the Doctor (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
guitar_hero) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
genessia2017-11-14 01:10 pm
guitar_hero) wrote in genessia2017-11-14 01:10 pm
Entry tags:
[Action/Video]
[he paces in front of the lecture hall, a little bit late and sipping from a bottle of water. After a moment he sets it to the side and sits on the edge of his desk]
Well it seems like things have gotten back to normal since the holiday. I know I had a stint with being somewhat undead for a while-- not reccomended unless you like high stakes.
[a beat of silence]
That was a joke. Anyway. [he picks up a peice of chalk and whirls to write on the board]
Today we're going to talk about something that effects each and every sentient thing on the planet but in a completely different and unique way.
[he writes the 'R E A L I T Y' on the board and underlines it a few times before turning back to the lecture hall]
What is this? No, seriously. What is reality? How do you define it? That's not precisely a rhetorical question since I'll expect essays on the topic but lets look at how others percieve it.
First, let's turn to the old bugaboo of the scientific world. Religion.
Yes I felt that shudder and I can see the looks on your faces. Professor, I hear you saying, this is a quantum physics class. What in the world can religion teach us about reality?
Plenty! Whatever your belief system or lack thereof, religion is the very earliest way beings come to understand the world around them and, more importantly, [he taps his temple with the chalk] transmit ideas.
Let's look at Buddhism. According to the Theravada sect, the Buddha said:
"The world exists because of causal actions, all things are produced by causal actions and all beings are governed and bound by causal actions. They are fixed like the rolling wheel of a cart, fixed by the pin of its axle shaft."
Reality, in this philosophy, is created by actions. You can argue about the intent of inevitability, or of fixed points or the circular nature, but insofar as reality in and of itself-- Some Buddhist thought can be summed up as: It acts therefore it exists. Hence, reality.
But according to the Mahayana sect, the Buddha said:
"There is grief but none suffering,
There is no doer though there is action.
There is quietude but none tranquil.
There is the path but none walks upon the path"
In other words, it seems to me, reality simply exists and we are in it. Things just are and therefore they are. Hence, reality.
From the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, Mipham Rinpoche said:
"The real sky is (knowing) that samsara and nirvana are merely an illusory display"
Reality is an illusion. A dream. We experience it with our senses, therefore it exists. Hence, reality?
So we have three similar yet different ideas of trying to understand the nature of reality within the framework of one religion.
But the point is, what are the fundemental laws these philosophers are trying to understand and communicate.
[he turns and writes these on the board as well]
Action.
Non-Action. Or perhaps, stillness.
Perception.
So let's look at it from a Quantum Mechanics angle which is honestly what we're here for.
The world of our perception is just a projection of an high dimensional configuration space. We see the what is around us, what we can feel and hear and taste and touch and so on-- but there are also things outside of perception that exist regardless of our being able to percieve it.
Another idea from the Quantim Mechanics angle is that the very act of observing an object effects it in some way. The Observer Effect. Not a particularly clever title, I grant you-- but to give an example--
Let's look at a thermometer. [he holds up a glass thermometer, rather ordinary looking and sets it in a bottle of water he has.] Now we wait. Feel free to text or play Candy Smasher or whatever it is...
[after a moment he seems satisified and pulls the the thermometer out]
A nice warm 23c, or 75 degrees for people who don't understand Celsius. Or 16.999803 Apple Squared for those who live in certain moons in the Betelgeuse Quadrant-- I wouldn't recommend saying that three times fast by the way.
Anyway, obviously something has changed. The thermometer has risen. But the water? Looks fairly normal. No visual changes. No audial. It feels the same, likely tastes the same. But in order for a mercury thermometer to work it has to absorb some heat from that which it's measuring. And so with the tools we use to measure a property to understand it changes the object itself.
So what is the crux of this? To understand Quantum Physics and the universe at large you need to expand your mind and level of thinking. [he draws his two pointer fingers in the air, away from his head as if giving a visual representation]
You have to step outside yourself and yet understand what your own perceptions are telling you and hiding from you, and also to understand that there are things that happen that no one knows and yet still happen with no one to percieve it.
