Saturday, March 20

It's Summertime... almost...

Once the middle of March passes, any cold weather is for the most part gone until way after the fall...  and, while the temps may dip down into the 40's at night or only increase to in the 50's during the day, it is still considered to be T-shirt weather and Spring is here...  actually, today is considered to be the FIRST DAY OF SPRING where the night hours are just as long as the daylight hours.

Once this day arrives for us in East TN, it is time to take the deck furniture out of storage and arrange on the deck under the gazebo...  even though we may continue to get rain showers and thunderstorms because we can cover up the furniture with tarps like we have done when adverse summer weather arrives.

However, we will not open our pool for another month because as soon as we open it, we will have to start putting chemicals into the water and since the water inside is not yet warm enough for swimming, there is really no reason to open it...  opening the pool is rather simply as all we have to do is undo the ropes that are holding one side and remove the bricks on the other side...  return the plugs eliminate water leakage, open the flow valve, start pumping in water, and once the pump tank is full, start the motor that begins water circulation and filtration.

The pool cover is then placed in a plastic container with lid to prevent the entrance of stink bugs which believe it or not have a way of getting into the tiniest of places to stay warm.  Stink bugs arrive from somewhere (?) once warm weather arrives and no matter how many will kill each day, they seem to continue to be on our screened in porch every day...

Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory (CRT)
is not a diversity and inclusion “training” but a practice of interrogating race and racism in society that emerged in the legal academy and spread to other fields of scholarship. Crenshaw—who coined the term “CRT”—notes that CRT is not a noun, but a verb. It cannot be confined to a static and narrow definition but is considered to be an evolving and malleable practice. 

It critiques how the social construction of race and institutionalized racism perpetuate a racial caste system that relegates people of color to the bottom tiers. CRT also recognizes that race intersects with other identities, including sexuality, gender identity, and others. CRT recognizes that racism is not a bygone relic of the past. Instead, it acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continue to permeate the social fabric of this nation.

While recognizing the evolving and malleable nature of CRT, scholar Khiarah Bridges outlines a few key tenets of CRT, including:

1.  Recognition that race is not biologically real but is socially constructed and socially significant. It recognizes that science (as demonstrated in the Human Genome Project) refutes the idea of biological racial differences. According to scholars Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, race is the product of social thought and is not connected to biological reality.

2.  Acknowledgement that racism is a normal feature of society and is embedded within systems and institutions, like the legal system, that replicate racial inequality. This dismisses the idea that racist incidents are aberrations but instead are manifestations of structural and systemic racism.

3.  Rejection of popular understandings about racism, such as arguments that confine racism to a few “bad apples.” CRT recognizes that racism is codified in law, embedded in structures, and woven into public policy. CRT rejects claims of meritocracy or “colorblindness.” CRT recognizes that it is the systemic nature of racism that bears primary responsibility for reproducing racial inequality.

4.  Recognition of the relevance of people’s everyday lives to scholarship. This includes embracing the lived experiences of people of color, including those preserved through storytelling, and rejecting deficit-informed research that excludes the epistemologies of people of color.  READ MORE from the American Bar Association...

Content Creation

Despite the negative connotations surrounding the colloquial term deepfakes (people don't usually want to be associated with the word "fake"), the technology is increasingly being used commercially.

More politely called AI-generated videos, or synthetic media, usage is growing rapidly in sectors including news, entertainment and education, with the technology becoming increasingly sophisticated.

One of the early commercial adopters has been Synthesia, a London-based firm that creates AI-powered corporate training videos for the likes of global advertising firm WPP and business consultancy Accenture.

"This is the future of content creation," says Synthesia chief executive and co-founder Victor Riparbelli.

To make an AI-generated video using Synthesia's system you simply pick from a number of avatars, type in the word you wish for them to say, and that is pretty much it.

Mr Riparbelli says this means that global firms can very easily make videos in different languages, such as for in-house training courses.

"Let's say you have 3,000 warehouse workers in North America," he says. "Some of them speak English, but some may be more familiar with Spanish.

"If you have to communicate complex information to them, a four-page PDF is not a great way. It would be much better to do a two or three-minute video, in English and Spanish.

"If you had to record every single one of those videos, that's a massive piece of work. Now we can do that for [little] production costs, and whatever time it'll take someone to write the script. That pretty much exemplifies how the technology is used today."

