suggestions about how to spend a Sunday afternoon?

Pictures!!

2006-08-26T20:44:00.000+02:00

I have finally uploaded a bunch of pictures to my Flickr account. There are photos of my apartment, my office, the lab, and ... of coffee!

A caffeinated Saturday afternoon

2006-08-26T19:29:00.000+02:00

After a long and tiring week, I spent a lovely Saturday afternoon holed up in my new favorite café: Cello Espresso Bar. The atmosphere says sophisticated intellectual and the décor refined aesthetics. And most importantly, they make a heavenly cappuccino. When I get my camera, which I'm holding out for until my next visit back to the U.S. (prices and availability prevailing), I'll post pictures of the place. Although I might invite Gabriel, my flatmate, to join me one day and use his camera. ;) Incidentally, my cappuccinos are nothing to sneer at either, witness my café renversé which I made at work using an automatic Rapid Cappuccino maker.
Wrote in my journal. Read the first chapter of "Towards World Order" by A. Nakhjavani. Read bits of "Introduction to Solid-State Physics" by Kittel, where I finally understood on an intuitive level the effect of temperature and chemical potential on entropy change. You may laugh, but I now understand and appreciate why particles flow from regions of high concentration to low concentration.

Productivification

2006-08-26T12:39:00.000+02:00

I've been reading up on GTD (Getting Things Done) and the various ways and means people use to organize themselves and (you guessed it) Get Things Done. The key to all such efforts is to choose a programme and remain faithful to it. One guy came up with the Slacker's GTD which sounds too intensely procrastinator-ish. Plus I don't see how managing projects would work in a system like that. But kudos to him if he can make it work. More conventional productivity tools include GTDGmail (which I've started using) and Basecamp, which a lot of people seem to talk about. The Hipster PDA sounds like a really cool idea and I can't wait to get started with it. That and I already have a Moleskin notebook I can use with it. Off I go to productivify myself. *grin*

Day 16

2006-08-22T20:22:00.000+02:00

This week's resolution to be productive and aware of every moment of my day has met with a setback today, but it's nothing I can't overcome. Stefan is in town. I hadn't seen him in... oh... about 7 weeks? Having said that I felt less-than-optimally productive, I did read an _excellent_ paper this evening sitting in a Starbucks wannabe. It has the same look and feel (and three sizes of everything!) except they called it "World Coffee," which I'm guessing is because Starbucks gets bad press in Europe for being a big multinational. But what do I know? I'm only a physicist.

Dance/techno music moves me and gives me a headache. I have to watch for that threshold beyond which the rate of return on listening to more music doesn't make up for the pain it causes. There must be an economics term for that. Gabe, where are you when I need you?

I've also realized that I can bring joy to people. It's really not that hard. Here, you try it. First, smile. (And no, I cannot emphasize this enough.) Bigger. Now open your lips. That's it. Don't be afraid to show some teeth. You see, a smile is contagious. Why just this morning, I walked into the office smiling, at no one in particular really, and one of the techs exclaimed "Oh! You're smiling!" Then guess what... she smiled too!

Okay, lesson number two. Wait... you should practice lesson number one and we'll come back to lesson number two at a later date. Let me know how you make it out with it. It's like Zen meditation where you keep banging your head against a seeming paradox until you see through it. The master knows whether you've solved the riddle or not without your having to say or explain anything. (Incidentally, I've taken up meditation on a semi-regular basis, with rather pleasing results I might add.) I'm really stealing the words from Fritjof Capra's "The Tao of Physics," a book I've picked up recently. My other reading currently includes "The Advent of Divine Justice" by Shoghi Effendi, "The Summons of the Lord of Hosts," selected letters of Baha'u'llah, and "Can We Dance?", a relationship education handbook.

Last night, after watching "The Hunt for Red October" for yet another time, I decided that it's finally okay to read the book. If anyone is looking to buy me a birthday gift I'd much appreciate a healthy copy of the novel that made Tom Clancy a household name in the U.S.A.

Finally, this morning's chocolate croissant was dedicated to Ashley. We wish her all the very best as she launches into the grand adventure which is "the Ph.D." If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Amgad's Morning Schokocroissant just give me a shout.

Hmm... perhaps this would be a good place to refer you to the epicentre of all things graduate: www.phdcomics.com.

Greetings

2006-08-20T16:43:00.000+02:00

Welcome to my new home away from home. A place to record first impressions, ongoing observations, meditative insights and funny pictures. All this and more brought to you by the fine folks at Squires & Co.
(Although who the "Co." is, exactly, we may never know.)