Jean-Pierre Gazeau Coherent States in Quantum Physics Wiley-VCH | English | 2009-11-16 | ISBN: 352740709X | 358 pages | PDF | 3 MB.

(more…)

In the past few decades,  with the advance of quatum theory and the popularization of quantum physics as New Age ideology,  philosophy has suffered somewhat of an epistemic exile within popular culture.    Something should be done,  but what?

Omnes and Sangalli in their text,  Quantum Philosophy (Princeton University Press,  1999)   speak about “the fracture”  which occurred within the realms of philosophy,  logic, and science,   forever designating Aristotlean thinking as “classical” while quantum philosophy is termed as “formal”.  Their fine text  engages in a comprehensive study,  the details of which go beyon the scope of this article.  But I open with a quote from another work by Roland  Omnes:  ”. . . the deepest forms of questiong arise. . . from quantum physics”.    As Omnes rightly assets,  the line between quantum sicence and philosophy is a blurred one.  When I speak of the need for a cohesive theory,  I am speaking of one that will appeal to the general,  intelligent public, and not specialized academic theories,  which nonetheless are the origins of popular ones.

My interest is in applied philosophy:  That which it has to offer the culture,  in ethics,  counseling, and popular theoretical discourse.  A robust theory which could speak to general interests in an elegantly simple way would be the best beginning.  Much of current “New Age”  theory is so sloppy,  soft,  sentimental,  and plain silly so that the rift between science and philosophy in academia,  and popular culture would seem to be widening irrevocably.  When I first read Anthony Peake in 2007,  it was an accidental encounter.  A random search on the internet showed his essay,  Cheating the Ferryman:  A New Pardigm of Existence? Leaving aside personal bereavement issues and a background in Nietzsche studies which made Peake extremely appealing to me ,  I was taken by his ability to fuse quantum physics with one of the central docrtines of Nietzsche:  the eternal return of the same.

I have often wondered if the popular culture could be made to leave its juxtaposition of old world religious ideas and new fangled new age fantasies.  Peter Novak made an excellent start in The Division of Consciousness.  But matters did not unfold well:  Novak became pre-occupied both with reincarnation and Armageddon.  In Anthony Peake,  I thought I saw a better Novak.  One more subtle and less given to mania.  Of course Peake has had to go it alone in many senses:  He has been labled by turns as a pseudo-scientist, a solipsist,  an author whose key role is to engage in sophistry,  an afterlife theorist,  and a new age icon.  What he has not been taken seriously as is a theorist who has much to offer Nietzschean philosophy ,  and by association ,  the thinking of Heidegger,  Schopenhauer,  Jaspers,  and Kierkegaard.  Is Peake an existential messenger?  I think so.  But rather than expounding on his ideas here,  I welcome New Yorkers,  whether they be academics,  readers,  or journalists,  to come hear hims on August 3 at the Roosevelt Hotel,  in a public lecture hosted by Gnosis Arts Multimedia.  Peake’s lecture will begin at 6 p.m.m and there will be a complimentary bar and buffet for attendees, in the Broadway Suite. ( Madison Avenue @ E 45,  NYC 10017).

(more…)

(more…)

News of interest to the Native American Community. Current events, Humor, Blurbs, Soundbites, Videos, Political Satire, Native Amrican Indian People, Stories and History.

(more…)

Any object of higher temperature than its surroundings radiates and loses heat.

(more…)

Any object of higher temperature than its surroundings radiates and loses heat. More radiation is produced if you raise the temperature even higher. Even.

(more…)

According to macroeconomics, a recession in the United States economy is defined as two consecutive quarterly declines in GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The GDP is a dollar value that is representative of all the goods and services produced for a given period of time. Its purpose is to indicate the financial strength and health of the country.
US Fourth Quarter 2007:
Financial industry profits fell $104.6 billion annualized. Non-financial industries’ profits fell $30.7 billion annualized. Corporate after-tax profits fell $37.9 billion at a quarterly rate of 3.3%. But despite the quarterly decline, corporate profits after taxes are up 3.3% compared with a year ago. And the U.S. economy, as measured by GDP, grew at a 0.6% annual rate, the slowest pace since late 2002.
But the operative word is “grew”. Believe it or not, we have yet to have one quarterly decline in GDP. Companies and institutions are losing money but the overall US economy is healthy and growing.
State Economics:
So, let’s move down to the state level. I lived in Cleveland, OH for many years. Ohio has been hit hard by the non-recession. Ohio and other similar high take, high labor union states are losing jobs and population. These states tended to not have had the housing bubble that other states have enjoyed. The high unemployment rates have caused the increase in mortgage defaults and foreclosures. So the mortgage crisis in the country has a greater negative impact in states like Ohio. Housing prices have gone from steady-state to a decline. Hence my friends in the Ohio would find it more difficult to be bullish on the economy.
Personal Finances :
Then on a personal level, many are convinced that there is a recession. There has been a significant reduction in the amount of disposable money. Consumer spending is down, at least for me and most people I know. Tears came to my eyes the first time I saw $3.25 per gallon at the gas pump. I have since seen even higher prices. So those of us struggling to make ends meet are at the lower levels of Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”. Our focus is on putting food on the table, keeping a roof over our heads, and having gas in the car so we can get to work and earn a living.
Relativity:
According to quantum physics, nothing is real unless it is observed and outcomes are influenced by the observer. This conforms to conventional thinking about what relativity is. It all depends on how you look at it. Two people can look at the same situation and draw different conclusions.
One of the tenets of Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is that outcomes are the same for all observers. However, the theory also indicates that two simultaneous realities exist at the same time.
Reality:
So yes, the US economy is still growing, however slowly it may seem. But the other reality is that many people are seeing and feeling a recession in their personal financial situations. Bank loans and access to capital are more difficult for companies to obtain. And the forecast for many business industry sectors is bleak.

(more…)

(more…)

Princeton engineers have made a breakthrough in an 80-year-old quandary in quantum physics , paving the way for the development of new materials that could make electronic devices smaller and cars more energy efficient. …

(more…)

Princeton engineers have made a breakthrough in an 80-year-old quandary in quantum physics , paving the way for the development of new materials that could make electronic devices smaller and cars more energy efficient. …

(more…)

Newer Posts »