Terrakron's Time Domain

Post on the other blog

2010-04-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Space time is here to stay but then why was that I posted in the other blog: Tlaltecuhtli
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like bananas!
"It is been so long since my last post! Which doesn't mean that nothing at all has happened. Not at all, on the contrary, so many thing have happened that is why I haven't posted, so what now? Why is it that now I am posting? Is it because I don't have anything to do? I do! I have tons of things to do but somehow I feel this urge to write.
This is a very special moment, a moment that will stay for ever a moment that will be frozen in time as long as this site prevails, as long as I remember that this post is here so that means that it will be here as long as my conscience makes it to be.
The past is gone, the future will never arrive thus the only thing real is this precious moment in our lives.
So be it!"

As Time goes by

2009-11-14T20:24:00.001-08:00

Almost the end of 2009 and what is the paradigm that is ruling our lives? Things are changing as always but we feel that all is the same. Talking with son this afternoon and eating a Carl's Jr hamburger we philosophize about what does it mean to be contemporary, as his friend said the future is past now. Some think that we are in the post-modern time but that time is way gone now we are in the post-post-modern time what I call the meta-post-modern time.
The traditional schemes that define the paradigm of our lives have changed we now live in the information age. The age where the world became flat and the future became past. The age where relativism is now more relative that even as more and more connections are found. Everything is connected so everything is related. The infra-relativism or the post-moder times had to give way to the über-relativism of subatomic entanglement.

Easter

2009-04-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

What has the evolution of our society brought? So many things we can use and so many ideas can help us to rejoice. Today we are celebrating the rise of life over death, the triumph of happiness over suffering, the power of good over bad, the reign of light over darkness. It has been thousands of years since men started to walk upright and to use tools to harvest the product of his own seeding. Human nature has not changed that much but our culture for sure has been changing to the point that the driving values and principles have changed radically. As Doug Brown in his book Insatiable Is Not Sustainable mentions we have moved from a culture of "security" to the culture of "Be All You Can Be". This of course is the reason for having today some kind of worship for "greed" and "individual success".
Today we are facing a new challenge where confronted with the realities of new paradigms we need to adapt again to a changing world. Of course this leads us to anxiety and desperation as many in our world want things to stay as they are. Where wealth is concentrating and in many western nations a bigger gap between the "haves" and the "have not" is being created.
Now, as time only goes forward, we have to change for the better. We always say that "progress" is a change for the better and that any change is progress, maybe so! That is my view, my optimist's view of change in our society.
But if we are to change, what kind of changes should we give impulse? and which we should slow down? How can we move together as a world wide community at the same time that we are improving our sense of change in our individual realm and its family setting?
The answer is not simple and will not come in a single idea. But many thoughts have emerged in recent times, one for me is significant. It involves the use of technology to educated ourselves. The use of blogs, internet groups, forums, listservs, etc so to communicate and revolutionize in a similar path as the newspapers and books did when the print-press was developed in the middle ages, bringing the modern world.

Lobbying in politics

2008-08-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

A major problem with the way that politics is runned is the influence of big money through lobbying. One good example of this is how McCain is controlled by big multinational corporations. Have a look at this video.

Friendship has no time limits.

2008-07-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

A friend gave me the link to this video
Hope you find it enlightning and refreshing.

What is going on?

2008-07-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

I found this video on youtube that show some of the horror of the Iraq occupation.

It is the worst we can think of and make us so sad that human are able to such harm.

Presidential Elections

2008-06-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Everybody is counting days, hours, minutes and seconds for the presidential elections of November 4, 2008.
Here is a link that you might find interesting: http://election.amerpundit.com/index.html

Learning about teacher's tube

2008-02-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is a test to see how I can post a video in the teachertube iste and then copy it here!
I am looking forward to learning more about these technologies LOL

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

2008-01-21T19:58:00.001-08:00

When thinking about commencement one is inspired by kind and wise words like these from Jobs!

This time is for all to be us

2007-12-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

Winter solstice has been thought the ages a time for thinking and introspection. A time when the dark days bring the bright light of the stpirit shinning on communities and through our society. A time when families come together and friendships are strenghtened. For some of us followers of Christ His birth commemoration brings a deep sense of belonging and of peace.
But the peace that some of us feel is far away removed from those living in the middle of turmoil, near or far away. This is the time to come close together and make peace to be the central attraction force in and within our nations.
May this time of year bring happines and joy to all of you.
Merry Christmas and a very prosperous new year!

