What the Bleep do we Know?

The title of this post refers to the movie we've been watching in gym class (don't ask why). The movie proposes several scientific/philosophic theories for consideration, each one revolving around the central idea: thoughts and perception can change reality. The theories presented in this movie are highly controversial and, I must say, the quality of (acting in) the movie itself is not great (it's part documentary and part story). Nevertheless, the ideas played with in the movie have been bouncing around in my head for a while, and it's only fair to give them some consideration.

So. The part of the movie that struck me most spoke of our ability to change reality with our thoughts - based on quantum physics. Basically, according to quantum physics research, when we see something, a certain part of our brain activates in order to interpret what the eyes are seeing. The same part of the brain activates in the same way when we close our eyes and imagine the same object. According to the movie, this implies that we don't actually know when we're really seeing something vs. just thinking or imagining that we see it, since the images we "see" in our mind when we think we are "seeing" what's around us are really the brain's interpretation of information from the eyes. In orther words, our eyes can be seeing one thing, and our brain can be showing us something entirely different.

Furthermore, the movie delved into the idea of the "observer effect" and delved into several bold conclusions. It discussed the following idea: if an object is not in our reality, we cannot see it. Its example: the chief of a Native American tribe who had never seen a European ship before. According to legend, he noticed the ocean water rippling from an unknown - invisible - source. The ships appeared to him only after he observed the ripples for some time and finally concluded that some sort of giant water craft had to be causing them. Whether or not this is true...? - well, I'll just say that I'm refraining from comment on the movie's credibility.


Nevertheless, the movie followed through on that idea to several more wilder (if possible) conclusions. It suggested that when we can't see an object that is, for example, behind us, it doesn't have a position. It played with the properties of quantum physics to show that since everything is made of atoms, and since atoms are made of almost nothing (with their mass concentrated in the center at the tiny nucleus), our minds are actually the deciding factor in determining where the positions of those objects are. It also mentioned that, according to quantum physics, an atom can be in two places at once. It went on to conclude, therefore, that when we have our back to an object, that object can be in several different places at once, since it lacks a fixed position determined by our mind (because, philosophically speaking, unless an object is part of our reality, it might not really be there in the first place, and if it is, since we are really the only thing we can be sure exists (the rest of the world may be a figment of our imagination), we can techincally manipulate the objects around us). From there, it went on to say that we actually have the ability to change our surroundings since, philosophically speaking, each one of us knows for a fact ONLY that we are the only person who exists in the world/universe and everything else might as well be a figment of our imagination. Thus, everything around us is subject to what our minds percieve it to be, and is, therefore, also subject to what our minds want it to be.

These last several ideas had me thinking. Suppose, for a moment, that all of the above is true. If we really do have the ability to change our physical surroundings, then why don't we? According to the movie, in order to do this we would have to undenyingly accept the fact that we CAN - with every single fibre of our being. Due to our nature and our inborn instincts, this is almost impossible.

So - this last comment is what really triggered my imagination. If we really could get our minds to accept their ability to change their surroundings, we could make ourselves, say, walk on water. Or, we could make an object exist in two places at once. Or three. Or four. Or... everywhere. So, why can't we? Well, I think the problem is that this physical manipulation of everything undermines all of the basic principles upon which we were built, upon which we evolved, upon which we exist. If we were to try to make a chair, for example, not have a fixed position and occupy many different places at once, what's to stop the chair from becoming us? From becoming the world? I don't know if this makes sense outside of my mind, but I think that there's a reason that we can't change our reality. I'm not necessarily referring to God, or nature, or anything else that's controlling our ability to do so - I just don't think we're wired for those kinds of manipulations, and I think that it's for a good reason. I don't think we would be able to control the power that such mind control would unleash, and I think we would eventually destroy ourselves if allowed to wield such power.

I could go on with this for another several pages or, probably even the length of enitre blogs, but... I'll just stop here :-)

New TV Show: All About Dancesport...

So I heard recently that a new soap opera-type TV show came out in Russia. It's called "Derzhi Menja Krepche," or, in English, "Hold Me Tighter." And it's all about the crazy world of latin and ballroom dance.

Truth is, for a long time (way before this show started) I wondered why no one ever made books, TV shows, and movies about Dancesport and the life of a latin/ballroom dancer. And I'm not talking about Shall We Dance or Take the Lead, but rather about a more raw, truthful take on what a dancer's life is really about. I don't have time now to go into details about this, but I think the subject definitely has potential as a TV show or book of some sort.

I mean, there's so much drama - partners splitting up, new parters getting together, the tiring and seemingly impossible partner search process, dating in couples, dating between couples, competing couples, training, coaches, bias at competitions... And there are so many parallels to life that it would be interesting for a wide range of audiences, not just for dancers. It's such a juicy topic, and it's a wonder no one's explored it creatively yet.

Hot Yoga

Hot Yoga.

Before I start, you might want to know what in this world could have possibly motivated me to try it. I admit, it does sound kind of scary, once you get the full description. Well, I started because I do pilates at the same place. And I started that because I dance, and I want to condition my muscles. So I guess everything comes down to dance. Actually, I've heard rumors that dancers really started taking hot yoga seriously after Slavik Kryklivyy, a world finalist professional dancer, started doing it himself - and discovered that it helped his dancing.

Now, onto my experience.

And what an experience it was. I can safely say now that I know what clouds feel like when they rain water down on us below. Wow, I have never sweat so much in my life. And I never knew that you can actually do exercise in 98 degrees. Of course, it was more posing and stretching than exercise - but add the 98 degree temperature and you get a full workout like you've never done before. My first class, yesterday, felt like hell - the heat got to me about halfway, my legs and other parts of my body started falling asleep (I guess my body circulates blood less in high heat), and I didn't feel so great when I walked out of the room because the A/C wasn't on in the rest of the studio and it was still hot outside.

