Pretty interesting that Physicists are starting to be able to reconcile the math in quantum mechanics removing the concept of time (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19726391.500-is-time-an-illusion.html?full=true). Based on my own experiences with time I've suspected it's illusory nature for a while. Funny enough for me, it started when I was thinking about the colloquialism "time flies when you're having fun" years ago. This illustrates that our own perception of time is completely flawed as we cannot measure it internally with any accuracy due to other events or activities our brains are involved with (how busy we are). This can be on the scale of seconds to years, "I can't believe your kid is 10 already!". Our body chemistry also effects this, take for instance when we're on an adrenaline rush. The opposite of that colloquialism then becomes true where a moment can seem like a lifetime. Of course this is only our perception.
However, our perception of the universe usually dictates how we decide to measure the universe both in space and time. As an extension of this perception we invented the concept of time since our brains are only capable of recalling all the correlations of events as cause and effect. Our measurement of the correlations or counting events is what we define as time. These events started with the observation of seasonal transitions, to the orbital period of the earth around the sun, and eventually evolved to breaking it down by measuring the vibrational frequencies of quartz crystal when stimulated by electricity (your digital watch), or atomic resonance frequency of cesium (atomic clocks).
How we observe time and formulate it in conventional physics is by representing it in equations a series of events measured in space. The time quantity in these equations is a simplification of the aggregation of correlated events in space assuming continuity. The continuity or glue for these correlations is what we also assume is related to time or other fundamental laws of nature. All these assumptions may not actually be correct. As brought up in the article attached, we can think of time more or less how we observe temperature. Temperature is an aggregation of the statistical probabilities of a set of particles with a random distribution of velocities. Using the concept of Temperature is much easier construct/simplification for us to deal with. Of course, although more accurate, relying on the statistical model would be far too complicated to be practical in everyday use. Similarly approaching time in a similar manner may have just been beyond our mathematical capabilities until now.
As another philosophical extension to this, it calls into question our concerns regarding the age of the universe, how it may have had a discrete start and will have a discrete ending of some kind. Our brains have a tough time reconciling the concept of infinite timelines. If the universe really has no element of time, that eliminates the entire debate. If the theory of the Big Bang still holds true, the removal of the time concept only implies that the information of the events that preceded it may be unavailable to us, not that the universe did not exist prior to the big bang. However, an exciting aspect of this could be that removing time has more potential of predicting the events that did proceed the big bang.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Master of your own destiny
Nick White got stuck in an elevator and ruined his life:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e1360a4a-0536-11de-8166-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1
A little cautious optimism would have gone a long way for this guy.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e1360a4a-0536-11de-8166-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1
A little cautious optimism would have gone a long way for this guy.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
No amount of stimulus
I realized last night after a discussion I had with Robbie that it's very likely that we're all going to be stuck in this morass for quite some time. The two of us are pretty much in the same boat: he bought his home 3 yrs ago and I bought mine 2 yrs ago. Both of us are confident that are homes are worth less now than they were when we bought them. We both put 5% down which is the most any first time home borrower could realistically do in the real estate market of the past 10 yrs. To achieve the goal of avoiding costly, unnecessary, and non-tax exempt mortgage insurance we took the 15% second mortgages pushed by our respective lenders at higher interest rates. We will be unable to take advantage of any reduction in interest rates to refinance and lower our monthly payments on our loans for at least several years. That will be when either we pay off enough equity or the housing market finishes it's correction.
Unfortunately, paying off the equity isn't in our best interest although we'd like it to be. Purchasing our homes was all done with what I call "fake money". Instruments that appeared to lower the effective value of the home by reducing payments, but in actuality raised the value. This was a natural response to the basic supply and demand principal. What I mean in this sense is that given the average home buyer can afford $X per month, if the interest rate is high they are willing to pay the $X which means the average price of a home is driven to be less than it would if the interest rate was lower. What was the cause of the lower interest rates? Of course it was the Fed manipulating the rates to prop the market up on a house of cards with short term goals in mind. This tradition was started under the Clinton administration, but was really the responsibility of Greenspan. Administrations prior to Bush contributed to the problem, but the Bush administration exacerbated it by such strong encouragement of the housing industry to compensate for the weakening economy everywhere else. Eventually this had to end. Unfortunately this is the key reason why we're in a global meltdown and is the highest form of irony I can think of. I wonder when the world will wake up.
