Hallelujah

The Tao of Physics

Published in 1975, The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra is an exploration of the parallels between modern physics and eastern mysticism.

Capra’s book contrasts modern physics and the religious and philosophical traditions of the Far East, including traditions from Hindu, Buddhist, or Taoist tradition while modern physics focuses on quantum theory and relativity theory. 

The roots of physics, as of all Western science, is found in the first period of Greek philosophy in the sixth century BC, where a culture of religion and science were not separated. Only later did the dualism of the separation of spirit and matter become characteristic of Western philosophy. Capra explains that Western culture and science led to a separation of mind and body, I Think Therefore I Exist. The identity with the mind instead of the whole organism flourished. This thinking led to a “world out there, separate from me” and a “me versus anything out there” view. It leads to a view of I Am Important and Separate From Nature. This tree is a tree, and it’s not connected to me. (In my opinion, this way of divisive thinking has led to the destruction of our earth and climate change). Eastern traditions, however, emphasize the basic unity of the Universe – an aim to become aware of all things and the mutual inter-relational aspect of all things, to transcend the notion of an isolated reality. 

Throughout history, it’s been acknowledged that the human mind is capable of two kinds of knowledge: the rational and the intuitive, and have traditionally been associated with science and religion, respectively. In the West, the intuitive is devalued, whereas the traditional Eastern attitude is generally the opposite. 

Classical Physics 

Before we dive into quantum physics, let’s back up to classical physics, which quantum physics is built upon. The stage of the Newtonian universe was the three-dimensional space, always at rest and unchangeable. All changes in the physical world were described in terms of a separate dimension, called time, which again was absolute, having no connection with the material world and flowing smoothly from the past to the present to the future. Newton stated that mathematical time was absolute and true and flows universally, without regard to anything external. The material particles moved through absolute time, and absolute space and Newton saw these as small, solid, and indestructible objects which all matter was made of. Newton said these particles were created by God and not subject to further analysis. The universe was set in motion and continued to run ever since, like a machine, governed by immutable laws. This is a mechanistic view of nature, rigorous determinism. Everything had a definite cause and gave rise to a definite effect with absolute certainty. 

Yet it was less than a hundred years later that a new physical reality was discovered which showed the limitations of the Newtonian model apparent and showed that none of its features had absolute validity. 

Michael Faraday and Clerk Maxwell discovered a force called the field. When looking at the interaction between a positive and a negative charge, they found each charge creates a ‘disturbance’ or a ‘condition’, in the space around it so that the other charge, when it is present, feels a force. The condition in space which has the potential of producing a force is called a field. It exists whether or not another charge is brought in to feel its effect. Today we know that radio waves, light waves or X-rays, are all electromagnetic waves, differing only in the frequency of their oscillation, and that visible light that we see is only a tiny fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum.

 Then came Einstein with his relativity theory that space is not three-dimensional and time is not a separate entity: both are intimately connected and form a four-dimensional continuum, ‘space-time’. We could no longer talk about space without talking about time and time is not a universal flow. Different observers will order events differently in time if they move with different velocities relative to the observed events. Time is relative. Now we understand that mass is nothing but a form of energy, and even an object at rest (like a rock) has energy stored in its mass. 

Rutherford came along and discovered that atoms consist of vast regions of space in which extremely small particles - the electrons - moved around the nucleus, bound to it by electric forces. It’s not easy to get a sense of how small atoms are, so here’s a mind blowing visualization:

Imagine an orange blown up to the size of the Earth. The atoms of the orange will then have the size of actual cherries. Myriads of cherries tightly packed into the globe of the size of Earth – that’s how small atoms are. But, wait. Atoms, these previously described insanely small particles, are HUGE compared to the nucleus in its center. In the cherry-sized atom, the nucleus of an atom will be so small we couldn’t see it. To see the nucleus, we would have to blow up the atom to the size of the biggest dome in the world. In an atom the size of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, the nucleus would be the size of a grain of salt! And in and between that grain of salt and the dome is vast space. Most atoms are made of an insanely large amount of space. 

Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg and a few others shaped one of the most exciting periods in modern science, when they brought into our knowledge - the strange and unexpected reality of the subatomic world. They kept asking questions and nature answered with a paradox.

The subatomic units of matter are very abstract entities which have a dual aspect. Depending on how we look at them, they appear sometimes as particles, sometimes as waves; and this dual nature is the same for light – which can be a wave or a particle. At the subatomic level, matter does not exist with certainty at definite places, but rather shows ‘tendencies to exist’, and atomic events do not occur with certainty at definite times and in definite ways, but rather show ‘tendencies to occur’. This is mind-blowing: nothing was definite. Matter, made up of subatomic particles, couldn’t exist with certainty but just had a tendency to exist. 

Quantum theory said objects dissolve into wave-like patterns of probabilities, and these probabilities are interconnected. Remember at the beginning of this essay, the Far East traditions stated everything was interconnected. More on that later. 

Quantum theory reveals a basic oneness of the universe because we cannot decompose the world into small units, nothing is isolated building blocks, but rather appears as a complicated web of relations between the various parts of the whole. Everything is interrelated. On top of everything being interrelated, these relations always include the observer in an essential way. The human observer affects these interactions. Therefore the “I and the World” view is no longer valid because nature cannot be spoken about without speaking about ourselves: it’s all interconnected. 

