Family, Crystals, Spirituality, Science and New Beginnings (IFC Championship Entry)

avatar

IFC artwork by @jimramones

This is my entry for the IFC Season 2 Championships run by @apolymask and @ifc. This round consists of a number of topics (see the Title!) across wide range of interests!


These five topics... such a range of ideas and thoughts. Originally, I had thought to address each topic in turn, but in the end, I think that doing it all in a single mega-post would also be interesting. Some of the topics are relatively easy for me to write about as they already resonate with my interests and character, other topics... are a little bit further away from the centre of my interests!

In the end, all five topics will be a sort of musing on something that is related that I've recently been thinking about. Sometimes directly related, other times... a little bit tangential! Hope you enjoy the tour!

Family

Unsplash

I grew up in a very small nuclear family, just my parents and a single brother, a long way from extended family. My wife grew up in a large family (parents and 6 siblings) with an incredibly large extended family... all of whom lived quite close to each other. Needless to say, when I first experience family gatherings on my wife's side... I was more than a little bit overwhelmed! So many new people, faces and names to remember... in addition to the tangle of relationships... and the ever changing backdrop of boyfriends/girlfriends/spouses/pets...

I guess it was quite fortunate that her family, despite being large, was really close and tight-knit. I know that other large families can be a little bit dysfunctional at times... so far, over several generations, her extended and close family have remained on really great terms... which makes the holiday or weekend gatherings something to be cherished. It's something that I didn't really experience when growing up... of course, we would have the holiday and weekend gatherings with family friends and all of that... often fellow first generation immigrants from all over the world gathering together to celebrate the melting pot in a new nation free of the fetters of countries left behind... but somehow, despite the fact that it was also incredible fun, it is slightly different.

Fast forward to now. We are living with our little nuclear family here in The Netherlands, a country that is quite a nice place to live in. However, it is so far away from the extended family all the way back in Australia. With the interesting times of 2020, we have suddenly felt further away from our families than ever. It's no surprise that my wife feels it more than I do, but I really miss the large gatherings... and when you are seeing all the chatting and photos on the comms channels... well, it's hard not to feel the distance.

So, along with many other people in the world... our priorities have changed quite significantly over the last year. Family... or the lack of constant physical contact with the extended family has been something that has been missing. A support network, a group of people who will always be there... quirks, annoyances and everything!

Crystals

Unsplash

So, here begins an interesting tangent about an article and podcast that I was listening to near the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. Apologies for the shallow explanation of the idea, I was really quite interested about the topic, but the depth of understanding in the more specialised field of Condensed Matter Physics means that I can only grasp the general concept of: TIME CRYSTALS!

The idea of Time Crystals brings to mind Doctor Who or that sort of thing.. Sci-Fi wonders of travelling through time in a machine powered by these crystals. Unfortunately, that isn't the sort of thing that the concept of time crystals refers to.

I had vague memories of this concept being talked about in my university days as a a student... however, at that time, it was a theoretical concept and it wasn't certain that it was a real thing or a mathematical construct.

So, to break it down simply... a normal crystal is what we would call a space-crystal. It repeats a pattern over a space dimension (the crystalline structure) and thus breaks spatial symmetry. Spatial symmetry is the idea that every location is the same as any other location... it doesn't really matter if you do an experiment in one place or two metres to the left... there is nothing intrinsically special about where you are.

The idea then extends to our other perceivable dimension, time. Could it be possible to build structures that would repeat periodically in time, and thus break time symmetry? (Time symmetry being the idea that it doesn't matter if you do an experiment now or in a minute... there is nothing especially special about any particular moment). Maybe...

There were some objections to this idea, namely the problem of entropy and energy. Spatial crystals are organised, but they organise to the lowest energy level for the group AND stay there! Time crystals would need to be able to periodically rearrange but transition between different energy level... without additional energy input, which is a big NO-NO for physics.

However, recent developments and experiments in Condensed Matter Physics have shown that this particular mode of thinking was perhaps the wrong model.... and that there are different models of organisation that could really result in time-crystals!

Needless to say, I'm still getting my head around the general concept of these models... so, I'm not going to try to explain any further... but if you are interested, there is a friendly article about it here: Time Crystals

Who knows where this will take us? I did read somewhere that it could serve as a unit of storage for quantum computers... but I didn't follow that up to see how.

Spirituality

Unsplash

This is a bit of a tricky topic for me. In my public persona or my blog, I guess I can sometimes come across as anti-Spirituality. And in some ways, I am... but like most things that are online, the actual nuance is lost a bit!

Let me get one thing out of the way first, I don't really want to get into the idea that there is a dichotomy between spirituality and materialism. People can be both, or none or a mix of the two... whatever balance makes them happiest.

