Thursday, October 16, 2014

My Own Little Universe



              The incredible vastness of the universe is constrained to the few inches between our ears. Without getting deeply philosophical or existential, one has to believe our own perception is reality. Numerous scientific studies have led many to believe this. Light particles react in different ways depending on whether they are being observed or not. Quantum particles seemingly exist in multiple locations simultaneously, space itself is warped under intense gravity and time stands still at the speed of light. While it is still likely that there are numerous laws of physics we don’t know, in my view, our minds construct many of these laws to comprehend what our eyes are seeing. 

              Our knowledge of the knowable universe has grown exponentially in recent decades. Computing technology and engineering advances have unleashed a torrent of information of the cosmos. We can see galaxies on the edges of space and can witness remnants of the origins of the Big Bang. Yet these celestial bodies do not appear to exist in an objective reality. The laws of quantum mechanics indicates that particles do not take a defined position until we view them. Therefore the universe only comes into being when our minds try to construct a reality of what our eyes are viewing. 

              As extraordinary as our brains are, they still have severe limitations. Many psychological studies have shown it is easily tricked when presented with conflicting information. It is also greatly limited with what it can observe. It perceives only three dimensions, only a sliver of the light spectrum and constrained by our current technology. If there indeed is an objective reality of our entire existence, our human brains are incapable of recognizing it.  

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