Mike Price, the chief technology officer of ZeroFox, a US cyber-security company that tracks deepfakes, says their commercial use is "growing significantly year over year, but exact numbers are difficult to pin down".

However, Chad Steelberg, chief executive of Veritone, a US AI technology provider, says that the increasing concern about malicious deepfakes is holding back investment in the technology's legitimate, commercial use.

"The term deepfakes has definitely had a negative response in terms of capital investment in the sector," he says. "The media and consumers, rightfully so, can clearly see the risks associated.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, Click Here...


Friday, March 19

Personal Financial Planning

A financial plan is a comprehensive picture of your current finances, your financial goals and any strategies you've set to achieve those goals. Good financial planning should include details about your cash flow, savings, debt, investments, insurance and any other elements of your financial life.

The financial planning process is a logical, six-step procedure:

(1) determining your current financial situation
(2) developing financial goals
(3) identifying alternative courses of action
(4) evaluating alternatives
(5) creating and implementing a financial action plan 
(6) reevaluating and revising the plan

It seems to me that this approach is pretty straight forward...  and yet, 80-90% of Americans when questioned make the claim that they do not do any financial planning nor do they plan to do any financial planning.

The more detailed that one's personal plan is, the better the plan is and the easier it is to make specific changes if the plan needs to be tweaked.

My personal financial plan included the following:
  1. retirement goal monthly income
  2. the amount of money I wanted to have saved by the time I retired
  3. number of employers anticipated
  4. amount of education I needed
  5. if I would relocate to another State
  6. States I would not live in
  7. annual salary and anticipated raises
  8. estimated taxes to be paid
  9. number of spouses
  10. number of children
  11. money for children's college tuition
  12. number of vehicles owned (new or used)
  13. number of houses owned
  14. developing annual, monthly budgets (vacations and holidays)
  15. maintaining cash flow requirements
  16. maintaining financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income Expense Statement, Net Worth)
  17. life insurance (home, life, vehicles)
  18. preventive maintenance on health
  19. plan to eat healthy and exercise
  20. savings and investments (rental property)

My Goals were:
  • $500,000 to $1,000,000 in the bank
  • Social Security  - $2,500
  • Social Security (spouse)  -  $1,000 - $1,500
  • No life insurance
  • One Child - will pay for college
  • Mutual Fund investments - no individual stocks
  • Buy used cars when needed (1 year old, leased, low mileage)
  • Willing to relocate to NC, TN, SC
  • Salary range:  $30,000 to $50,000 annually
  • Will have college degree maybe more
  • Willing to pursue technical education
  • East healthy and exercise - maintain ideal weight or a little more
  • Stop smoking cigarettes, - drink minimal alcohol
  • Buy home (no renting) - change houses when necessary
  • Retired monthly income:  $3,000 - $5,000
  • Always save money 
  • Use Credit Cards but pay off debt at end of month
  • Plan to pay off all debt

AI In Military

A Commentary by Joe Chapa

The average life expectancy of a non-instrument trained pilot in instrument conditions is 178 seconds — or so says a 1954 study that pilots have referenced ever since. The point made by the aphorism is that once a pilot enters the clouds, instinct is of very little help in keeping the airplane upright. Learning to use the instruments when you can’t see outside is crucial to flying safely in the weather. But pilots learn not just to interpret the information displayed on the instruments but also to trust that information. 

Every instrument-rated pilot is familiar with the phenomenon: I pass from blue sky into the clouds and transition from using the horizon to determine my aircraft’s orientation to looking at the instruments in the cockpit. The vestibular system in my ear sends my brain compelling signals suggesting that I’m in a bank turn to the right. My natural inclination is to roll left to level the wings. But my training has taught me differently. I instead look to the attitude indicator. If it tells me that my wings are, in fact, level, then I trust the attitude indicator and fight the urge to bank the airplane. To do otherwise is literally to take my life into my hands while flying blind.

The rapid development of AI technology, and its employment within the military, raises questions about trust and technology like the ones pilots have wrestled with for decades. Though the questions are new, they do have some similarities with those raised when flying by instruments became possible nearly a century ago. And at that time, the educational resources that could help pilots with those questions were available to the U.S. Army Air Corps, but it did not avail itself of them. 