For example if a dead tree falls on a dead world and there is no one to hear it or see it, it still falls. It is still reality. [he sits on the corner of his desk and raises his eyebrows] Or is it?
Questions?
Well it seems like things have gotten back to normal since the holiday. I know I had a stint with being somewhat undead for a while-- not reccomended unless you like high stakes.
[a beat of silence]
That was a joke. Anyway. [he picks up a peice of chalk and whirls to write on the board]
Today we're going to talk about something that effects each and every sentient thing on the planet but in a completely different and unique way.
[he writes the 'R E A L I T Y' on the board and underlines it a few times before turning back to the lecture hall]
What is this? No, seriously. What is reality? How do you define it? That's not precisely a rhetorical question since I'll expect essays on the topic but lets look at how others percieve it.
First, let's turn to the old bugaboo of the scientific world. Religion.
Yes I felt that shudder and I can see the looks on your faces. Professor, I hear you saying, this is a quantum physics class. What in the world can religion teach us about reality?
Plenty! Whatever your belief system or lack thereof, religion is the very earliest way beings come to understand the world around them and, more importantly, [he taps his temple with the chalk] transmit ideas.
Let's look at Buddhism. According to the Theravada sect, the Buddha said:
"The world exists because of causal actions, all things are produced by causal actions and all beings are governed and bound by causal actions. They are fixed like the rolling wheel of a cart, fixed by the pin of its axle shaft."
Reality, in this philosophy, is created by actions. You can argue about the intent of inevitability, or of fixed points or the circular nature, but insofar as reality in and of itself-- Some Buddhist thought can be summed up as: It acts therefore it exists. Hence, reality.
But according to the Mahayana sect, the Buddha said:
"There is grief but none suffering,
There is no doer though there is action.
There is quietude but none tranquil.
There is the path but none walks upon the path"
In other words, it seems to me, reality simply exists and we are in it. Things just are and therefore they are. Hence, reality.
From the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, Mipham Rinpoche said:
"The real sky is (knowing) that samsara and nirvana are merely an illusory display"
Reality is an illusion. A dream. We experience it with our senses, therefore it exists. Hence, reality?
So we have three similar yet different ideas of trying to understand the nature of reality within the framework of one religion.
But the point is, what are the fundemental laws these philosophers are trying to understand and communicate.
[he turns and writes these on the board as well]
Action.
Non-Action. Or perhaps, stillness.
Perception.
So let's look at it from a Quantum Mechanics angle which is honestly what we're here for.
The world of our perception is just a projection of an high dimensional configuration space. We see the what is around us, what we can feel and hear and taste and touch and so on-- but there are also things outside of perception that exist regardless of our being able to percieve it.
Another idea from the Quantim Mechanics angle is that the very act of observing an object effects it in some way. The Observer Effect. Not a particularly clever title, I grant you-- but to give an example--
Let's look at a thermometer. [he holds up a glass thermometer, rather ordinary looking and sets it in a bottle of water he has.] Now we wait. Feel free to text or play Candy Smasher or whatever it is...
[after a moment he seems satisified and pulls the the thermometer out]
A nice warm 23c, or 75 degrees for people who don't understand Celsius. Or 16.999803 Apple Squared for those who live in certain moons in the Betelgeuse Quadrant-- I wouldn't recommend saying that three times fast by the way.
Anyway, obviously something has changed. The thermometer has risen. But the water? Looks fairly normal. No visual changes. No audial. It feels the same, likely tastes the same. But in order for a mercury thermometer to work it has to absorb some heat from that which it's measuring. And so with the tools we use to measure a property to understand it changes the object itself.
So what is the crux of this? To understand Quantum Physics and the universe at large you need to expand your mind and level of thinking. [he draws his two pointer fingers in the air, away from his head as if giving a visual representation]
You have to step outside yourself and yet understand what your own perceptions are telling you and hiding from you, and also to understand that there are things that happen that no one knows and yet still happen with no one to percieve it.
For example if a dead tree falls on a dead world and there is no one to hear it or see it, it still falls. It is still reality. [he sits on the corner of his desk and raises his eyebrows] Or is it?
