Bionics and our Biophysical Future

I would support the development of a "bionic" person. The bionic eye and bionic hand are fascinating technological developments that can help a person with health ailments or disabilities, and provide a person with a state of normalcy that enable a person to conduct normal activities and substantially improve the quality of life. I don't support the development of a "bionic" person in the sense of being superhuman or developing capabilities beyond the normal human spectrum. I feel that since the human body is a system and humans exist in a greater system of the environment, the future ramifications of superhuman developments cannot be predicted nor imagined, and deference should be given to the divine intelligence of Nature's creation.

I think that the development of a "bionic" person for military purposes brings up the question of ethics in technology. Just like how medicine can be used to heal or to hurt, technology can be used to benefit or to harm. I don't think that bionics should be used for military purposes because the risk of the technology falling into the wrong hands is a significant consequence. Nuclear warfare has the capability for mass destruction, and I can see the possibility of bionics contributing to warfare that is also immensely destructive.

Energy Medicine and Energy Fields

It is interesting how "energy medicine" is gaining acceptance in the United States. Eastern practices of acupuncture as well as meditation and tai chi are permeating into mainstream curiosity. I think that it has been difficult for people in America to fully accept acupuncture because of a different cultural framework and insufficient Western terminology or language to understand what acupuncture is and how it works. It can make acupuncture seem simplistic, mysterious, or magical. Nonetheless the effectiveness of acupuncture as a type of "energy medicine" as spread anecdotally and the reputation of aiding ailments where Western medicine is deficient, such as with stroke paralysis or pain, has pushed acupuncture into more mainstream acceptance. The coverage of acupuncture by some insurance companies is one indicator of how the effectiveness of energy medicine is being acknowledged in Western society.

I think it is fascinating that Kirlian photography is able to capture auras of a person or object. Even more fascinating is how the aura of a person can change after receiving an acupuncture treatment. In a way, Kirlian is proof of energy and how acupuncture has a substantial affect on energy. I am curious to see Kirlian photography and the colors that come up with the aura. It is interesting to think of how colors are associated with certain energetic qualities. It makes me think of the vibrational characteristic of the color being similar to the vibrational characteristic of a person's aura and energy state.

Intention has an affect on health and wellbeing on an energetic level. I think about how setting an intention brings alignment and openness within the internal energetic lines, and that can create a pathway that makes it more accessible to achieve alignment and openness in the external body and surrounding environment. It is interesting to consider how the external can be a reflection of the internal, so by cultivating the internal with right intention, the external can shift as well.

Life and Living Systems

I know I'm a "living system" because... I am continuously evolving in molecular and chemical composition. It is apparent that I am a living system when I observe my nutrition and activity patterns. My body reflects and changes depending on the quality of the food that I eat and the types of athletic activities that I engage in. The interaction of my body with the world around it is evidence of my life within the system that I am living in. This makes me think about how as humans we have to be conscious of the environment that we live in because our sustainability is truly dependent on it. It is becoming more and more of a challenge to source food that is nutrient-dense and does not have harmful antibiotics, pesticides, GMO, mercury, etc. The diminished quality of the food we produce and gather will inevitably have an effect on the quality of our lives.

I think it is an interesting cultural phenomenon that as a society we are consuming more time with technology and entertainment and spending less time interacting face-to-face with each other. And with this cultural shift, efforts are being put forward to make technology and entertainment more personalized and interactive with the user. One of the articles discussed how Disney is funding startup technology companies that promote products using innovations of artificial intelligence. Technology companies are striving to make technology more human with personalized content, emotional engagement, and direct interaction. This makes me think about the impact technology has to social evolution, whether an increase in technological skills will come at the sacrifice of interpersonal skills.

Synthesis

The sun was in the sky in Oakland when I woke up from sleeping. I drank a liquid decoction of apple, kale, carrots, ginger, and lemon for breakfast. It tasted refreshing and delicious to me. I went to get what is known by some people as an acupuncture and I believe is a healing therapy. I ate a meal called lunch in some cultures at a place that described its food as the style French. I spoke on a device called a telephone to a person I consider to be a friend. I made an effort to study material for classes. I invited another person that I consider to be a friend over my apartment for a meal called dinner in some cultures. I went to sleep when the sky in Oakland was dark.