Similarly, today, the resources for providing operators with a baseline education in AI, which would help address these questions about trust, even if it wouldn’t solve them completely, are already available in industry. Though developing organic educational content tailored to national defense is important, it will also take time. In the short term, the Department of Defense should buy licenses for open-source, online, modular curricula to bring its workforce into the age of AI.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, Click H

Thursday, March 18

We Are Being Lead by LIARS

 CAREER POLITICIANS LIE...

This is not conjecture...  it is truth...   and, this truth pertains to ALL POLITICIANS that is to say both Democrats and Republicans.  What they do is making promises while they are "running" for office and then once they are elected, they do not follow through with their promises.


When Trump was President, he did what he had promised...
Now that Biden is President, we are finding out that his promises are not being fulfilled...  that is to say Biden promised that he was a moderate, but his actions are showing that he is strongly being influenced by liberals...

In his defense, one could make the argument that Biden carefully made sure that he did not use the word "promise" and therefore, he did not lie...  but, he damn sure created the impression that he was going to be moderate as opposed to being liberal...  so, whether he used the word "promise" or not, he still mislead the American Public by playing semantics...  and his actions could certainly be construed as lying.

He said no new taxes and now he is considering a tax increase on everyone.
He said he would reform the immigration laws and he will not even talk about what is going on at the border.
He said he was going to unite the country and has done nothing that would bring Democrats and Republicans together.

A lie is a lie is a lie...  regardless of what word you use...

The Energy Around Us

The energy that cycles through the systems of Earth comes from two locations. The Sun radiates huge amounts of energy. Only a small portion of that energy hits the Earth, but it is enough to light our days, heat our air and land, and create weather systems over the oceans. Most of the energy you will learn about comes from the Sun.

The Earth also gives off energy. There is a molten outer core of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) that radiates heat and creates a magnetic field that surrounds the planet. Current evidence suggests that the inner core is 6,000 degrees Celsius (10,800 degrees Fahrenheit). The asthenosphere and upper mantle also radiate heat from the interior of the planet. Even without the heat of the Sun, the Earth would be warmer than space or a planet with no molten core.

Unless you live on a volcano or a hydrothermal region, the Sun’s energy will affect your life more than any energy from inside the planet.

Where Do You Find Energy?You can find energy in electricity, magnetism, kinetic energy, potential energy, springs and different states of matter. Energy is not something you can hold or touch. Energy exists as a property of matter and can be found in many places ranging from the heat from Earth’s core to incoming radiation from the Sun.

Geographers look at general ideas of energy circulating through systems. The main energy for geographers affects the living organisms of Earth. They examine amounts and types of electromagnetic radiation that include infrared (heat), visible, and ultraviolet light.

Energy descriptions and measurements change a little when physicists start looking at the world. Energy is a property that can be transferred and changed, but never created or destroyed. Physicists often see things in very specific quantities, not always in systems as large as the Earth. They also look at mechanical energy in addition to thermodynamics and electromagnetism.

Let’s say that the Sun heats the Earth and the gases of the atmosphere. As the temperature rises, the molecules become more active and begin to rise. The activity of the molecules also increases the pressure. When the pressure of a system increases, the amount of stored energy also increases. Those molecules want to move to a location with a lower pressure. Wind is created by those pressure differences in the atmosphere. When the wind blows, the energy can be transferred to other systems: turn windmills, help birds fly, make tornadoes, all types of work.

There's an important idea you should always remember when we talk about energy. Sometimes we will use the word radiation. When you think of radiation you probably think about nuclear power plants, bombs, and X-rays. Those are all types of radiation but more important to physical geography is the idea that all light is considered radiation. Electromagnetic radiation includes everything from television and radio waves to something called gamma rays.

Think about the acronym LASER. The R stands for radiation; however, a laser is basically an energized flashlight.

Think about heat. Most heat or "emitted thermal radiation" of an object is actually infrared light.

Thursday

Jinn: Trickster gods

Arab civilization and peoples have some of the most diverse and colorful stories and legends in the world, with many of the stories being passed down orally from generation to generation over thousands of years. While some of these are known to be pure myths and have taken the role of the common fairytales among Arabs, many others still hold a hint that they actually did take place, which makes these myths and legends ever more exciting.

The Ten Most Familiar 
  • Aladdin's Lamp
  • Bahamut Creature
  • Nasnas Monster
  • Ali Baba & the 40 Thieves
  • Shadhavar Creature
  • Sinbad the Sailor
  • Roc Creature
  • Lost City of Atlantis
  • The legend of Zarqa’ Al-Yamama
  • Qutrub Monster
BUT...  the story that is not familiar is the JINN...