I guess the issue that I have with "spirituality" is not really the concept of it itself. It is more what it has become. Spirituality for me means the finding of your own balance, what keeps your self centred and content. For everyone, it is something different... and one moment of balance doesn't mean that the next moment is in balance... everything is always shifting and in flux, the balance keeps changing.

I guess, as a musician, you do learn a bit about how to find that "zone" and "inner peace" when you are about to go on stage. Again, everyone does that in different ways and with different techniques.

What I do have a bit of an issue with is the seeming idea that seems to be more common these days, that people have to display or document your "spirituality". Spirituality in my eyes is about a sense of calm, of the moment... which comes and goes. It's not a moment of sudden enlightenment or a click of inspiration that changes a life forever. In my eyes, it is also a private experience... not one that needs to be shared.

... and I guess that strikes at the heart of what I currently see as marketed as "spirituality". It has become a "lifestyle" marketing exercise, a way to find meaning... I fail to see point in always seeking meaning, there is just being and the current state.

Scattered thoughts... but I hope it makes some sense!

Science

Unsplash

In contrast, I do see Science as humanity's light in the darkness... our only way to discover our surroundings and to test our ideas. However, I do believe that it is grossly misunderstood by the general public.

The principal basis for the Scientific Method is doubt and uncertainty. By applying robust statistical methods (not polling with percentage numbers...) and experimentation, it is possible to determine the limits of validity of a hypothesis. Logically, it isn't possible to "prove" a hypothesis... only disprove.

However, with enough tests of validity, certain hypothesis (hypothesii?) attain near certainty within a limited boundary area of validity. These ideas and concepts are given the highest title of "Theory". Notice the different use of that word in comparison to public usage of the word theory, a common tactic of marketers.

The ideals of the scientific method are solid... however, like all systems with humans in it... there will be mistakes and bad actors. Still, it is the best method that we have for discovering truth and exploring reality.

There is the idea in the general public that Science is stale and full of righteousness... nothing could be further from the truth. Of course, there will be scientists who get endlessly frustrated at simplistic claims that they are completely wrong and that their expertise is completely useless... but that happens in every field, I can imagine the local auto mechanic thinking that I'm stupid as all hell if I tell him that I know better how to fix a car after watching a YouTube video.... and after several hundred people do this, well... I wouldn't be surprised if he came out with a few choice words!

Part of this feeling of staleness is the fact that most people only encounter high-school Scientific and Mathematical concepts... studying concepts and ideas that have had centuries of validation and are not likely to be debunked in their fields of validity in the foreseeable future. This sense of infallibility means that people come away with the sense that Science is "always right".... however, if you look further afield, there is a great deal more uncertainty about what reality is trying to tell us.

... and don't get me started with Maths. This is the language used by Physics to describe reality, and by Science in general to glean signals from random noise. However, the general population is easily wowed and confused by marketing percentages where two numbers are divided by each other for a BIG or SMALL number... thinking that this implies mathematics. That is not mathematics, that is called behavioural marketing techniques.

Science invokes wonder... and the sense of being tiny and small... and crazy consequences that contradict our common sense. But these are only contradictions born from our limited personal interaction with the universe. Our lives are rich and varied, but they are such a small part of what is possible!

Let me end this section with a little thought... one that is implied by the consequences of some modes of thought in Physics. Keep in mind all of this is just conjecture, and nothing more than that!

I was talking about Time and Free Will with my wife whilst we were driving to our Christmas gathering. Most people would consider that time flows like a river, ever changing and moving forward to the unknown. However, Relativity holds that time is more like a block... already set in the forward and backwards. The only thing that distinguishes past from future is the weird singularity in the past. That is one of the dominant ideas about time in Physics, and we know that the idea of Relativity is pretty damn robust. Of course, it might still need tweaking to make it integrate with Quantum Mechanics.

However, what does that mean for Free Will if time is block-like? Do we have Free Will or just an illusion of it? Should we reject a theory because it "denies" us free will? Why?

Science is just another method for answering the big questions that humans have always dealt with... however, it has a back-testing method for falsifying itself and robust tools to test validity. This is something that has never existed before... and competing systems rarely have these traits. More to the point, it is robust enough to start with "I don't know".

New beginnings

Unsplash

New beginnings are always a bit scary. I guess the biggest worry is the leaving of things that are secure, for a future that is completely unknown. I've done quite a bit of moving around and starting from scratch in my life.... however, I had thought that that phase of my life was completely done with. That said, I knew that at some stage, we had a plan to return back to Australia before we died.

Coronavirus has brought into stark relief the distance away from our families, and the passage of time and memories that would be unrecoverable with the extended families. It has also destroyed most of our work here in Europe as well, as concerts are cancelled left, right and centre.

So, in many ways... the time is ripe for a new beginning as we have less to lose and leave behind than a couple of years ago. Calling curtains on our European life will take quite some time... but it is looking to be happening more in the near future rather than the far off future that we had originally envisioned. It could all be for the better, we probably should move before the girls grow up too much... otherwise we would find that they have established their lives here when we decide to move!

