New Blod Site!

... and so I have joined the social clover and moved on to Tumblr... please follow me along at:

http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/zohoora

Art

I love art: there are no clear definitions or guidelines, yet, there are standards.

Even years ago in high school, friends were angry that the teacher had given their work low scores. They asked: 'how can she rate abstract art?'

For me, a work of art stands somewhat independent from the artist as well as the appreciator. It has its own existence: the creator and viewer have their own perspectives and interpretations but neither is complete.

Does it matter what the artist intended? How about the historical context? Should how it was created matter? Should we care about the personality and life history of the artist him/herself? What of the work’s history? How relevant are all the different interpretation of the art? Should we care if it evokes emotions, makes us think or tells a story? Does the work need to be beautiful in some way? Must there be an element of craftsmanship and skill in its creation? Must there be an intent to create art?

It all matters. A work of art whether a graffiti in the subway or a guarded statue in Florence is complex. And of course, how one makes tea, marks a page in a book or talks to people can be equally artistic and complex. Pure abstract thoughts are oftentimes wondrous works of art.

So, does that mean everything is a work of art and dependent on the eye of the beholder? No- everything is not art, and not all art is good. It does however make all of us creators and appreciators of art.

Uncertainty

You and I are probably wrong about most things- if not everything. That includes what it means to be wrong.

I don’t think it’s particularly difficult for one to notice their infinite ignorance. For myself, it’s an axiom.

Ideas I held close to heart and deeply sensed to be true have at times been shown to be deepy flawed. I am keenly aware that values that are the cornerstone of who I am are just that: necessities to hold me up.

Of course, I have felt this way a long time. As well, the multi-flavored ice cream of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics shows that I am by no means unique.

However, in everyday life one must think, speak and act. Non-hypocritical skepticism is paralyzing. Plato was not a skeptic, wrote The Republic, and still informally came to decide that philosophers would make ineffective politicians.

So, how is it that I spend the day being highly decisive? How do I trust myself? How can I choose paths having been wrong so many times?

I try to not be a purist and enjoy every moment of partial uncertainty.
Perhaps.

Restless

Waves vibrate louder,
Roughness steams,
Flashes roll down.
Reflected.

Light streams through an opening,
Dust waterfalls,
Shrieks ring ring.
Blinded.

I stand.

Cold Hands

On Monday, I did a house visit. A gentle middle-aged lady was quite ill.

During the week a few of my patients were falling asleep during their appointments. They had been up all night taking turn watching over her. This is a tight community.

This morning, she passed away peacefully at her home. The two nurses at the clinic and I walked over to pay our respects and pronounce the death.

The house was packed with relatives, friends and neighbors. The air was thick and shadows long. I stood at the back and felt my eyes swelter like many around me.

What I most clearly remember is a woman nudging the grandson to go to the bedside and place his hands on those of his deceased grandmother. The young boy initially resisted but in due time walked over and held in his small hands her weathered fingers.

He looked at her and I saw a flash of confusion across his face. He, like the rest of us, was uncertain what it all meant.

Forgiveness

I thought about forgiveness today.

Someone  told me this morning a long jagged personal story. It started with him openly cheating on his wife by living with another woman for months and only expatiated to involving children and acts of violence on the family. It all extended a few years in duration. A story similar to others I’ve heard many times.

However, this story was uncommon for two reasons. One, it wasn’t the victim telling me the story- it was the perpetuator. Two, he was forgiven.

I feel the stir within you.

He said that it had happened years ago. He emphasized that his wife accepted him back and he truly felt she and their children had forgiven him. He believed this as fact. He felt he would sense any residual anger his wife and kids would have from his misbehavior years ago and instead he felt only complete forgiveness from them. His body language lucidly expressed his conviction.

What would the betrayed, abused wife say if I asked her? How about the children who had witnessed and incurred violence?

I am not sure. But it did make me think about forgiveness today.

Photo Blog

A few days into blogging and I'm already onto my second blogging site.

This one, suggested by my brother who did not approve of physics related topics on this blog, is different.

I will simply post a picture a day as I take them.

Check it out: Z Photo Blog.

Thanks!

Evolution

Some friends have taken issue to me taking evolution for granted in the previous post. I think the topic begs a cent or two.