Jinn (Arabic: جن‎)—also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirits or demons, depending on source) are supernatural creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian and later Islamic mythology and theology.

Like humans, they are created with fitra, born neither as believers nor as unbelievers, their attitudes instead depending on whether they accept God's guidance. Since jinn are neither innately evil nor innately good, early Islam acknowledged spirits from other religions, and was able to adapt spirits from other religions during its expansion. Jinn are not a strictly Islamic concept; they may represent several pagan beliefs integrated into Islam.

In an Islamic context, the term jinn is used for both a collective designation for any supernatural creature and also to refer to a specific type of supernatural creature.  Therefore, jinn are often mentioned together with devils/demons (shayāṭīn). Both devils and jinn feature in folklore and are held responsible for misfortune, possession and diseases. However, the jinn are sometimes supportive and benevolent. They are mentioned frequently in magical works throughout the Islamic world, to be summoned and bound to a sorcerer, but also in zoological treatises as animals with a subtle body. 
SOURCE:  Wikipedia

Wednesday, March 17

One Party Government

On FOX NEWS this morning, it was reported that while the Democrats have the majority in both
houses of Congress, they are going to create a situation in Congress where the Republicans WILL NEVER have control again.  They are going to do this by making the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico States with the understanding that 80% of the people in both these locations are Democrats.  The would insure control of the Senate forever and would increase the majority in the House so high that it would almost be impossible for the Republican to ever gain a majority.

Also, the Democrats have plans to increase the size of the Supreme Court, so that while Biden is President those seats can be filled and for the next 3-4 decades, the Supreme Court will be liberal in nature.

The Republicans think that this is not going to be good for the United States...

And, while I am not seen as a powerful intellect, I disagree with the Republicans.  ONE PARTY would literally be able to do any damn thing that they wanted to do without resistance.  Just think of how efficient that would be...

That type of control worked well for and is working for:
  • Nazi Germany
  • Russia
  • China
  • North Korea
  • Saudi Arabia
It would also give the American public only ONE PARTY to blame if anything did, in fact, go wrong.  For example:
  • high unemployment
  • slow growing economy
  • a weak military
  • a country full of drugs
  • limited healthcare resources
  • higher taxes
  • an increasing national debt
  • loss of global control

Personally, I like the idea of having only one party.  I don't belong to either party now, so there would be no need to change my affiliation.

I also like the idea of taxing the wealthy and corporations and redistributing the money to the rest of us...

I like the idea of driving cars that are powered by electricity.

I like the idea of having no airplane travel since we are doing away with jet fuel make from petroleum crude oil.

I like the idea of solar power, wind power, water power, and if all else fails nuclear power.

I like the idea that our country will be so full of immigrants that healthcare resources will be scarce and in high demand...  and, life saving operations will depend on whether or not you are old or young...

THINK ABOUT IT...  A ONE PARTY SYSTEM IN THE USA IS PERFECT...



ETHNIC GRADUATIONS

As reported by Dustin Barnes in USA TODAY...

Next month, Columbia University will offer six additional graduation ceremonies based on race, ethnicity and other self-identifying factors of undergraduate students.

Native, Asian, Latino and Black graduations are listed as options where students can register, as well as a Lavender graduation for the LGBTQ community, and a ceremony for first-generation and low-income students.

A university spokesperson told USA TODAY these events are in addition to the university-wide commencement ceremony and are open to any student who wants to participate. In many cases, the voluntary multicultural ceremonies initially were created by alumni and students.

"These events provide a more intimate setting for students and guests to gather, incorporate meaningful cultural traditions and celebrate the specific contributions and achievements of their communities," read a statement on the school's website.

Multicultural graduation ceremonies are common at other colleges across the nation. Georgetown University, which holds ceremonies for Asian, African and Latino communities, says the events are "a way to bring students of color together."

Texas Woman's University and Portland State University also have multicultural graduation events planned later this year.

COMMENTTo me, this seems like the opposite of United We Stand, Divided We Fall...  and, instead of uniting Americans will serve to divide Americans.  If Colleges and Universities want to do this, then why shouldn't employers do this as well...  We could have offices or work stations clustered in ETHNIC GROUPS and GENDERS...  AND...  our restaurants could group customers into ETHNIC GROUPS as well...  an all black room, an all Asian room, and an all white room...

