Two physicists
As is my habit, I downloaded the most recent podcast of the NPR program On Being. The program which was aired this week was an interview of and discussion with Dr. Frank Wilczek. “Dr Wilczek is the Herman Feshbach professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His books include The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether, and the Unification of Forces and A Beautiful Question: Finding Nature’s Deep Design.”
As Oxforddictionary.com reminds us physics is “The branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy.”
Physicists and those of trained in clinical psychology have a lot in common. Both observe/study systems and how all the pieces of a system fit and work together. Both physicists and those concerned with both the individual human being and the collective of human beings are observing and exploring how the smallest of pieces and the largest pieces form an interactional whole.
Both are also concerned with such concepts as harmony, beauty, and symmetry. Both are concerned with the fact that each piece contains the whole. Dr. Wilczek reminds us that:
“And I think that’s the essence of complementarity. You have to view the world in different ways to do it justice, and the different ways can each be very rich, can each be internally consistent, can each have its own language and rules, but they may be mutually incompatible, and to do full justice to reality, you have to take both of them into account.”
He also reminds us that:
“So what you learn in the theory of relativity is that when you look at a light beam of a different color, and you’re moving towards it, it gets shifted towards the blue end of the rainbow. So if it was red, it might become yellow, or green, or blue, or ultraviolet if you’re moving fast enough. And if you’re moving away, there’s what’s called the redshift. Things move towards the opposite end of the rainbow, towards — so all these colors can be derived from one of them by moving at an appropriate velocity. So really the existence of one implies the existence of all the others.”
One more brief quote from Dr. Wilczek will help us appreciate the second physicist to whom I want to introduce the reader.
“You can recognize a deep truth by the feature that its opposite is also a deep truth.”
Often the language of Dr. Wilczek is that of mathematics. As most of us know, math is simply a language or talk about relationships. Although mathematical formulas may seem complicated and obtuse at times, the most complicated of formulas are simply a dance using particular symbols to describe how parts play together.
Some visiting friends and I also observed and played minor roles in another dance last evening. My good friends, K and M, had come from Pittsburgh to St. Petersburg last night to celebrate my upcoming birthday. We had dinner at one of the many restaurants on Beach Drive where seating at one of the tables on the wide sidewalk is available. From the vantage point of one’s table one can observe the seemingly endless parade of humans who come in various ages, sizes, shapes and costumes. Many of the women were perched on very high, delightfully designed, but precarious heels. It also appeared to be prom night for some high school students. Sadly, missing was the richness of the obvious diversity which one would have observed in a similar neighborhood in Los Angeles where I recently visited my son.
For most of the more than two hours we sat eating and enjoying each other as only long-time friends can do, we also enjoyed the demonstration of basic mathematical formulas by a person named Richard.
Richard is this mid- to late mid-age, androgynous, person wearing an oversize, dress-like tee shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. Richard appeared to be a “regular” as he/she waving a hankie, gyrating hips and moving arms while inviting others to join a dance. The closeness of the gyrating hips and the openness of emotion and demeanor was a clear threat to the very real, but visually hidden protective cocoon which many wore even on this promenade. Some were very deliberate in non-verbally communicating that they did not identify with this “creature.” A few joined in the dance.
Richard came to our table to play with us, share our water and take advantage of the fresher hankie which masqueraded as a napkin. Richard also quipped about psychotropic medication, earlier being at a CASA fundraiser, and time in New York. He/she was very aware of the discomfort many were experiencing with her/his presence. At one point, Jimmy, the wait person, wanted to know if we were bothered by Richard and wanted him to discourage his/her presence. We assured him that we were fine.
Richard reminded all of us what some did not like being reminded of: that he/she was just a reflection of a part of us; that depending on one’s perspective he/she was either “crazy” or someone just having fun or acting as the court jesters who reveals the audience. In a style and costume which was different, Richard was putting on the same performance as that of President Obama and others at the annual White House Correspondence Dinner taking place last evening. The language of Richard might have been a bit more “colorful” and the costume a bit less stylish, but the essence of the importance of not taking ourselves so seriously was just as present. Richard also challenged us to confront the truth he was us and we are him/her. Just as Dr. Wilczek reminds us that “You can recognize a deep truth by the feature that its opposite is also a deep truth.” Richard just as surely reminded us that although he/she may have appeared to be unique and opposite of those carefully and expensively groomed “normals”(The Normals!), we were only a pulled threat away from our own nakedness.
The human dance reflects the universe just as the universe reflects the human dance.
I suspect that Dr. Wilczek could describe the dance of Richard and all those sidewalk participants in clear mathematical equations which could then communicate many larger truths about the “nature and property of matter and energy.” Richard’s performance was in fact Physics 101 outside the sometimes stuffiness of the classroom.