Consciousness is understanding the subconscious which influences our reality. This can be from understanding the forces that we feel but are not always aware of, such as gravity. It can also be the thought patterns that influence how we engage with the world, such as dark aspects of our character. What we consider to be reality is a reflection of what is inside of us.

Classical Physics

Of Newton's Three Laws, the First Law stands out to me: "Objects at rest remain at rest, and objects in motion remain in motion in a straight line at constant velocity. A force must be applied to change the state of motion of an object." This makes me think of habits, which have a tendency to continue at the same manner, unless the force of willpower is applied to change the habit from its usual course. The amount of willpower needed to make the change depends on how substantial and sustaining the habit is.

When I think of "energy efficiency" in our culture, I think of the concept of carbon footprint. For example, it can be debated to whether buying local produce or imported produce is more energy efficient. Often the conclusion is that local produce is more energy efficient. However the real calculation depends on the total resources needed to grow the produce locally versus the total resources needed to grow the produce abroad plus the resources required to transport the produce.

Descartes said "I think therefore I am". But what, really, am "I"? Our perception is subjective and the way we see things creates what we know as reality. I think the realization that our perception is subjective opens us to other perspectives and helps us to see things objectively. Reality is great enough to contain multiple truths, and our perspective is only one truth.

Chaos Theory

I've heard "ordered chaos" used casually before in describing a complex situation that has a degree of predictability. Chaos usually refers to a disordered state, which seemingly has no rhyme or reason. It is interesting to think about how chaos can be organized with a mathematical theory. Perhaps we label something as "chaos" when it exhibits a complexity and randomness that we don't understand it, but when recognizing there is a pattern or initiation of behavior, it seems "ordered" in a way.

Fractals as patterns of complex system - This makes me think of nature, and the fractals that exist in the dynamic and changing system of the environment. Scientists can predict hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes by observing patterns. A single incident can give clue to a formula for a pattern that repeats on a larger and wider scale. For example, scientists can look at past hurricanes and apply fractal mathematics to predict the emergence and trajectory of future hurricanes. Fractals can help predict seemingly chaotic events in nature.

"Consciousness out of chaos" is an interesting concept. It makes me think of mental chaos/confusion, and mental consciousness/clarity. Chaos reflects a system that is not in equilibrium, and therefore contains energy, which can be destructive or constructive. The ability to realize consciousness and harness the energy of chaos is advantageous in reaching a greater state of creativity and change.

Vibrations

Vibrations can be powerful, and like other things that are powerful, vibrations can have two sides. Vibrations can be "good", beautiful as with music and healing as with sound vibrations that correspond with chakra centers in the body.  The collapse of the Nimitz Freeway is an example of how a vibration can be "bad". The low-frequency vibration of the earthquake resonated with the structural layers of the freeway, and since mud layers responded strongly to the earthquake, it caused the bridge to collapse. Another example of a "bad" vibration is with the Honda lawsuit of how the rattling of the car made occupants feel nauseous. The extent to which a vibration is "good" or "bad" depends on the frequency, the situation, and the material matter or people being influenced.

In my yoga practice I experience "forced resonance" while doing pranayama breathing technique called bhramari. Sounds are made with the mouth for the duration of exhalation, similar to the sound of a humming bee. When practicing bhramari, the sounds can be made at various pitches to target the seven different chakra centers  in the body. One can focus on vibrations at particular tones and frequencies to target a healing effect on body tissues, physical and emotional issues associated with each chakra.

The English translation of the Chinese word "qi" as "energy" is not accurate. Qi encompasses more than energy because it involves an interaction between vibration, air, and vital substances. Qi is not constant but rather has varying contextual characteristics - of being free flowing or blocked, organized or unorganized, righteous or harmful, constructive or destructive, etc. There can be comparisons drawn between the Western understanding of "energy" with Chinese word "qi", but the two words are not equivalent.