Our military could have ETHNIC barracks that would separate while soldiers from black soldiers, etc.

Freedom of Speech


 

Age of Aquarius

What is the Age of Aquarius, and when does it begin? The Age of Aquarius isn’t part of astronomy. It’s an astrological age, which occurs because of a real motion of Earth known as precession. Precession is what causes the identity of the Pole Star to change over time. The cycle of precession lasts 25,800 years, and there are 12 constellations of the zodiac. So, roughly every 2,150 years, the sun’s location in front of the background stars – at the time of the March, or vernal, equinox – moves in front of a new zodiacal constellation. The Age of Aquarius begins at the point when the sun is no longer in front of the constellation Pisces at the time of the March equinox. At that point – sometimes called the March equinox point, or vernal equinox point – the equinox sun will be in front of the constellation Aquarius.

It seems as if there should be a clear cut answer to these questions.
  • When will the sun be in front of Aquarius at the time of the March equinox?
  • When will the Age of Aquarius begin?
There are no clearcut answers.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) – which in the 20th century assumed the duty of officially naming and defining all things astronomical – created official constellation boundaries in 1930. From the perspective of astronomy, then, the beginning of the Age of Aquarius is based upon IAU constellation boundaries, which astrologers or New Age practitioners might or might not choose to use in their computations.

According to the Belgian astronomer and mathematical wizard Jean Meeus, who does adhere to the IAU’s definitions, the sun at the March equinox passed from being in front of the constellation Aries to being in front of the constellation Pisces in 68 B.C. Looking ahead, again according to Jean Meeus, the March equinox will cross over into the constellation Aquarius in 2597. Once again, these are the astronomical dates, based on IAU constellation boundaries established in 1930.

The constellations as defined by the IAU are different sizes. Astrologers often like to divide the zodiac into twelve equal sections. For example, the constellation Pisces – as defined by the IAU – spans more than 30 degrees along the ecliptic, or sun’s annual path in front of constellations of the zodiac. Astrologers, though, might disregard the span of the constellation Pisces on the sky’s dome, and instead regard an astrological age as a precise 30 degree shift of the March equinox in front of the backdrop stars.  SOURCE:  EarthSky.org

Tuesday, March 16

Setting the Tone/Mood

Many people watch TV shows, Cable Series, and Movies with the simple understanding that they are sitting in the seat watching what is taking place for shear pleasure and/or enjoyment.  They observe the characteristic with neutrality and don't try to understand the plot or the subplots or even analyze them to see if they make sense.  They don't question motives or say anything critical about the acting or the lack thereof.

I, on the other hand, do look at stuff like that and do not really look at the time spent as wasted or not wasted but as time that was simply spent doing something.  As I sit there and watch, I do look at the quality of the acting, the quality of the sets, the storyline and if it makes sense or is logical, especially if the theme of the movie is dealing with a science fiction theme.

One issue that has always bothered me is that everyone is always drinking alcohol, either beer or whiskey and sometimes Vodka.  Everyone always drinks after work...  and, if there is a meal involved as part of the Director's methodology, everyone always drinks wine with their meal...

When I was working...  I never drank wine with my meal except for a special occasion like over the Holidays.  I never had a drink or a beer or two after work...  and, when I talk with other people, they basically say the same thing...  so, what do movie directors think that it is important to have everyone drink alcohol?

Is Hollywood trying to create a society of potential alcoholics?

COVID Vaccine

By the end of this week, I will have received my second COVID Vaccine shot using the Moderna Vaccine...  the shot is in the muscle and my first shot had no side effects except for a sore arm for a few days.  My shots are being delivered by our local health department while my wife receives her first shot from a local pharmacy.  I signed up in January and was called at the end of February and my wife called yesterday (Monday) and will be receiving her shot two days (Wednesday) later...  so, I am not sure who had the best approach although her request was processed quicker.

Last night, we discussed what we would be doing this summer now that we both will have been vaccinated and decided that by April, we should start making plans to visit the beach for a few days and while we will still wear our masks and socially distance, we will both feel more comfortable being out in public.

Last year in the Spring we went to Myrtle Beach and were both very concerned and very careful with our activities in that, we would not share an elevator.  When we first got to our room, we put on masks and gloves and cleaned the room even after it had already been cleaned.  We put the remote for the TV in a plastic bag and washed our hands often.  Were we lucky???