This was known and is spilled milk that we're going to have to accept...can't rely on bailout...time will tell it's a incredible waste of money...market will have to correct itself...bailout could likely cause harmonic oscillation worsening the recovery... (more later)
With the uncertainties of today's market we're not going to pay down these 2nd mortgages any faster. Every dollar we put into them is real money thrown away, which we can't get back for several years, and every dollar of real money is what will last us a moment longer when we lose our jobs.
The only solution will be to encourage a short-term boost in inflation to readjust the market, and increase interest rates... (more later)
Unfortunately, paying off the equity isn't in our best interest although we'd like it to be. Purchasing our homes was all done with what I call "fake money". Instruments that appeared to lower the effective value of the home by reducing payments, but in actuality raised the value. This was a natural response to the basic supply and demand principal. What I mean in this sense is that given the average home buyer can afford $X per month, if the interest rate is high they are willing to pay the $X which means the average price of a home is driven to be less than it would if the interest rate was lower. What was the cause of the lower interest rates? Of course it was the Fed manipulating the rates to prop the market up on a house of cards with short term goals in mind. This tradition was started under the Clinton administration, but was really the responsibility of Greenspan. Administrations prior to Bush contributed to the problem, but the Bush administration exacerbated it by such strong encouragement of the housing industry to compensate for the weakening economy everywhere else. Eventually this had to end. Unfortunately this is the key reason why we're in a global meltdown and is the highest form of irony I can think of. I wonder when the world will wake up.
This was known and is spilled milk that we're going to have to accept...can't rely on bailout...time will tell it's a incredible waste of money...market will have to correct itself...bailout could likely cause harmonic oscillation worsening the recovery... (more later)
With the uncertainties of today's market we're not going to pay down these 2nd mortgages any faster. Every dollar we put into them is real money thrown away, which we can't get back for several years, and every dollar of real money is what will last us a moment longer when we lose our jobs.
The only solution will be to encourage a short-term boost in inflation to readjust the market, and increase interest rates... (more later)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
People don't get it
Ack, I can't believe this is for real: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4632991n
This seems wrong on so many levels. It reminds me of smokers who act like they relish the fact that they are completely addicted to cigarettes and will die of cancer then joke about it. That would be a little less sad if my parents weren't two of these kind of people and they'll be taken from my life and their only grandaughter's life decades before their time.
Not a single person in the video looked healthy (other than the waitresses who were definitely healthy).
If this weren't for real, I'd say it was a perfect satire of what's wrong with the eating habits of the typical American today.
This seems wrong on so many levels. It reminds me of smokers who act like they relish the fact that they are completely addicted to cigarettes and will die of cancer then joke about it. That would be a little less sad if my parents weren't two of these kind of people and they'll be taken from my life and their only grandaughter's life decades before their time.
Not a single person in the video looked healthy (other than the waitresses who were definitely healthy).
If this weren't for real, I'd say it was a perfect satire of what's wrong with the eating habits of the typical American today.
Another instance of abuse of authority
College student gets arrested for taking a picture of a subway train and resisted destroying the photos. Yet another instance of officers on a power trip abusing their authority with disregard of common sense so they can put the screws to citizens like you and me.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18about.html?_r=3
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18about.html?_r=3
Praising wisdom
This is an interesting lecture I came across given by Barry Schwarz. In it, he discusses the perceptions we have of our occupations and the basis for how many people make decisions. Unfortunately there is very little reward in our society today given to people who make the "right" or wise decision. Too much encouragement is given in the way of financially rewarding decisions regardless of their wisdom, for instance the CEO who meets short term profit goals sacrificing longer term benefits to the company or economy.
The best thing I came away from this with is the need to focus on developing respect for ourselves and those around us. Teach your kids the importance of this and the importance of character. This will lay the foundation which will make their journey for learning self-emboldened.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/barry_schwartz_on_our_loss_of_wisdom.html
The best thing I came away from this with is the need to focus on developing respect for ourselves and those around us. Teach your kids the importance of this and the importance of character. This will lay the foundation which will make their journey for learning self-emboldened.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Mobile Revenue Collection Service
I hate bringing this up, because at this point it's just sad, but I got pulled over again by one of our fine Mobile Revenue Collection agents. Some people have traditionally called these traffic cops. This now makes 5 times in the past year I've been pulled over for minor infractions compared with about 3 prior years without incident. I don't believe this is a chance coincidence with the state of many municipalities experiencing budget shortcomings in our current economic climate. I will choose to think of these formerly known officers as collection agents as in each instance they were not performing duties in the capacity of serving public safety. In this last instance the agent in question risked my personal safety and created an increased risk for a traffic collision on I-5 during rush hour.
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