Today, I decided to try hot yoga for the second time. Yes, I'm crazy, two days in a row. Surprisingly, the room felt nowhere near as hot as yesterday - my body was able to adjust to the heat faster. I also knew some of the poses and their names, so I felt more confident and found that many of them came more easily to me. Best yet, at the end of the class, we were given about 5 minutes to just lie flat on our backs on top of the mats while the room cooled down. It was extremely peaceful, and I didn't want to move a muscle - and I definitely didn't want to get up and leave. When we walked out of the room, we found that the A/C had been turned on in the room outside - and it felt absolutely amazing. My entire shirt was so drenched in sweat that it changed colors. I might as well have taken a dip in Crystal Lake.

So, overall, I highly recommend hot yoga. I felt, and looked, as if I had lost several pounds by the end of the lesson. I also felt thoroughly relaxed and conditioned. I truly think I am a hot yoga addict, and I can't wait until next time.

Try it - and make sure to try it twice!

Summer. Reflections.

This has been one awesome summer. Maybe I say this every year, but I believe this has been the best summer so far, period. What's made it so special?

I'll review.

1. France + Germany (and a 3-hr bite of London)

Paris was nice. I can't say it was my favorite place ever, but it was nice. The architecture was pretty, reminding me of a mix of Amsterdam's high and narrow streets and Prague's "old Europe," antique-y mood. The people weren't too polite, though, which made it a little cold - socially. Also, whenever I tried to speak French, they always reverted to English. That was annoying - it didn't give me a chance to practice. But, surprisingly enough, when I tried hard to listen to conversations (it wasn't eavesdropping :-P), I could actually follow along much better than I predicted. Overall, there wasn't really anything in France that I particularly enjoyed - except, perhaps, the top of Montmartre. On this wonderful hilltop we visited a Salvador Dali exibition and got to see many street artists at work. It was quite a lively atmosphere, and it was much more interesting than most other parts of Paris.

South Germany was... a jewel. We first visited Saarbrucken, the town where my Dad worked for a year at the university. It was small, and nice, and quiet, and it immediately made me feel cozy. But this was nothing compared to where we went next. Our next stop was Bacharach, a town consisting of two streets that ran parallel to the Rheine river. The weather was not in a good mood and didn't feel like showing us any sun, but that did nothing to dampen our spirits. Bacharach is the tiniest and coziest town I have ever been in. The food is superb and, especially after Paris, amazingly inexpensive. The food in Paris simply does not compare. The people are much, much warmer - and, most surprising for a small town, they are incredibly up-to-date on everything and very intelligent. One of the restaurants' owners even gave me Sudoku tips. From Bacharach, we traveled down the Rheine in a boat to another equally tiny town, St. Goar. There, we explored the ruins of a 1,000 year old Medieval castle. In fact, the entire road along the Rheine that runs through Bacharach and St. Gore is dotted with hundred and thousand year old castle ruins. Just think, it took us only a few minutes to travel between castle ruins by boat - and a thousand years ago, each castle ruin was a community - a kingdom - of its own, with several thousand citizens living in the hillsides around. And all of these different kingdoms with different allegiances, only mere half-miles from one another! It's so strange to think about that, considering the sizes of and distances between the countries existing now. I guess that, in a way, this is a shrunken version of modern Europe - which is also a collection of governments that share borders with one another
After St. Goar, we visited Marbourg - the town where the Grimm Brothers went to university. We stayed at our friends' house, and I quickly made a friend of their son, who is currently in college studying chemistry and wants to study at MIT (hint hint to anyone who has MIT connections :-P). His father is a professional tourguide (and a mesuse (sp?)). He gave us a tour of Marbourg - a tiny city with a giant of a history.
From there, we drove over 8 hours down the Autobon (at 112mph, I might add - most AMAZING car ride ever) to Munich, to stay with the relatives of our friends in Marbourg. There, we were given a tour of the city by kids (in their twenties, though :-P) of the family, and by their friend - a young man who, we were later told, is apparently a genius and will someday be awarded the Nobel Prize for major accomplishments in physics. Truthfully, Munich didn't make as much of an impression as did the other places we visited in Germany, but it was still very nice. Also an interesting history, and many nice churches and views.
After Munich, we flew home - and on the way stopped in London for several hours. There, we visited Hyde Park and observed the proceedings at Speaker's Corner. A British man wearing the Chinese symbol of communism on his hat was advocating their system of government, while a few steps away from him, a black man with several bodyguards scorned America and the UK while advocating something I didn't have a chance to hear.

That was the end of my overseas adventure.

Then, I spent two pretty uneventful weeks at Cape Cod - where my biggest accomplishment was, I'd have to say, getting more tan than is usually possible in only two weeks of sun.

After that came the best part of my summer - camping at Cape Cod in upstate NY (at Lake Luzerne). I've never had this much fun there before - and the reason I was able to this time was probably because I just... let go. I was so tired of rules and regulations and self-administered standards that I simply dropped them all by the second day of camp. It wasn't anywhere out of the normal to go a night or two without brushing my teeth, or without sleeping. It was completely ordinary for us to sing until 4 in the morning until we were taken, one by one, by fatigue. It was so relaxing, drifting off into sleep - or, at least, into a feeling of blissful peace, while lying there on the beach at night, counting shooting stars and constellations, and basking in one another's company. This camping trip has been the best in my life - it just let me relax and forget everything. I feel that if anything, this has best prepared me for the upcoming school year. I can work myself into the ground with homework now without fear.

So, I feel that I'm ready now, after this wonderful summer, to start anew.

Goodbye, summer of '07, I hope for many more wonderous summers to come.