WWW.WANGARIMAATHAI.ORG

2007-09-29T19:02:00.001-07:00

This a good example, very good example of how working for peace goes hand in hand with working for the environment!

WWW.WANGARIMAATHAI.ORG

Welcome to my webcam

2007-07-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well here we are trying a new webcam and post it on this site

Hope you find this little video as an opportunity to see me moving as before all you have seen is photos.

Quick Change Artists on America's Got Talent

2007-06-26T23:03:00.001-07:00

It takes time to change clothing when you don't know what to do or how to do it. But if you know how, if you really know how then it doesn't take any time at all!

Once a Week Hug Someone!

2007-06-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is a cool site: http://www.hugnation.com/ The idea is that once a week we should stop and hug someone. At 1 PM West Coast Time (PST) we have to hug someone that is near us.
Can you hug someone this Tuesday? Don't forget.

Propellerheads - History Repeating

2007-06-20T19:00:00.001-07:00

What is going on around and around...history repeating again and again, time keeps coming back!

Pink Martini - Hey Eugene

2007-06-03T18:41:00.001-07:00

Last month my wife Eugenia and went to see Pink Martniki who played at the Snitzer Hall here in Portland OR. The evening was a complete hit! We all enjoyed so much!
Thanks so mych Pink Martini for a great show!

Steppenwolf Born to Be Wild - Easy Rider

2007-06-02T20:23:00.001-07:00

No watch.. no time, Peter fonda gets rid of time!

Steppenwolf-Born To Be Wild

2007-06-02T20:21:00.001-07:00

With time this song became synonymous with motorcycle riding

5 de Mayo

2007-05-22T15:54:00.001-07:00

This is a view of Portland looking west from across the Willamette River

So long ago!

2007-05-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

It has been said many times: time really flies!
This is true we have to believe that. Once more I am writing something in my blog just to keep it going. Have nothing to say except that the semester is gone. That one more group of student is moving along, and one more group of people becomes part of my life. Some will continue been close, some will not.
I hope that this tools that we now have -the internet- will allow us to be in touch.

clock

2007-04-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

CommentYou.com

Time in Baja 07

2007-04-20T09:44:00.001-07:00

This video shows the time we spend in Vicente Guerrero last spring break. Our students were helping to build a house for a low income family.

Is time infinite?

2007-04-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a blog about the infinte and the finite http://infiniteandthefinite.blogspot.com and is making me think about the relationship between finite moments and the infinity of time. This post is to have a record of Todd's blog in my blog.

April 5, 1948.

2007-04-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Date of birth!
As this week I get to my 59 th birthday I get to feel a sense of tranquility and joy. Many things have happened in my life, and all of them have been a blessing from God. When something looked like it wasn't very good for me down the road it came out that it was the best thing it had happened to me.
When things happen it is not easy to see what the whole context is, it is not easy to see what the consequences of it will be, it is hard to see all the connections with other thing in our lives; but something that now I can see is that there is a connection between our past and our future.
It is obvious for some -may be, but what the connection is in my life no one knows. The sure thing is that after the day is gone I have seen the reason behind it all!

Farewell to a melting glacier

2007-04-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

This is an article sent to me by a student BBC NEWS Americas Farewell to a melting glacier it is amazing how glaciers are melting away! So sad in deed.

Playing with Time

2007-04-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

Playing with Time What a wonderful experience must be for young kids to play with time! This is an exhibit that is going on at the San Diego Museum of Natural History. A dear friend of mine just went there ant told me about it. I haven't been to see it but I'll try ASAP.

Harvest time

2007-03-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

It is so difficult to know when is the right time to harvest. As we go along in our lives things start to happen in a way that -if you don't force them- fit together. In one of my classes one student came with a great idea: somebody should write a book "for dummies" about environmental stewardship! So my answer was why don't you write it? So I recommended that she started a blog where she would be posting her ideas and...
here it is! "Stewardship for Dummies"
By doing so she gave me a great feeling of optimism, the Lord has given us the challenges and the tools to face those challenges.

Flickr

2007-02-15T22:33:00.001-08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing. So I'll be using it to post directly from my Flickr account. Hope this is going to make it a lot easier to put pictures here. The Youtube account for some reason that I don't figure out is not working :-(

Time for Women in Mining

2007-01-11T16:42:00.000-08:00

Women in Mining
Have a look at this interesting site.