Questions?
[Action]
[But she's wearing a great miniskirt, and all proud of herself.... and giggles at high stakes. >:3 Puns.]
[She mouths "16.999803 Apple Squared for those who live in certain moons in the Betelgeuse Quadrant" 3 times fast just to tease him, if he notices.]
[Questions...]
[Ehhhhhhhhhhh.]
[ROSE JUST POUTS.]
Reality's overrated. [Did she say that out loud?]
[Action]
Care to elaborate?
[Action]
[Also she totally giggles about Beetlejuice. Ohhhh.]
[A SHRUG.]
Too physical, too permanent. [LEANS BACK IN HER SEAT, playing the pen to her mouth again. Bad habit.] In reality things happen and stick. Surreality, Virtual reality, All the Non-physical realities and other dimensions allow for more flexibility. [STRETCHES HER ARMS BACK FOR EMPHASIS :D] If you make a mistake in a dream, it doesn't run the risk of getting your friends killed, you can try again moments later.
[Action]
Re: [Action]
[But she leans forward, chin in hands.]
Yeah, that latter, that's what I'm saying!
Wait.
Are you saying pixels should be given the same weight as biology? That fiction is the same as reality? Because I know you're a bit mad, but that's a smidge far.
[Action]
Are you saying pixels shouldn't be given the same weight? An artificial intelligence, no matter how simplistic, is still an intelligence.
[Action]
[Action]
[Action] I LAUGHED SO HARD FUCK
[STAAAAAAAAAAAAAARES.]
Doctor... when was the last time you spent company around... oh... people?
[She loves you, really.]
[Action]
[he takes another sip of water and regards her]
Even if you can't believe it, think theoretically. What if-- What if we are stories? What if pixels can live and die? What if when we look into the abyss, it looks back, and understands?
[Action]
[PUFFS AND THINKS.]
Without even fiction, nothing can expand or grow or learn. Simulation is to prevent reality from bein' too painful.
Brings me back to my point. Reality sucks.
[Action]
Beyond all that-- [he thinks a moment, then goes ahead] Fiction can only help you expand or grow or learn if you apply it to the reality that is outside of your control. Bury yourself in simulation? You learn nothing. It can be painful. It can be like punching through a wall made of diamond to get to that beautiful reality you hope to have. That freedom. That ability to take a breath.
But finally, when you do get there, even if your body hurts and your mind is scarred and the struggle is permanently etched into your brain-- the relief is all the sweeter having made it and fought through the difficult parts.
[Action]
[She blinks and smiles softly.]
All freedom has to be bought. It's not the pain that troubles me.
[But she has to look away, because what DOES trouble her... troubles her still so much she can't bear it, and thus wanting to run away into fiction.]
[She buries her face in her arm temporarily, fighting everything.]
All that's easy when you have --
[God damn it, she's breaking already.]
[She bites her cheek HARD.]
Friends. Waiting for you. Hopefully... not in... another reality.
[Don't look at her, or she'll run away to the bathroom okay? Fuck you.]
[Action]
[Action]
[text]
Though that's not half so impressive an illumination as telling your students that, to understand things, they'll have to think more expansively. Where would they be without you?
[He loves you, Doctor. This is just the annoying way he shows it.]
[text] Because I can't resist
whenhow did the Doctor explain that?[text] there there
[text] XD
[... No, you know what, she wants to see the Doctor try to rectify this, even though she kind of suspects he simply won't.]
Yes, you're very smart.
[video]
To be clear to those who weren't paying sufficient attention, the Observer Effect means the act of observing using a tool changes the object being observed. For example, at least be 21st century Earth technology, in order to "observe" an electron, a photon must interact with it, changing the path of that electron.
A clever man, which I know you are, might then interject, are not eyes tools? Does it not apply? It does indeed. But eyes are not the only things at play here.
In order to test the theory of whether or not a pot of water will boil while being observed, you must add heat to the water in order for the observation to take place. Not only does it change one aspect of the object being observed, which is to say temperature. [he gestures with the thermometer] Some of it transforms into a completely different state: steam.
