Our Preordained Universe

Was there ever any choice in the Universe being as it is? Albert Einstein could have been wondering about this when he remarked to mathematician Ernst Strauss: “What I’m really interested in is whether God could have made the world in a different way; that is, whether the necessity of logical simplicity leaves any freedom at all.”

US physicist James Hartle, who died earlier this year aged 83, made seminal contributions to this continuing debate. Early in the twentieth century, the advent of quantum theory seemed to have blown out of the water ideas from classical physics that the evolution of the Universe is ‘deterministic’.

Hartle contributed to a remarkable proposal that, if correct, completely reverses a conventional story about determinism’s rise with classical physics, and its subsequent fall with quantum theory. A quantum Universe might, in fact, be more deterministic than a classical one — and for all its apparent uncertainties, quantum theory might better explain why the Universe is the one it is, and not some other version.  READ MORE...

Fishing

 

Christmas Holidays

As a boy growing up in Alexandra, Virginia, Christmas always meant toys that I could use to play with other boys my age.  When I got older, it meant things I would like to have but did not have the money to buy myself...  and clothes that I needed.  Always heavy on the clothes side that I did not understand until I became a father.  Christmas also meant time away from school since to me, school was boring and hardly ever interesting.

In high school, Christmas meant time away from school and hordes of parties to attend and the presents were mostly practical or intellectual.  No more toys or things I did not want.

Christmas for me from K-12 was always associated with the religious influence and what December 25 actually symbolized.  We always attended some type of religious service Christmas Eve and when we got home, we could open one present.  I suppose to reward us for our tolerance in Church.

Christmas was always associated, outside of a religious influence, with lots of food, lots of alcohol, lots of parties and reunions, and lots of comments that you really did not believe towards people you did not know - because you were supposed to be polite.

More often than not, some at these parties would get drunk and make an ass of themselves.  And if the party was with family there would always be an argument that left people pissed off at each other.  Sometimes, not speaking to each other for days afterwards.

The older that one got, the further one drifted away from the religious aspects of Christmas and moved towards the presents and party side.  No one ever knew what they happened, and no one ever cared why it happened.  They were just glad to be invited to the party.

At 76 years of age, Christmas is just another holiday on just another day that requires more money to be spent than you would have normally spent.  It's not about the food because whatever food is available, I just don't eat much.  I stopped drinking alcohol when I was 40, so it is never about alcohol anymore.  The religious aspect has almost completely disappeared.

Christmas is now about decorating the house for a few weeks then taking everything down.  Sending presents to a brother and sister and getting some for the house rather than for each other.  There is no Christmas spirit and no singing Christmas Carols or playing Christmas music on Christmas Day.  

The MYTH of Santa Clause disappeared way back in my childhood sometime and somewhere.  There is a faint memory of leaving milk and cookies for him in a plate placed by the fireplace.

Hell, I am not really sure if we are supposed to refer to the holiday as a Christmas Holiday anymore or not...  I am not WOKE but I am sure WOKE is not in favor of Christmas.

 

FIre

 

Somewhat Political

 

The Droneliner

As we move towards a more automated age in aviation with an emphasis on sustainability, there are plenty of developments around automated aircraft. One of the more extreme proposals is for a computerized cargo aircraft that could theoretically stay airborne indefinitely.
Droneliner

Automated aircraft, of course, are not a new concept. Over the past years, many companies have set out to make autonomous flight a reality. Their growth is dramatically linked to the pilot shortage and the need for improved sustainability in the aviation industry. As such, multiple companies are in the process of developing autonomous technology aircraft that are both safe and sustainable.           READ MORE...

Ride Captain Ride

 

Television Advertising

 Just about everyone watches Television whether it is on cable, dish, antenna, or a wifi connection using a Roku box or stick...   therefore, most everyone is familiar with all the commercials that take place every so often, interrupting what you are wanting to watch...

Advertisers buy time on these networks in the hopes of convincing the viewer to buy what they are offering.  In addition to buy stuff, there are other organizations that are trying to convince to DONATE your money to their cause...

From my perspective, I don't pay any attention to commercials or any type of advertising on television.  The companies that I purchase from, I do so because I have not seen any of their advertising.  I buy their product because their product is what I need at the time.

For instance, there are a couple of businesses that are selling replacement windows on television and how great they are.  FOR ME...  that is an instant TURN OFF...  if they have to tell you how great they are, then something is wrong...

When I buy something, I find out who else has purchased that product and what do they think of what they purchased.

WORD OF MOUTH is what convinces me...