Years ago, as an undergraduate, I was giving a talk at a multidisciplinary conference on the 'evolutionary mechanisms that lead to macro-sociological institutions.' At the end, a philosophy major asked: 'Is evolution True?' I hesitated at the time: capitalized Truth is of magical proportions in philosophy.

Although today, I am still hesitant due to the history and stardust of capitalized Truth, I instinctively view evolution as small-t true.

I have seen evolution happen to various organisms with my own eyes. Its explanatory power that allows precise modeling and understanding of random appearing data from viruses to humans is highly compelling. I also fight evolutionary mechanisms daily by having to resort to new antibiotics as use of old ones causes selection of resistant bacteria.

Furthermore, evolutionary theory is one of the most beautiful, elegant and wise insights humans have managed so far. In my mind, it far surpasses relativity and quantum mechanics although they are far more mind opening. The standard model of particle physics, although wondrous, is also of no competition. Some philosophical and religious insights such as monotheism, democracy, and Confucianism are clearly on the list, but I believe evolutionary theory maintains the higher composite score.

Of course, every reader expects a word here about 'intelligent design.' However, I am not praising evolutionary theory as a statement on religion. There is far more to religion than creationism. If readers want, I can post on that later on.

Nonetheless, the issue of intelligent design theory is important. That's because it creates a huge hurdle to open thought regarding evolution. So much time is spent defending evolution or defending intelligent design that imagination, and new perspectives supported by data are stunted. Is evolutionary theory sufficient? Clearly what was stated in 'Origins of Species' is not. Many corrections and addendums make today's evolutionary theory far more robust and powerful. What space will today's theory occupy in tomorrow's understanding? I'm not sure, but we probably have a long way to go.

We are yet to have the equivalent insights of Einstein in physics happen in evolutionary theory. Hopefully, I will witness them in my lifetime.

Love

 

A friend has asked me to write about this topic... and so I agreed.

It is the easiest and most difficult topic to write about. This is because most have thought, discussed, and experienced it. The accumulated wisdom on this topic from beginning of life to this day must be almost complete if effort is a measure. Today, even the most confused can find easy to follow instructions on wikiHow.

A lot is written about what is true/real/unconditional love. Similarly, dissertations are abound on distinguishing features of loving a significant other vs family member vs an activity. I doubt it's necessary. Love is not the most subtle sensation. It is a jackhammer and most recognize it and its imitators well. It is retrospect that makes us think we were fooled.

One can of course dig deeper than the existential experience and classify it as an obsessive disorder, an addiction or a powerful tool of evolution that has shaped our neurocircuitry. As cerebral as these discussions sound, they are not that far from obvious and seem distanced from the awe love evokes.

As well, with powerful forces, generalizations are highly tempting. It is tempting to assert that all mothers love their children unconditionally, that everyone experiences love the same way and that context is irrelevant. It is also as easy to assume powerful forces like love could be our saviour if we all just believed. These rest on many assumptions.

Love is well above merely a functional process. I see Love as the ultimate masterpiece. Evolution, given the most basic of tools, raw materials and millions of years of ups and downs has sculpted the greatest imaginable piece of art. This masterpiece evokes all emotions in us and other creatures alike, cannot be fully defined and is fully nonfunctional and functional at every level simultaneously.

'Love' by Evolution is in a gallery - and you are its spectator, participant and component. It may be causing you the most fulfilling pleasure or deepest of pains, but it is hard not to admire its beauty.

Travel

I love to travel.

Seeing new places, meeting new people and stepping out of the normal everyday routine is great. Some of my favourite memories are set far away from home.

Yet, I am not sure why I travel.

Is it to see new or as the case may be, very old things? The world is splattered with man made monuments of all sorts: churches, bridges, statues, mosques, pyramids, and so on. We love and have loved to build monuments to god(s), people, events, nations, concepts, and other monuments. It only takes a few years for children to start stacking blocks.

Or is it to see new cultures and living conditions? To be immersed in the different mannerisms, customs and languages? To witness people in severe poverty and war to high living and stylish excessiveness? To experience all variations of Chinese food?

Perhaps I travel instead to learn of myself. To gain distance in both time, distance and spirit from my regular world and have a third-person perspective. To gain insight into humanity and its relation to my own life.

Maybe, travel is purely masked recreation. It's a fun retreat allowing for more than usual freedoms. To do things I would not normally do or be able to do.