But! Oh, clever student, let's think expansively. Because that's not the only Observer Effect at play here. In order to test if a pot of water will boil when watched, you have to watch it. While watching it, generally speaking, time itself will have seemed to slow down. If you're particularly keen, every minute might feel like an hour as you wait to see the results of your experiment. Time changes.
Since, for example, if you were to not watch a pot of water and instead, oh, I don't know, played a rousing game of Monopoly, time would move much quicker. A few minutes might seem like one or even a few seconds. [he chuckles] Or even hours if you're playing a particularly bad game of Monopoly.
Now, of course if you were to measure the time it takes to boil water, it is going to be the same five or so minutes, depending on temperature etc, whether you are watching it or not. However, how you perceive it will certainly change. So the observer themselves are not immune to the Observer Effect.
So perhaps, it could be said that while you are staring into the pot of water waiting to boil, the pot of water waiting to boil is, in some way, staring back into you.
[video]
While yer staring into a kettle waiting it to boil, the kettle stares back into you.
Re: [text] XD
[It's a text, so he can't be heard laughing.]
Thank you. If I might ask a question in kind: why cut yourself off on a text?
[He's 99% sure that's what "backspace" is for.]
[Video]
I see, and in seeing, indelibly alter what's seen.
So we've come full circle. The Observer Effect effects the observer; our aims for objectivity are all but dashed! There's no escaping it, is there? Our eyes remain firmly lodged in our heads. Man cannot--however the Buddhists try--remove themselves from their own equations.
Ah well, probably for the best. Men can go mad if they try that too ardently.
Re: [text] XD
I hit send before I could delete it.
I'm
dumb[Deleted!]an idiot[Deleted for the same reason; because the Doctor will get annoyed at her talking herself down!] reckless like that. Or impulsive. Whichever.[Video]
Re: [Video]
If they can, I'm relatively certain they shouldn't. Look at things disinterestedly, I mean. Treat subjects like objects.
[He pauses, something grave passing over his features.]
Good God, that may have been where Genessia went really wrong.
[Video]
But maybe they've developed a way to look at things and to just look. With no emotion. Seeing what is there without seeing. Coexisting with the focus without changing.
[which was good philosophy... but sod that]
But that we're actually here as some sort of speci of lab rat or an experiment... that would assume there was someone watching... And what better way to see what we're up to. [he taps the communicator] We go ahead and tell them.
Re: [Video]
Goodness; the way a basilisk or gorgon might look, perhaps. An inhuman, petrifying gaze that's sure to harden both the viewer and viewed.
I'd impute to Genessia more nobler, or at least more desperate motivations than that. Somehow I think the world needs more than satisfied curiosity.
[Video]
What makes you think so?
Re: [Video]
Well, charity, for one. Got to think what good you can of others, as reason permits. For another, I've seen my fair share of, you know, dramas and plays and things. Does this strike you as something farcical or a more solemn genre?
[If Ted were the kind of person he was a few years ago, "farce" would, in fact, be his go-to.]
Finally, I've had the fortune to meet one of the spirits here. The leading kind, not the, you know. More deranged variety. A vulnerable and desperate disposition was the impression I got. One gets the sense this whole enterprise is very fragile, and they're trying their best to hold the house of cards together.
[Video]
[this is something he had not heard before]
How did you meet them?
Re: [Video]
I'd, heh, say it depends upon the intention of the playwright, not the moodiness of the audience--or, actors--, else you'll wind up like those silly people who think Romeo & Juliet's a romance.
[How to say this in a way that doesn't seem like self-flattery...]
They came out during the first calamity involving the other spirits. Rarely seen; suppose it was a desperate measure for a desperate time.
[Video]
[just saying]
So I may have to wait for another calamity. [or trigger a very centralized one. Hmmm]
Re: [Video]
Eheh, let's hope that's patient work...
[Video]
Though calamities can be useful if they can be contained... [hmm]
Re: [Video]
[He knows he'll regret asking. But hey, he's optimistic! Surely someone as involved in world and/or universe saving as The Doctor wouldn't do anything to go the other way.]
[Video]