This spring/summer, we are going to the Gulf Coast of Florida at least once maybe twice and we are now planning to go the Myrtle Beach at least twice...  However, we have no plans to fly anywhere nor do we have plans to go on a cruise anytime soon if ever again.  No matter where we go we will plan to wear face masks and continue to socially distance.

Home

My wife and I have owned our current home for over twenty years and have eliminated our debt and mortgage payment for over 15 years.  We saved and did without so that we could become debt free and have more financial flexibility should the economy go "south".   

So, what does "home" mean to me?

Home means what I own...  this includes "renting" if it is considered to be a somewhat permanent residence as sometimes renting is a more preferable financial arrangement than owning since with owning one is responsible for repairs and preventive maintenance.

Home is my personal permanent residence where I live...  it gives me security and shelter and a since of serenity when it comes to getting away from the public.  I say public because the public is basically a group of people whose only agenda concerns themselves and they appear not to give a damn about other people.

It bothers me that people are like that now because this behavior is what I typically have associated with NEW YORKERS....  and, I say New Yorkers because this is exactly what I experienced every single time I visited New York and I have visited New York a couple of dozen times.

This behavior was not seen or experienced in the SOUTH...  but now, it appears that this behavior is EVERYWHERE in the USA.

My home keeps me away from the public.
My home is where I sleep
My home allows me to dress anyway I want
My home allows me to eat when I want
My home lets me be myself without annoying others



TAXES

The requirement to pay taxes to the Federal Government will never work like it was intended until our Federal Government does two issues....

First --  remove all the tax loopholes that allow individuals to shelter their money

Second  --  eliminate the ability for wealthy people to hide their money in offshore bank accounts in the Caymans

Right now we have a PROGRESSIVE TAX STRUCTURE that increases with one's taxable income, and many people favor a FLAT TAX that incorporates no deductions.

TAXES in America are not FAIR and EQUIABLE because we allow deductions and exemptions and oftentimes, the wealthy actually pay less taxes that do the not so wealthy.

WHY"

Because the wealthy can influence the politicians with their contributions to their re-election campaign.  Politicians care more about their re-election than they do about doing WHAT'S RIGHT for the American People.

Gadgets for 2021

Throw out your road flares, these discs are amazing!

Statistics show that every second there are 7 flat tires in America and only 1 in 10 people are fully prepared for a roadside emergency. With the Roadside Safety Disc, you can give a loved one the gift of preparation. It’s not a matter of if you will get a flat tire, but when; and when you do, having these ultra-bright Safety Discs in your vehicle can be life-saving!     Continue reading

Double your WiFi Speeds For No Extra Cost!

Do you hate having slow Internet and losing connection in some rooms? With RangeXTD WifiBoost, you can ensure that your entire hoe is optimally covered, no matter how far away you are from the router! Improve the strength and speed of the internet signal in your home! This is one device that every home should have.     Continue reading


21 Hottest Gadgets of 2021...   READ MORE



Quantum Entanglement

Frank Wilczek of Quanta Magazine writes:

Quantum entanglement is thought to be one of the trickiest concepts in science, but the core issues are simple. And once understood, entanglement opens up a richer understanding of concepts such as the “many worlds” of quantum theory.

An aura of glamorous mystery attaches to the concept of quantum entanglement, and also to the (somehow) related claim that quantum theory requires “many worlds.” Yet in the end those are, or should be, scientific ideas, with down-to-earth meanings and concrete implications. Here I’d like to explain the concepts of entanglement and many worlds as simply and clearly as I know how.

Entanglement is often regarded as a uniquely quantum-mechanical phenomenon, but it is not. In fact, it is enlightening, though somewhat unconventional, to consider a simple non-quantum (or “classical”) version of entanglement first. This enables us to pry the subtlety of entanglement itself apart from the general oddity of quantum theory.

Entanglement arises in situations where we have partial knowledge of the state of two systems. For example, our systems can be two objects that we’ll call c-ons. The “c” is meant to suggest “classical,” but if you’d prefer to have something specific and pleasant in mind, you can think of our c-ons as cakes.

Our c-ons come in two shapes, square or circular, which we identify as their possible states. Then the four possible joint states, for two c-ons, are (square, square), (square, circle), (circle, square), (circle, circle). The following tables show two examples of what the probabilities could be for finding the system in each of those four states.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, Click Here...