I am not sure why others travel. However, when I wonder about my excitement at the next trip, I know deep inside why I travel.

It is the sense of discovery that drives me. It's a feeling akin to exploring a nearby forest, or reading a new book. It may reveal that most beaches are similar, that churches are dark and large and that all children watch rap music videos through satellite television. Yet it's never disappointing for the hunger of adventure is satisfied. 

And why do I reflect on travel? Because Home has become difficult to pinpoint.

Time

Well, it is that time of the year: Christmas and soon after new year celebrations.

During these etches in the year- new year, birthday, holidays- I often reflect on the nature of time. No, that is not true. On these days I reflect on my ever fewer years of life.

More truthfully, it is on a very busy day, or a very uneventful day that I reflect on the nature of time. I think to myself: "there's no way time doesn't speed up or slow down." It is not merely a feeling; it instinctively seems True. As well, it is universal: few people watch pots boil or grass grow.

But unfortunately, I cannot make the case that time slows down or speeds up. This is simply because there is no clear conception of time. Is time elemental to the universe like distance and thus to be taken for granted as real and not explicable? That appears to be the physics perspective. Or is it perhaps instead elemental to our thought structure and to be taken as granted as a necessity for my consciousness? That appears to be the post-modern perspective.

How did time begin? With the big bang or with light and god's command? How does time flow? Linear, as quantas, or spherically? Does time dilate and how does it change when interacting with space as spacetime?

Well, I could make the case that time is not real. Many have in the past. Our arbitrary definitions of seconds, days, and years merely show we can see regular patterns and count.

However, it'd be hard to show time speeds up and slows down if I say it's not real. And I dare not play the cooking game by adding all the ingredients and arguing my consciousness somehow alters spacetime. Enough people make millions of dollars on books that glorify our limited minds by claiming consciousness is a force. Half truths multiplied make quarter truths.

Therefore, all I can say is that some moments are quick and others slow. And I assert its change of pace feels as real as time itself.

Equivalencies

Dan Gilbert gives an excellent presentation on the premise that our assumptions of what makes us happy are often wrong. He says we are horrible at judging probabilities and values.

He especially emphasizes the human tendency towards relativity and comparison. For example, $100 off a $100,000 car seems far less than $100 off a $200 jacket. Yet, $100 has the same purchasing power.

He argues at the same time that we are unable to put things into context and that we are unable to see past the context of a situation. Spherical arguments are the best.

I guess, as most, I have mixed feelings about his conclusions.

However, it did make me wonder about equivalencies. Personal time and money equivalencies. Most people do it all the time but inconsistently and somewhat selectively. Simply put, thinking of $20 no matter the context as something one really likes to buy; and thinking of fifteen minutes in any situation as an activity one really likes to do.

But of course, we all know time is money.

So that'd suggest finding a personal time to money equivalency as well. For example, $20 is equivalent to one hour which is equivalent to having coffee with a good friend.

Suddenly, $100 off an expensive car seems worth it.

Bad Doctors

Yesterday, I finished reading David Wootton's book Bad Medicine: Doctors doing harm since Hippocrates. 

The book is hard to summarize as the author admits he wrote three different books within one set of covers. 

He separates classic medicine and modern medicine into distinct entities. He argues Lister is the beginning of modern medicine as one should use therapeutic effects instead of accumulated knowledge as a measure of medical advancement. What's more, he focuses on the delays and setbacks in medical development that were truly troublesome to read about.  Alongside this, he illustrates how well-meaning doctors for centuries have harmed patients through ineffective and dangerous therapies such as bloodletting.

It was a great read: well written, researched and argued. 

And, it has changed me and how I view medicine and its history.  I now see a more clear line between medicine as a science and as a technology. I am also far more aware of personal, and social barriers to improvements in care.

Interestingly, I felt a  link between the themes of this book and those made in the documentary Who killed the electric car? Although they focus on very different issues, they both underline the multiple institutional and often irrational reasons for the destruction of really good ideas.

Blogging

I have been told not to resist temptation for it may not pass my way again.

That advice spiced with mild early morning procrastination and a buzzing mind has led to this: a blog.

Yes - I agree; this is me jumping on a bandwagon. But sometimes that's how you get to see new places and meet new people. Postcards are just not as fun. And so a new blog is born. 

No idea what I will blog about... and clearly coherence is not guaranteed.