This unique volume is a collection of papers on various problems in astrophysics and cosmology ? from planetary motion to the arrow of time ? that are closely linked by the common spirit, technique and methodology of chaos.
Three of the most original thinkers of our time explore issues that call into question our current views of reality, morality, and the nature of life. • A wide-ranging investigation of the ecology of inner and outer space, the role of chaos theory in the dynamics of human creation, and the rediscovery of traditional wisdom. In this book of "trialogues," the late psychedelic visionary and shamanologist Terence McKenna, acclaimed biologist and originator of the morphogenetic fields theory Rupert Sheldrake, and mathematician and chaos theory scientist Ralph Abraham explore the relationships between chaos and creativity and their connection to cosmic consciousness. Their observations call into question our current views of reality, morality, and the nature of life in the universe. The authors challenge the reader to the deepest levels of thought with wide-ranging investigations of the ecology of inner and outer space, the role of chaos in the dynamics of human creation, and the resacralization of the world. Among the provocative questions the authors raise are: Is Armageddon a self-fulfilling prophecy? Are we humans the imaginers or the imagined? Are the eternal laws of nature still evolving? What is the connection between physical light and the light of consciousness? Part ceremony, part old-fashioned intellectual discussion, these trialogues are an invitation to a new understanding of what Jean Houston calls "the dreamscapes of our everyday waking life."
Contains full reports on the meetings in 1990 (held Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam) and features recent interviews, essays and artworks by all twenty panalists, who include artists, spiritual leaders, economists and scientists.
Packed with never-before-seen art and exclusive content, this guidebook to the entire Chaotic universe includes sections on the internationally successful trading card game, the 4Kids animated television series, and the popular online game. ThereÕs something for every fan within this 192-page full-color book that also includes the history of Chaotic and an exclusive poster.
In Pi (π) in Nature, Art, and Culture Marcel Danesi investigates the manifestations of π in science, nature, symbolism, and culture, arguing that these are intrinsically intertwined.
This book is based on some 50 outstanding papers published in international journals. The work emphasises the stochastic underpinning for space, time, interactions, and physical laws, and at the same time synthesises aspects of contemporary work, including the quark model and quantum superstrings. It covers general relativity, quantum mechanics, and other related disciplines. A comprehensive bibliography, and broad index are included.
BACKGROUND Sir Isaac Newton hrought to the world the idea of modeling the motion of physical systems with equations. It was necessary to invent calculus along the way, since fundamental equations of motion involve velocities and accelerations, of position. His greatest single success was his discovery that which are derivatives the motion of the planets and moons of the solar system resulted from a single fundamental source: the gravitational attraction of the hodies. He demonstrated that the ohserved motion of the planets could he explained hy assuming that there is a gravitational attraction he tween any two ohjects, a force that is proportional to the product of masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The circular, elliptical, and parabolic orhits of astronomy were v INTRODUCTION no longer fundamental determinants of motion, but were approximations of laws specified with differential equations. His methods are now used in modeling motion and change in all areas of science. Subsequent generations of scientists extended the method of using differ ential equations to describe how physical systems evolve. But the method had a limitation. While the differential equations were sufficient to determine the behavior-in the sense that solutions of the equations did exist-it was frequently difficult to figure out what that behavior would be. It was often impossible to write down solutions in relatively simple algebraic expressions using a finite number of terms. Series solutions involving infinite sums often would not converge beyond some finite time.
Matter Over Mind begins with a thought-provoking journey through the Cosmos to illustrate the startling contrast between nature’s chaotic but rich processes, and the human mind’s organized but under performing habits. This book reveals how humanity could achieve even greater heights if we allow ourselves to rethink how we think. Chaos theory, which is wonderfully explained in this book, is a foundational recipe in nature and large group behavior. Abstract thinking is the opposite force that leads to frustrating inconsistencies in society and even limitations in technology. Viewing the world through both lenses illuminates the deeper dynamics of the world and a better way forward for humanity.
This collection of essays by leading philosophers of physics was first published in 2000, and offers philosophical perspectives on two of the central elements of modern physics, quantum theory and relativity. The topics examined include the notorious 'measurement problem' of quantum theory and the attempts to solve it by attributing extra values to physical quantities, the mysterious non-locality of quantum theory, the curious properties of spatial localization in relativistic quantum theories, and the problem of time in the search for a theory of quantum gravity. Together the essays represent some of the last decade's research in philosophy of physics, particularly interestingly within the philosophy of quantum theory.
Theologian Harry Lee Poe and chemist Jimmy H. Davis argue that God's interaction with our world is a possibility affirmed equally by the Bible and the contemporary scientific record. Rather than confirming that the cosmos is closed to the actions of the divine, advancing scientific knowledge seems to indicate that the nature of the universe is actually open to the unique type of divine activity portrayed in the Bible.