Written May 1, 2016
As is my habit, I downloaded the most recent podcast of the NPR program On Being. The program which was aired this week was an interview of and discussion with Dr. Frank Wilczek. “Dr Wilczek is the Herman Feshbach professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His books include The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether, and the Unification of Forces and A Beautiful Question: Finding Nature’s Deep Design.”
As Oxforddictionary.com reminds us physics is “The branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy.”
Physicists and those of trained in clinical psychology have a lot in common. Both observe/study systems and how all the pieces of a system fit and work together. Both physicists and those concerned with both the individual human being and the collective of human beings are observing and exploring how the smallest of pieces and the largest pieces form an interactional whole.
Both are also concerned with such concepts as harmony, beauty, and symmetry. Both are concerned with the fact that each piece contains the whole. Dr. Wilczek reminds us that:
“And I think that’s the essence of complementarity. You have to view the world in different ways to do it justice, and the different ways can each be very rich, can each be internally consistent, can each have its own language and rules, but they may be mutually incompatible, and to do full justice to reality, you have to take both of them into account.”
He also reminds us that:
“So what you learn in the theory of relativity is that when you look at a light beam of a different color, and you’re moving towards it, it gets shifted towards the blue end of the rainbow. So if it was red, it might become yellow, or green, or blue, or ultraviolet if you’re moving fast enough. And if you’re moving away, there’s what’s called the redshift. Things move towards the opposite end of the rainbow, towards — so all these colors can be derived from one of them by moving at an appropriate velocity. So really the existence of one implies the existence of all the others.”
One more brief quote from Dr. Wilczek will help us appreciate the second physicist to whom I want to introduce the reader.
“You can recognize a deep truth by the feature that its opposite is also a deep truth.”
Often the language of Dr. Wilczek is that of mathematics. As most of us know, math is simply a language or talk about relationships. Although mathematical formulas may seem complicated and obtuse at times, the most complicated of formulas are simply a dance using particular symbols to describe how parts play together.
Some visiting friends and I also observed and played minor roles in another dance last evening. My good friends, K and M, had come from Pittsburgh to St. Petersburg last night to celebrate my upcoming birthday. We had dinner at one of the many restaurants on Beach Drive where seating at one of the tables on the wide sidewalk is available. From the vantage point of one’s table one can observe the seemingly endless parade of humans who come in various ages, sizes, shapes and costumes. Many of the women were perched on very high, delightfully designed, but precarious heels. It also appeared to be prom night for some high school students. Sadly, missing was the richness of the obvious diversity which one would have observed in a similar neighborhood in Los Angeles where I recently visited my son.
For most of the more than two hours we sat eating and enjoying each other as only long-time friends can do, we also enjoyed the demonstration of basic mathematical formulas by a person named Richard.
Richard is this mid- to late mid-age, androgynous, person wearing an oversize, dress-like tee shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. Richard appeared to be a “regular” as he/she waving a hankie, gyrating hips and moving arms while inviting others to join a dance. The closeness of the gyrating hips and the openness of emotion and demeanor was a clear threat to the very real, but visually hidden protective cocoon which many wore even on this promenade. Some were very deliberate in non-verbally communicating that they did not identify with this “creature.” A few joined in the dance.
Richard came to our table to play with us, share our water and take advantage of the fresher hankie which masqueraded as a napkin. Richard also quipped about psychotropic medication, earlier being at a CASA fundraiser, and time in New York. He/she was very aware of the discomfort many were experiencing with her/his presence. At one point, Jimmy, the wait person, wanted to know if we were bothered by Richard and wanted him to discourage his/her presence. We assured him that we were fine.
Richard reminded all of us what some did not like being reminded of: that he/she was just a reflection of a part of us; that depending on one’s perspective he/she was either “crazy” or someone just having fun or acting as the court jesters who reveals the audience. In a style and costume which was different, Richard was putting on the same performance as that of President Obama and others at the annual White House Correspondence Dinner taking place last evening. The language of Richard might have been a bit more “colorful” and the costume a bit less stylish, but the essence of the importance of not taking ourselves so seriously was just as present. Richard also challenged us to confront the truth he was us and we are him/her. Just as Dr. Wilczek reminds us that “You can recognize a deep truth by the feature that its opposite is also a deep truth.” Richard just as surely reminded us that although he/she may have appeared to be unique and opposite of those carefully and expensively groomed “normals”(The Normals!), we were only a pulled threat away from our own nakedness.
The human dance reflects the universe just as the universe reflects the human dance.
I suspect that Dr. Wilczek could describe the dance of Richard and all those sidewalk participants in clear mathematical equations which could then communicate many larger truths about the “nature and property of matter and energy.” Richard’s performance was in fact Physics 101 outside the sometimes stuffiness of the classroom.
Written May 1, 2016
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