I remember a marketing professor once told me that there is a FOOL BORN EVERY MINUTE...  and it is those FOOLS that you sell to...

• I don't trust life insurance sales people
• I don't trust time share sales people
• I don't trust car sales people
• I don't trust any salesperson who is paid by a commission

Why Jews are Hated

 

In The NEWS

A Malaysian national at the center of one of the largest US Navy corruption scandals in modern history will be returned to face sentencing after Venezuela agreed to his extradition as part of a prisoner exchange.


Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden last month that Beijing will seek to reunify with Taiwan while noting the timing is unclear, and China prefers to assume control of Taiwan peacefully, according to reports yesterday. Xi's comments came during a summit in San Francisco—meant to reduce tensions between the US and China (see overview)—and mark the first time he directly conveyed China's stance on Taiwan to Biden.


The European Union’s member states and its high-level institutions agreed to major migration reforms yesterday, the conclusion of a three-year debate finalized amid the continent’s highest migration levels since 2016. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which awaits formal ratification, comes six months before the next parliamentary elections (see how the EU works).


Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount in talks for potential global merger; the combined valuation of the two media giants is over $38B (More) | Media mogul Byron Allen offers to buy BET Media from Paramount for $3.5B (More)


Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State highlight top 2024 recruiting classes for college football's national signing day (More)


Former NBA player Chance Comanche admits to Dec. 6 murder of woman in Las Vegas just hours after finishing an NBA G League game (More)


Study finds all major AI models were trained on datasets containing some amount of explicit images of children; advocates push for safeguards to prevent its use in image generation (More)


Scientists discover new class of drugs effective against antibiotic-resistant staph infection, responsible for 10,000 US deaths annually (More)


First direct evidence linking marine weather—dynamics in the ocean like waves and turbulence—with global climate observed by researchers (More)


Electric scooter company Bird files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, will sell some of its assets to existing lenders; Bird, founded in 2017, went public in 2021 via special purpose acquisition company merger (More)


Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to step down Dec. 29; leadership change expected as part of Microsoft's acquisition of the video game company (More)


Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Egyptian officials over cease-fire talks (More) | Death toll in Gaza surpasses 20,000 people, according to Hamas-run Health Ministry, while death toll in Israel stands near 1,400; see war updates (More)


Former President Donald Trump asks US Supreme Court to delay considering whether he is immune from federal prosecution in an election interference case while a federal appeals court weighs the issue (More) | Judge allows removal of Confederate memorial in Arlington National Cemetery to resume (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Consciousness

A study reveals that experienced meditators are able to voluntarily modulate their state of consciousness during meditation. In other words, they have the unusual ability, without the use of drugs, to induce a momentary void of consciousness during cessations through large-scale modulation of brain activity.

In what situations can a human being lose consciousness? An anesthetization, brain concussion, intoxication, epilepsy, seizure, or other fainting/syncopal episode caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain can cause total loss of consciousness. But can unconsciousness be induced without the use of drugs?  READ MORE...

Rough Waves

 

I Like to Doodle

I was in the US Navy from 1969 until 1975, stationed in Norfolk, Virginia at the Little Creek Piers.  I was on the USS Recovery ARS 43.  It was a salvage and rescue ship.  I was in communications and every time we went out to sea, I would volunteer for the midnight shift from 11:00 pm until 7:00 am.  At that time in my life, I enjoyed being alone and away from people as often as possible.

During my shift, my duties became routine, and I found myself needing something to do for 30 minutes out of each hour.  That is when I began doodling.  

When I got out of the Navy and returned to College, I would doodle in my notebooks while listening to the professor's lecture.  If something was important, I would stop doodling, write it down, then continue doodling.

At home I would doodle while watching TV or talking on the phone.  Sometimes, I would just doodle to pass the time.

Examples of my doodling below:

I am not sure if I ever kept any of my doodles that I did while in the Navy but since then, I have tried to keep all of my other doodles.

WHY?

Not sure why.

• To go back an look at from time to time.
• Doodles are like artwork.

I have seen the doodles of other people and their doodles are faces, buildings, trees, etc.  To me, they are the real artists, not me.

But they are interesting to me and worth sharing.

Somewhat Political

 

Uniting Gravity, Spacetime, and Quantum Theory

In a groundbreaking announcement, physicists from University College London (UCL) have presented a radical theory that unifies the realms of gravity and quantum mechanics while preserving the classical concept of spacetime, as outlined by Einstein.

