Some people believe their future is predetermined and nothing is left to chance. Math and physics could prove them right.
With our current knowledge in physics, we have the math that can figure out roughly how a leaf will move if a wind blows on it from a certain direction. Suppose we could calculate right down to the quark-particle locations, quantity, and temperature in both the leaf and the wind to infinity. In that case, it should be possible to determine exactly how the leaf would move. Using this same theory, it should be possible to determine where and when the wind will blow, the exact shape of a snowflake before it forms, or any other action in the entire Universe.
The human brain should be no exception. If we knew precisely how it was made up through genetics and the electrical paths created by all previous experiences and memories and could calculate them to infinity, it should be possible to figure out the exact reaction when a stimulus is applied.
Assuming all of the above to be true, and we had a spreadsheet containing every particle in the universe and their characteristics at any given exact time, it should be mathematically possible to predict the future, or by reversing the calculations we could know everything in the past. Of course, a fluid spreadsheet like this would be the size of the universe and impossible for us to construct, but it doesn’t change the concept that the future could be mathematically predetermined and predictable.
On July 14th, 2022 my wife, in her 60s, went to a walk-in clinic for a persistent cough that had gone on for over 6 weeks. Concerned it had now turned to Bronchitis or Pneumonia, she needed to have it checked. Unable to get a Doctor’s appointment and not wanting to tie up the Emergency department at the hospital, she went to “Good Doctors” walk-in clinic at 9225 Hwy 93 in Midland Ontario. She was shocked when she was told she had to pay $10.00 before she could be seen by a doctor. Lack of government funding was the only reason given for the charge.
Although $10.00 is not a lot of money to many people, it sets a dangerous precedent. Ten dollars today will quickly turn to a hundred dollars in the future. It represents the beginning of the end, of free health care as we know it. On top of that, she was even charged HST, for a total of $11.30.
Doug Ford needs to end this now! Cutting the gas tax and eliminating yearly registration fees for motor vehicles is not worth it if the sick and elderly are made to make up the difference.
The power of music has yet to be defined. It motivates and drives us in workouts and life in ways that are still not fully understood. Fears can turn to bravery with the right song. So why has no one combined music with theme parks? The right song being played loud from a roller coaster seat can change the experience from being intimidating and petrifying to that of being inspired to conquer it. A frame of mind that enables you to fully experience the loops and turns you were meant to.
3:30 AM, in a tent miles from anywhere, you awaken with an unignorable urge to pee. The moment you unzip the tent it hits you, millions of stars with clarity, unlike anything you have seen before. A powerful experience for anyone, regardless of background or interests. Hard to imagine, as incredible as it looks, you are viewing it through a dirty window called the atmosphere.
Now imagine you had a fascination with space and astronomy and had the same view from above the atmosphere’s distorting effects. Add in the excitement of space flight, weightlessness, the amplifying effect adrenalin has on experiences, and what you feel would most likely be in the life-changing zone. A normal experience for all astronauts you would think, but not so. In fact, no astronaut to date may have had this experience. Light from the sun, earth, and ambient light from the spacecraft wash out the light from faint stars. It also inhibits the physiological conditions of “3:30 am eyes” needed to see them.
Most photos taken by astronauts show space as being deep black and starless due to the abundance of light from the sun. Much like the sky from the earth throughout the day appears blue and starless. Even when a spacecraft’s orbit brings it in opposition to the sun, light from the earth and the interior of the spacecraft inhibit the astronaut’s eyes from achieving both the physical and chemical adaptation needed to be able to see in low light, as we can in the camping example.
Testing for this experience is not hard and may have already been done. The astronaut must be placed in a pitch-black part of the spacecraft for a minimum of 1 hour before, to allow full dilation of their pupils and give time for the chemical dark adaptation of their eyes to take place. The sun and moon need to be in opposition. Without exposure to ambient light from the spacecraft and using the spacecraft to block ambient light from the earth, the largest observation window facing away from the earth should provide the most spectacular experience and view of the universe.
The same experience could also be possible on sub-orbital flights, by wearing VR goggles 1 hour before apogee. During launch and ascent, cameras on the outside of the goggles convert what would normally be seen, to a red light image on the screen inside below 650 nanometers. Red light below 650 nanometers does not affect our night vision. During a nighttime launch, after main engine cut off when the spacecraft gets to its apogee, the goggles would be removed.
Life-changing experiences are not uncommon for astronauts. Years ago, only the most hard-core test pilots made it into the Mercury / Apollo programs. Many of these highly disciplined, stone-cold astronauts admitted to being overcome with emotion when traveling to space. Most notably is an experience called the “Overview Effect”. The overview effect is a well-documented feeling of enlightenment, reported by many astronauts when they view Earth from space. There is no reason seeing the universe from space would be any less intense, a sort of “Outerview-Effect”
We live our entire life in this house with dirty windows we call Earth, a unique and insignificant spec in an unimaginable vastness of space. How can we claim to have lived a full life if we have never punched through the atmosphere, gone outside on the front lawn, and clearly seen and felt the universe we live in, even if it’s only for a few moments?
Russia 1993, in a small cafe in downtown Moscow, I sat with my tour guide, Olga. It was the middle of winter and I was the only one on the city tour that day. With the formalities of the tour over, it was the perfect opportunity to ask some personal questions. Olga was in her mid 60’s and had lived through the extreme communism of Russia’s past, so I couldn’t wait to ask. “What was it like growing up?” She hesitated for a moment then told me “Everyone had their own opinions, anything that was against government policies would only be talked about with close friends and family, we would never dare voice it in public.” At the time I couldn’t fathom what that would be like, now in Canada 2022, I fear I am starting to understand.
At first thought, for most people, Canada may seem to be the same free Country now as it was back in 1993, but things have changed. Ever so slowly year after year, barely noticeable, freedom of speech has been slipping away. The repressers now are not only the government, but mainstream media and social media.
Disagree? Have you ever had a point of view, no matter how valid you thought it was, you only shared with friends and felt intimidated to admit publicly? Almost everyone I know today seems to. I remember back in 1993, trying to relate to Olga’s statement, I couldn’t think of anyone that did.
Today, even questioning mainstream ideas in public can immediately label you as an extremist that is uneducated, sexist, racist, an idiot, or has some phobia. Careers and businesses can be wiped out with 1 sentence taken out of context, even if made in private.
The latest example of the erosion of our free speech is the trucker’s protest in Ottawa against Covid-19 vaccinations. Although I strongly disagree with them occupying the streets of Ottawa, there are existing traffic laws that gave the police the authority to tow and impound their trucks. There are also existing laws that allow the police to arrest anyone that obstructs them from doing their job. However, the government’s response was beyond extreme, threatening to confiscate their trucks, cancel their insurance, and freeze their bank accounts. They even went so far as to threaten to freeze the bank accounts of anyone that donated to their cause, intimidating anyone that even partially supported the truckers. How long will it be before the government threatens to take everything you have for speaking out against any of their other policies.
The slow loss of our freedoms since 1993 shows no sign of stopping. If it is allowed to continue, where will we be in the next 30 years?
