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Thoughts on the mysteries of the universe, the human soul, and cats |
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Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment proposed by Austrian-Irish physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935 to explore the uncertainty of the state of everyday objects when subject to the laws of quantum mechanics. In this problem, Schrödinger proposes that when a cat is placed in a box with a radioactive isotope and a vial of poison that will break when exposed to radioactive decay, the uncertainty inherent in predicting the state of a subatomic particle such as that emitted in radioactive decay will cause the cat to exist in the quantum state of being both alive and dead. This uncertain state will persist until someone looks into the box, collapses the quantum wave function holding the cat in both of these states, and sees the result. Sometimes I feel like the guy holding the box with the cat in it, afraid to look in the box, and in constant trepidation over what my investigation will uncover. Other times I feel like the cat, trapped between uncertain possible futures. This blog is an attempt to explore the constant mysteries of life where ever they may come from and try to put a friendly human face on a cold, uncaring, and chaotic universe. What would you do? Would you open the box to uncover the mystery and risk your curiosity killing the cat? Or would you let the mystery endure and build a story upon it, secure in the knowledge that whatever we learn, life goes on, in one state or another? |
| What is flavor anyway? The most obvious answer is that it is how people perceive food upon consumption. All perception can be altered, of course. I recently saw a video clip from America’s Test Kitchen channel, where they got an actual chocolate expert to taste two different samples of chocolate while listening to two different musical clips. The taster gave a different impression of each sample, while acknowledging the music playing in the background. It turns out that ATK had tricked the taster. The two samples were identical! It seems that the taster’s perception of flavor had changed based upon the music he was hearing. I haven’t had the chance to test this phenomenon myself, but if it’s true, what else could alter our taste? Could it be things like the lighting? Ambient temperature? Our mood? Something we might be remembering at the time? Many people gobble down breakfast while rushing off to work, and I wonder how much more they might enjoy breakfast if they got up earlier and ate their breakfast slowly with their coffee while listening to their favorite recording artist. Might their day go a little smoother if they enjoyed their first meal? Years ago, I made an effort to do more of my own cooking, and though I don’t have the expertise of a professional chef, I actually find my meals to be more fulfilling than when I eat out at restaurants, even good ones. And I even lost weight. I have a collection of cookbooks now, including two which are actual textbooks for a culinary school which go beyond simple recipes and actually discuss cooking theory – something very useful for one wanting to experiment. And experiment I did, sometimes with disastrous results. I once tried making a casserole that ended up as a suitable substitute for reinforced concrete, requiring me to soak my casserole dish in citric acid. My culinary history is littered with such mishaps, but the overall experiences have been more than rewarding. They have enriched my life, and dare I say it, the lives of people I have cooked for. So, there you have it. Food is much more than something to quell our instinct to consume nutrition for survival. It is more integral to our everyday experience than most people realize. This goes to preparing as well as cooking it. I hope anyone reading this considered cracking open a recipe book and whipping up something in their kitchen. Watching friends and family members enjoy something you spent time, energy and love preparing makes it all worthwhile. |
| I've always had a fascination with Frank Herbert's Dune series of books. I found his universe strange, yet captivating, with people in it who have fired my imagination and even inspired my own attempts at speculative fiction. The different aristocratic houses, the bizarre cultures and weird races have made Dune a universe I have wanted to explore again and again. Though I was less impressed with Brian Herbert's continuation of the series, they are still entertaining. While I've been thirsting for a look at the new movie, it won't hit theaters until October, where it was pushed due to the pandemic. I've missed movies this past year, and I was looking forward to this one, especially given that it was directed by Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve is fast becoming one of my favorite directors, eclipsing even Ridley Scott and Christopher Nolan, though he's still relatively new on the scene. I expect great things from him. Which brings me to the central thing in the story, that which everyone seeks, the thing which must flow for the world to work. I'm talking about the vaccine, of course. I can't see this movie without it! I know it sounds puerile to complain about the distribution of a life-saving vaccine over a film when actual lives are at stake all over the world, but sometimes I grasp for normality in a world turned upside-down, and going to the movies is one way to feel normal. In a way, the spice is an allegory for the vaccine itself: a substance that everyone needs to the extent that the world stops without it. Frank Herbert perhaps meant it as an allegory for oil, but it works for many of the things we need. I just hope we don't end up going to war over vaccines; we seem to be fighting over just about everything else. Are you looking forward to Dune? Have you read the series' books? Fan of Villeneuve? The spice must flow. |
| It's a new year, and a new month, and it's about time I started adding to the blog here at the Cat. That, I'm tired of looking at those nagging "Update Your Blog!!!" notifications. So here's to sharing my thoughts and opinions on subjects of public and private interest, such as they are. The trouble is, I'm the kind of person who carefully considers his words before committing them to the ether (which is why I don't use Twitter, the platform of choice for those lacking any restraint). I end up pushing back, and pushing back until it's been months since I've shared anything online, and I've become irrelevant to the conversation. While I won't share something every day, I hope to at least pique the interest of anyone casting a glance this way and hopefully moving them to consider a subject from a whole new perspective. What else is a blog for? Thanks for reading! |
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