Our minds are set, to make this last (hopefully...) jump into the unknown, but we are waiting for a few last minute plans to fall into place before we can make the final leap. We will leave fond memories of our time here.... our adopted home for so many years. In many ways, this should be an easier leap than other times... we are leaping back into a support network of family and old friends, into the land of our citizenship.

... but it isn't something that we have shared with the children yet, as we don't have a definitive timeline. We drop hints about cousins and Australia and how nice it is there... and they agree, and miss things from their visits there... but I know that the change will be tough on them. But many families move, and not everyone turns out broken. Still... it breaks my heart everytime I take them to school... or to friend's places... knowing that eventually, I will have to shatter this bubble of joy and contentment with a piece of destabilising news. It hurts to withhold the plan... but I also don't look forward to sharing it either.

Still... our family is strong, and we will support each other through it. We will be supported by the larger family network as well. I am sure that the girls will be able to grow through it.... I hope that my wife and I can as well!


Upgoats by ryivhnn
Account banner by jimramones


The classical music community (Subscribe at Steempeak and Peakd) at #classical-music and Discord. Follow our community accounts @classical-music and @classical-radio. Community Logo by ivan.atman



0
0
0.000
6 comments
avatar

pixresteemer_incognito_angel_mini.png
Bang, I did it again... I just rehived your post!
Week 40 of my contest just started...you can now check the winners of the previous week!
6

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hey bengy! I really enjoyed your entry. Just wanted to pop in real quick to let you know I read it, I'm not ready to give a full response yet because I'm still reading the article on time crystals and I've been super busy, but hopefully tomorrow I'll get to a full response. ._.

0
0
0.000
avatar

No worries, it was a bit of a long rambling post!

0
0
0.000
avatar
(Edited)

I know that other large families can be a little bit dysfunctional at times... so far, over several generations, her extended and close family have remained on really great terms... which makes the holiday or weekend gatherings something to be cherished.
but I really miss the large gatherings... and when you are seeing all the chatting and photos on the comms channels... well, it's hard not to feel the distance.

That's super awesome that there's such a good family atmosphere there. :) The older I get the more I realize how important my family has been in my life and I can see how that could be a major priority for you or anyone!
In regard to missing the large gatherings... Hopefully things return to normal someday and they don't keep locking us down forever. I've heard the government in Australia is particular umm... Flexing it's power so to speak.

Needless to say, I'm still getting my head around the general concept of these models... so, I'm not going to try to explain any further... but if you are interested, there is a friendly article about it here: Time Crystals
Who knows where this will take us? I did read somewhere that it could serve as a unit of storage for quantum computers... but I didn't follow that up to see how.

Whoa... I'm glad you shared this info with me as I was not aware of these, Thanks! I had actually learned of another kind of time crystal which is related to volcanic activity or elsewhere which can be used by scientists to go back in time and learn about things in the past particularly volcanic eruptions and those time crystals might lead to saving lives in regard to being better able to predict when volcanos will erupt and things like that or telling us about the climate back when they grew and other things like that, so... To learn of these other time crystals is even cooler now!

I gotta say though, after reading the article and watching a few videos on YouTube with smart people trying to explain this stuff it's still a bit weird to me and a lot of it I don't understand, however... What I do understand is fascinating! And I look forward to hopefully learning more in "time". :)

What I do have a bit of an issue with is the seeming idea that seems to be more common these days, that people have to display or document your "spirituality". Spirituality in my eyes is about a sense of calm, of the moment... which comes and goes. It's not a moment of sudden enlightenment or a click of inspiration that changes a life forever. In my eyes, it is also a private experience... not one that needs to be shared.
... and I guess that strikes at the heart of what I currently see as marketed as "spirituality". It has become a "lifestyle" marketing exercise, a way to find meaning... I fail to see point in always seeking meaning, there is just being and the current state.

I have similar issues and I've grown up in Sedona which is the New Age capitol of the world or essentially one of the main spiritual mechas on the planet and there's a lot of people who try to capitalize off that and make money from other people's gullibility and some have even died because of it.
All that said I think you can find similar corruption in almost any field or subject and the bad actions of individual or even group actors is not in my opinion a proper reflection on the totality of the subject itself and I have a feeling we are probably in agreement there. And... Spirituality is a very deep subject which in my opinion goes places that science likely never will be able to and that's one reason there's a lot of fraud and trickery going on there because a lot of this kind of stuff from my perspective just cannot be quantified and likely technology will never reach that point, maybe I'm wrong. Nonetheless... I like what you said about people picking different combinations of whatever suits them. I agree! :)

However, what does that mean for Free Will if time is block-like? Do we have Free Will or just an illusion of it? Should we reject a theory because it "denies" us free will? Why?

