Physics Week One Assignment

Bio - How I Came to ACCHS
I was raised in a(n), more typical than I would like to think, atypical family situation. My parents, both contemporary MDs, divorced when I was four and I had a split childhood between the bay area, where I was born, and Minnesota, where both of my parents' families live. Suffice it to say that I feel that my parents did the best that they could but both were not able to give my siblings and I the care or attention that developing human beings need. Looking back I now see that whenever either of my workaholic parents (separately) encountered a problem with one of us, they both would respond with quick fixes, pills and/or criticism/judgement to suppress the symptom of a deeper imbalance that would have been more sustainably addressed through diet, lifestyle or deeper/more personalized examination and/or connection.

By the time I reached my early 20's my inner and outer lives were off kilter. I had lost my faith in the Kaiser Health Insurance Plan that I was lucky enough to be provided with through my father's job (until age 26 thanks to Obamacare). I began seeking alternatives (herbalism, meditation, cleanses, mind altering substances) to change both my physical and mental states. During this time I studied Language, Metaphor, Cultural Assumptions and Sustainability and wrote a thesis on the American Mindset and global trends in Environment and Politics in order to receive a bachelors degree in 2011.

After I graduated I felt discouraged by the present state of affairs and was unsure how to proceed in living a life of integrity given my knowledge of so many institutions that appeared (to me) to undermine human, animal and plant environmental and global health and peace. Over the last three years I have tried many things, moved around quite a bit and basically floundered while learning what it was that I did not want to do with my life.

Then, less than two years ago, I met a graduate of ACCHS, Naandi. She rented a studio/treatment room in the back of the tattoo shop where I was working at the time. I began receiving acupuncture. Naandi bore witness without judgement to the emotional and physical spaces I was moving through in my life. I began to realize that I can make the most out of the present and direct my energy where I want to see growth. Slowly things in my life began to shift and I began moving in the direction of the healing arts. I received two certificates in Swedish and Therapeutic Massage last year and then decided that I want to be a catalyst for positive change in the lives of others who are struggling, like Naandi was/is for me. I became a first hand witness to the power of Chinese Medicine and Healing Connection, so here I am.

What do I think about physics, honestly?
I really like physics, and like I said in class, I find that the more I learn about physics, the less I feel I understand about the universe and why we are here. Physics explains physical laws and traces back to a certain point, but does not explain why anything exists, it does not explain why there are time and space, nor where they come from.
I like thinking about physics especially because it gives me perspective on my life. I can't worry about quizzes and bills when I look up at a sky full of stars and appreciate how little and lucky we are on this planet.

Have you ever experienced time speeding up or slowing down?
Yes, time goes quickly when Im enjoying myself and slowly when I am not. Days turn into weeks turn into years and I forget how old I am.


Reflections

It is fascinating that there is physical evidence of the big bang still floating around the universe. The Big Bang is very mysterious to me, and I wonder why it happened, how it happened, generally I wonder why anything exists at all in the first place... Like I said earlier. What the heck is going on here? Eeeeeek.
The article we read about Atomic clocks put into perspective the relativity of our Earthly notion of time. That we have gained seconds in the day is a very strange and challenging thing to wrap my head around. There is just more time... even though it doesn't feel like it and in fact it feels the opposite. The article also made me think about how instead of adjusting the units by which we measure a day, the people in charge of addressing this issue have added a couple more seconds, which is totally awkward and illogical. It appears that some of us may have issues with change... heh heh.
Relativity of time was also the subject of the article we read on different cultural conceptions on time. So much of what we think and feel is cultural, therefore relative and not absolute truth. How often do I forget this in my daily life.

Impressions on Quantum Mechanics
I think it is always very helpful to learn through active application of information. An active application of quantum mechanics sounds very helpful to real, practical understanding. The second article/website makes this point also, along with general suggestions on writing, some of which I had forgotten and should reinvest in :) I agree that it is not wise for our society to be so dependent on technologies that the average person cannot understand. Learning a science is like learning another language. We need translators.
I have never thought about the origins of quantum mechanics, I always assumed it was a later invention than I discovered while reading the third website/article. It is very interesting to me how it took so many brilliant minds so many years to produce this kind of knowledge. By my count about 22 different scientists and about 35 years. yikes. All that work just to begin a deeper understanding of energy and matter. I wonder if this exploration will ever bring us closer to really understanding existence, or will we continue to go in circles around ever present mystery.