Quantum physics shows that the properties of a particle can only be understood in terms of its activity – of its interaction with the surrounding environment – and that the particle, therefore, cannot be seen as an isolated entity, but has to be understood as an integrated part of the whole. There exists nothing independently, it’s all part of the whole.

In modern physics, the universe is thus experienced as a dynamic, inseparable whole which always includes the observer in an essential way. 

So, we’ve learned the tenets of quantum theory: everything is interconnected, the observer affects the interactions, there exist only probabilities and tendencies. Now, let’s turn our focus to the Far East traditions and see what the ancient texts have revealed and how that relates to modern physics.

More on The Tao of Physics 

 Peace is more valuable than companionship.

-- TommyBoy44 

“Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

-- Macbeth, Act 5, scene 5, lines 23–27

Macbeth

Have you forgotten how the story of Macbeth goes? Never read it? Even if you’ve never read it, here it is in 1252 words. Impress your friends! Confound your enemies! Show them how bloody smart you are by quoting Shakespeare.

Okay, here we go with the five sentence short version. Macbeth is a Scottish  nobleman and an initially valiant military man. After a supernatural prophecy and the urging of his wife, Lady Macbeth, Lord Macbeth assassinates the king and assumes the throne of Scotland. He thereafter lives in anxiety and fear, unable to rest or to trust his nobles. He leads a reign of terror until defeated by his former ally McDuff. The throne is then restored to the rightful heir, the murdered King Duncan's son, Malcolm.

Now, for the longer version. The  play begins amid a bloody civil war in Scotland, where Macbeth is first introduced as a valorous and loyal general with the title of Thane of Glamis (which he inherited from his father Sinel) serving under King Duncan, who gives a colourful and extensive exaltation of Macbeth's prowess and valor in battle. Macbeth is Scotland's hero and is undefeated in war. Macbeth's most admirable trait is bravery, "For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name", "O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman", in Scene 4, "worthiest" and "Like valour’s minion" to convey that Macbeth is bravery's favourite and extremely courageous. Macbeth is proven to be the ultimate warrior, "brandished", "carved" and "unseamed". His courageousness is also suggested, "Bellona’s bridegroom", comparing Macbeth to the Roman god of war, Mars. This gives Macbeth a legendary and epic status. When the battle is won, largely due to Macbeth and his lieutenant Banquo, the Thane of Lochaber, Duncan honors his generals with high praise and sends the messenger Ross to deliver Macbeth his reward: the title of Thane of Cawdor, since its previous holder was to be executed for betraying Scotland and siding with the enemy. In Scene 2, Shakespeare foreshadows who Macbeth will become, "Go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth".

Macbeth and Banquo wander onto a heath following the conflict, where they encounter three witches who greet them with prophecies. They address Macbeth first, hailing him as Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, and that he shall be King afterwards, while Banquo is hailed as a father to a line of kings, though he himself will never rule. Macbeth's reaction was one of consumption and fixation, "rapt withal" and "look how our partner’s rapt". The word 'rapt', showing how Macbeth is obsessed with the witches' powers and is tempted by their predictions. Then, as they turn to leave, Macbeth calls out "tell me more", meaning that he's interested in their abilities. In Macbeth's letter to his wife, he explains that he "burned in desire to question them further".

Shakespeare also presents Macbeth as a very determined character who wants to control his own fate, rather than letting it be for the witches to decide. The line "Your children shall be kings" proves that Macbeth is already plotting and "horrible imaginings" demonstrates that Macbeth is already thinking of committing the greatest sacrilege of them all – regicide – despite this act will damn him to hell for eternity. This conveys how single-minded Macbeth can be.

These responses are the antithesis of Banquo's, who knew that the witches were forces of evil and shouldn't be trusted – "can the Devil speak true?” – whereas Shakespeare presents Macbeth in this scene as if he could be corrupted and his allegiance could shift, due to his state of moral conflict – "nothing is but what is not".

As the witches disappear, Ross arrives and presents Macbeth with his new title, but it becomes apparent that Macbeth has already begun to consider murdering Duncan and taking his place as king. (In medieval times and in the Elizabethan  era, plans to murder royalty were punishable by death.) He states that the kingship will fall into his lap by luck alone and that he will not have to take any action to fulfill the witches' last prophecy: "If chance may have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir". Macbeth becomes fixated on the prophecy, ignoring Banquo's advice that "oftentimes to win us to our harm these instruments of darkness tell us truths…to betray us in deepest consequence".

When he returns home, Lady Macbeth tries to convince him to kill Duncan. Macbeth at first refuses but changes his mind when she accuses him of cowardice. This suggests that Macbeth could be easily manipulated and his wife, and the witches, could see this flaw in him. When Macbeth says, "I am settled", this is the beginning of his fall from greatness, as Scotland's best defender to its nemesis. Giving in to his ambition, he kills Duncan and plants evidence of the regicide on two guards, whom he also kills. He hears voices that say "Macbeth shall sleep no more. Macbeth does murder sleep". He acknowledges that only the innocent sleep and that sleep is "the balm of hurt minds". The king's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, fear they will be blamed for Duncan's death and flee the country. Macbeth is then crowned king.