Excellent questions which I can not answer, however I think if it is true that time is really like that it reminds me of the last quest in regard to synchronicity which I still haven't got back to respond to your previous message there yet because I've been so busy, but hopefully I will get to that at some point and in that previous response of mine to you I mentioned something about... The idea of the holographic universe theory thingy, if time is like a block that reminds me of how people at times are able to see things from the future (or the past) in their dreams or in other kinds of visions, etc... And you likely won't subscribe to that idea that people can see things in the future, but... I think it's happened to many people throughout history and I've personally experienced things which make me think it's true.

There's a guy nicknamed the Dream Detective and he's been able to predict things in his dreams to such a high level that he's worked with law enforcement to help solve crimes around the world, I started practicing some of what he was doing myself around two years ago now I think and I had at least one dream where I saw my father taking a picture of a deer and a rainbow in a location not far from where I live and then a year later literally within 1 day and maybe even the exact same day as I haven't checked for leap year possibilities, but...

Literally one day off the next year my father did go to that place and got a picture of a deer and a rainbow in that spot and there's other things to it which add to the odds like how rarely he ever gets wildlife pictures because of his muscular dystrophy and also how the spot he got it in is likely never been recorded by anyone else like that and I gotta say the odds just blow my mind. I read your whole skeptical post and I'm open minded to the possibility it's just a coincidence... Yet, I'm pretty sure it's not. I'm pretty sure that in the dream world we are able to access a state where time is sort of like a block and that we can go into the future or the past... I'm not sure if that's possible while we are awake in a similar way?

Yet... I really do think maybe that might be possible as well. There's a lot we don't know about ourselves in regard to who we are and what our brains and senses are capable of, I think we're a species with amnesia and time time science is going to further reveal some more pretty amazing things about what is possible, just look at that Wim Hoff guy who is changing how science looks at the human body because of what he's learned to do with his mind in order to withstand cold temperatures etc.

In regard to if we have free will? I dunno? And I don't think we should necessarily reject it if all the evidence points against it, however if we are unable to prove one or the other I think then we have a choice that we could choose one which seems more preferable and I dunno about you, but to me the idea of free will seems more preferable than not having free will. I'd rather play a video game than just watch a movie if you know what I mean? And I have a feeling you do cause you're a gamer as well. ._.

Our minds are set, to make this last (hopefully...) jump into the unknown, but we are waiting for a few last minute plans to fall into place before we can make the final leap. We will leave fond memories of our time here.... our adopted home for so many years. In many ways, this should be an easier leap than other times... we are leaping back into a support network of family and old friends, into the land of our citizenship.

Wow. Sounds like quite the adventure and perfect for the subject of the quest of "New Beginnings".
I truly wish you the best and I hope it all works out perfect for you. I think with all the craziness in the world it'll probably be good to be closer to your loved ones so you can all help each other easier if need be, hopefully things improve and there's no need, though it's always good to be around those who care about you in such cases!

Wow, okay so... There's a lot else I would like to say, but I've already said so much... A few final thoughts are that I wanted to say that I agree with the majority of what you said in all of your subjects, I have a few disagreements here and there but overall I think I vibe with your messages at a real high level and it was a pleasure reading about your perspective on all those things and learning more unique or interesting things like the time crystals for example!

Your entry was very thought provoking and also heart touching and it showed us a peak into you and your life and what's important to you and I thoroughly appreciated it and your effort and presence in the IFC from the first season all the way up till now. Thank you so much for being a part of this and best of luck to you. :)

I haven't read your competitors entry yet as I don't think she has finished it, yet I look forward to that and will tag you and let you know more when we know more! Peace and much love buddy. <3

0
0
0.000
avatar

I haven't heard anything out of the ordinary for the Australian government... other than the fight that they are picking with Google over news linking and compensation for actual news outlets. Dangerous to take on a multinational like that, but France did it and managed to get a good result.

Volcanic time crystal? That I didn't know about... I will have to go and look that up!

Gaming vs movie... yes, and no! Of course, I love the video games much better than the movie... on the other hand (ala Bioshock!), you are in a constructed world with certain rules and constraints... is your sense of agency really real? With bad games, the puppet strings are more obvious... but they are still there always!

Ah... different holographic theory to what I was thinking it was then!

Yes, the big leap for us... well, it is incredibly daunting, and it really starts to muddy up and clarify different priorities. Being a father, earning money, having purpose, enjoying life, doing meaningful work... all of those things are up in the air again after this last year! Probably they will find a balance again that is good.... but I know that for much of this past year, I have been worried about the future and the potential difficulties. However, in the end, everything will work out one way or another and it isn't likely to end in disaster! We are lucky in that regard that we can expect that the worst possible outcome isn't complete disaster... although, it would be nice to aim a little higher than the worst!

0
0
0.000