This innovative approach, detailed in two simultaneously published papers, challenges over a century of scientific consensus and proposes a revolutionary perspective on the fundamental nature of our universe.

Dichotomy in modern physics
Modern physics rests on two contradictory pillars: quantum theory, which rules the microscopic world, and Einstein’s theory of general relativity, explaining gravity through spacetime curvature. These theories, despite their individual successes, have remained irreconcilable, creating a significant rift in our understanding of the universe.  READ MORE...

Deep Purple

 

WHY ASK WHY?

• Why are the Democrats gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering means to manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.

• Why are the Democrats allowing millions of illegal immigrants to enter the USA?
• Why are the Democrats wanting to end our dependance on fossil fuels when the rest of the world is doing the opposite?
• Why are the Democrats wanting to increase the national debt and put the burden on our children?
• Why are the Democrats wanting to censor the conservative viewpoints and voice?
• Why are the Democrats wanting to defund the police and our militaries?
• Why are the Democrats not acknowledging that China is our enemy?
• Why are the Democrats allowing anti-Israel sentiment to escalate?
• Why are the Democrats wanting to increase our taxes?
• Why are the Democrats moving towards a Communistic form of government?

I'm not saying that the Democrats are wrong...  what I am wondering is why are they moving in this direction.  To follow someone blindly is the HEIGHT OF IGNORANCE AND STUPIDITY...

Are you the type of person who just wants to blindly follow???

Crazy Elephant

 

In The NEWS

Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi rebels, who support Hamas, vowed yesterday to continue targeting commercial ships passing through the Red Sea, a key global trade route bookended by the Suez Canal in the north and the Bab el-Mandeb (Gate of Tears) Strait in the south (see map). The militant group's comments came hours after the US announced it would lead an international initiative to protect ships on the route.


The death toll from China's 6.2 magnitude earthquake has risen to more than 130 people with about 700 more injured, marking the country's deadliest earthquake since 2014. The quake struck China's mountainous northwestern region just before midnight local time Monday near the Gansu-Qinghai border at a depth of 6.2 miles. Despite being only a moderately strong seismic event—more than 100 earthquakes between 6.0 and 7.0 occur globally each year—shallow quakes tend to be more damaging than deeper ones.


Google will pay $700M to settle a 2021 lawsuit brought by a coalition of state attorneys general and millions of customers alleging its app store violates antitrust laws. More than 70 million customers are expected to be eligible for immediate payment under the settlement, pending final court approval (see eligibility). The penalty is 7% of the initial states' demand of $10.5B.


Singer Celine Dion has reportedly lost control over her muscles amid battle with stiff-person syndrome (More) | What is stiff-person syndrome? (More)


New York Jets superstar QB Aaron Rodgers, 40, won't return from injury this season, intends to play in 2024 and beyond (More) | Former Super Bowl champ Derrick Ward arrested for allegedly robbing at least five Los Angeles businesses (More)


Madonna, 65, reveals she was in an induced coma for 48 hours during June hospitalization stemming from a bacterial infection (More)


Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin launches first spacecraft since September 2022; both the first stage and uncrewed rockets landed successfully (More)


Great apes and chimpanzees can remember faces of friends and relatives for more than two decades, study finds; sets record for longest nonhuman memory (More)


Artifact analysis suggests ancient Scythian fighters used human skin to make leather; findings support contemporary accounts from the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (More) | Who were the Scythians? (More)


Colorado Supreme Court disqualifies former President Donald Trump from state’s GOP primary ballot, citing 14th Amendment clause barring those supporting government uprising; decision stayed until Jan. 4 to allow US Supreme Court appeal (More) | Read the ruling (More)


Lava flows from a Monday night eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula currently moving away from nearby town, smoke plumes unlikely to disrupt air traffic (More) | See photos (More)


Senate negotiators say package combining Ukraine aid with US-Mexico border security measures unlikely to pass before end of year (More) | See previous write-up (More) | Immigration groups, El Paso county sue Texas over new law allowing local police to arrest and deport migrants accused of entering the country illegally (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Water Floating in the Universe

Scientists dated an enormous body of water in space at a whopping 12 billion years old, making it the oldest in the known universe.

Space is undeniably scary, as are vast expanses of water. So when you combine them you get an extremely ominous body of water that is older than the dinosaurs and undoubtedly hiding countless secrets.
The floating water vapor is very old, and very far away

The body of water was discovered back in 2011 by two teams of scientists based at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. It’s the largest collection of water in the universe and is a staggering 30 billion trillion miles away. Only god knows how many football fields that is!   READ MORE...