Shakespeare cleverly compares Macbeth to Lucifer, who started out as the Morning Star, the highest and brightest one could go, but greed overtook him and he fell to become Satan, "angels are bright still, though the brightest fell". The similarities of the Devil and Macbeth are that Macbeth wanted to rise up the Great Chain of Being but, in trying, became the most hated man in Scotland.

Macbeth becomes a tyrant, brutally stamping out any real or perceived threats to his power. He believes himself to be beyond redemption, "in blood stepp'd in so far, that, ... returning were as tedious as go o'er". Macbeth decides to hire two murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance, with a Third Murderer sent later to assist. Banquo is murdered, but Fleance survives. Macbeth goes to the witches for counsel, and their initial prophecy is for him to fear Macduff. However, they subsequently state that he will not be defeated "until Birnam wood move to high Dunsinane," and that "no man of woman born" may harm him. Macbeth takes this to mean that he is invincible. Nevertheless, Macbeth decides to get rid of Macduff and sends assassins to kill him and his entire family. Macduff escapes harm, but his wife, her young son and their entire household are brutally murdered. MacDuff swears revenge and joins forces with Malcolm to overthrow Macbeth.

In Act V, Lady Macbeth is overcome with guilt; she dies and it is later postulated that she committed suicide. Now completely alone, Macbeth laments that life is a "tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." By the end of the play Macbeth learns that the witches' second set of prophecies have hidden meanings: Malcolm's army carries shields made from Birnam wood to Macbeth's fortress in Dunsinane, and Macduff reveals that he was prematurely removed from his mother's womb, meaning that he technically was not "of woman born". Beaten but still defiant, Macbeth declares, "Lay on Macduff, and damned be he who first cries, hold, enough!" In the ensuing duel, Macduff kills Macbeth and cuts off his head, mirroring how Macbeth himself decapitated the traitor Macdonald at the beginning of the play.

On stage and film, Macbeth has been portrayed by many famous actors, including Sean Connery, Laurence Olivier, Christopher Eccleston, Michael Rosenbaum, Alan Cumming, Sam Worthington, Orson Welles, Dakota Goodwin, Ian McKellen, Toshiro Mifune, Nicol Williamson, Jon Finch, Daniel Day-Lewis, James McAvoy, Jeremy Brett, Charlton Heston, Peter O'Toole, Patrick Stewart, Dwij Vasavada, Jason Connery,Irrfan Khan, Alec Baldwin, Ethan Hawke, Michael Fassbender, Kenneth Branagh, John Simm, Denzel Washington and Daniel Craig. A variation of the character was voiced by John Rhys-Davies in Gargoyles.

O Fortuna!

Carmina Burana is an opera written by German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982). Famous for its opening chorus "O Fortuna," Orff derived the opera from ancient poems that explore universal human themes of fate, the joys of life, and the revelry of drinking, gambling, and love. The work was first performed at the Frankfurt Opera in 1937, and its powerful rhythms and dramatic scope have made it a staple of classical music.

The collection of poems, songs, and dramatic texts, also known as the Codex Buranus, was compiled in the 13th century. The poems are written in Latin and vernacular languages and are attributed to "goliards," groups of itinerant students and clerics known for their satire and love of earthly pleasures. The texts cover a range of topics, including springtime festivities, the court of love, and satirical observations on society.

The oratorio premiered in 1937 and became his most famous work, with Orff considering it the beginning of his collected works.  It is characterized by its powerful, dramatic nature, featuring a large orchestra, a significant battery of percussion instruments, and a large chorus. The opening movement, "O Fortuna," is instantly recognizable for its pulsating rhythms and dramatic build and used in popular culture to evoke dramatic or epic moments. The work's continued popularity stems from its relatable themes of life's fortunes and misfortunes, connecting the medieval world to the present.

Carmina Burana is part of a trilogy with two other works, Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite, all inspired by themes from Greek and medieval theatre.

A Story of Time and Space

Xylanthia is the first book of a unique science fiction trilogy by yours truly, Thomas C. Stone. The story focuses on two replacement members of a scientific team exploring a habitable moon as it orbits a gas giant at Sirius A. Mackenzie Maguire is a rookie scientist and Chef is just a cook, but both end up trying to survive as the expedition spins out of control. Xylanthia contains action, intrigue, and danger within a fantastic story that stretches the limits of the imagination. Xylanthia is intended to be read by a general audience; PG-13 for drug use, mild sexual references, and violence. 

The Xylanthia trilogy is a wild ride offering visions of a universe that go beyond understanding, all while carrying the reader along with compelling characters, both good and bad, a story-line that moves like a freight train, and enough action to satisfy battle-hardened sci-fi fans. Of course, that's just my opinion! You need to read it for yourself to make sure I'm not exaggerating.

Available at most online book retailers as an ebook or industrial paperback. Here's the link to Amazon. 

Lastly, I hope you enjoy Xylanthia and thanks for reading!