2007-01-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

Diving down to an oil rig

Time takes a different view when diving down to an oil rig.

Year's End

2006-12-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

Year's end brings a lot of thinking and a lot of remembering. Thinking about future plans and feeling the moment to be in the present preparing to move into the new year. As people normally spend most of their time either thinking about the future or remembering the past lose site of the present, the present is what we have; not the future nor the past!
beginning of the year-resolutions will bring a renewed effort to continue improving one's life and preparing the way for our children. Thinking about or children is always nurturing and challenging. As we would like the best for them and we desire that nothing goes wrong in their lives but life is life and there is no way that we can stop "things" from happening.
Jorge and I were cleaning the gutters today when all of a sudden he start to slide down the roof. I thought he was going to fall to the ground but he managed to stop using his foot and the cable sustaining the electricity cables. Immediately I got a ladder and help him down. It was a scare! But luckily nothing serious happened but it made me think that in a matter of a fraction of a second something can happen.

Time's person of the year

2006-12-19T10:49:00.000-08:00

This year the featured person in Time magazine is...YOU!
That is me!
The reason been that we are all using the internet in a way that has surpased any expectation. New sites such as you tube where one can post our own produced videos that could be family, like this one:

pets like this one:

or something related to your profession or hobies, like this one where I did an experiment in my kitchen imploding a can:

The other tool that we can use is a site where we can post photographs such as Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/terrakron is the site where I put my pictures.

So anyways, it looks that thinking about the new millenium science and technology once again are sowing the way.

Cybertime

2006-12-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

The use of cygber-technology in pedagogy and androgogy is changing the way in which we time the learning process. The teaching-learning association through a computer or paralel to a computer changes the framework in the relationship. Schedules can be organized through an asynchronous communication via forums and messenger boards in a way that all participants will be able to fit in, regardless of their individual aptitudes.

As Time goes bye

2006-12-17T21:53:00.000-08:00

Not long ago our cat Lilly had kittens, now that they are grown she is still very loving and caring, this is a good example of how she behaves.

Time Riddle

2006-11-17T20:56:00.000-08:00

What is at the beginning of eternity, at the end of time, at the beginning of the end and at the end of every place?

Ideal time

2006-11-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

Time is real and ideal. Objective and subjective, is paradoxic.
Defined as a dimension i.e. a measureable. If we are to take the latin mensure as the ruth for measure. The dimension given by events in a sequence that is ordered and organized in what many see as a linear system. But what we see might be be obscured by what we know, i.e. common sense. And as we know common sense has misleaded us so many times before. Remember "the earth is flat"?

Monday morning

2006-11-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

This is a special Monday. Why? Because is before Tuesday November 7. All Mondays come before a Tuesday, so what makes this one different? Why is November 7 a different Tuesday?...Mid-Term Elections!
Mid-Term is a time term that gives the impression of a bench mark, a bench-mark indicating the direction of the whole process, in this case the progress of the evolution of a political organization. Our Country. Many changes are being sought but the idea that the changes are going to occur on Tuesday is in a way misleading because the change has already occurred. What is coming is the aknowledgement of the change, manifested on a ballot count and the certification of a winer in the race. Who ever wins an incumbent or a challenger will represent a change. Even incumbents are campaining as candidates of change, candidates of no rubber stamping the official agenda. Incumbents that either belong to the opposition party or present themselves as renegades of the extreme policies that their party represent.
It will be interesting to see how we are going to digest this change.

2006-10-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

Portland Syncopated Drummers

Rhythm and internal timing, what is there to synchronize? But as soon as one gets into the rhythm the heart starts to go at the same pace. How interesting.

Synchronic events

2006-10-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

There are times, maybe lots of times, that society is synchronized in a way that is under the surface and is very difficult to see this synchronization. Events are happening all over the place and many people are having similar ideas and similar feelings but as these people are not aware of each other they think that they are isolated and what they are doing is completele nuts or unique. So even if it is original but not unique or distinctive means that the time is ripe for these ideas. It is time for the changes proposed in these ideas and the time is ripe to undertand them (maybe?)
Some times these ideas have been proposed many years ago and have been dormat in obscure places maybe in books that at the time of their publication were quite popular but after so many years they have to be unearthened from deep places in basements or garage sales!

2006-10-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

Motorcycle accident

Bad timing. In this video we can appreciate how important is the timing of events. The car is turning into the gas station when at the same time a motorcyclist is coming in that road. Terrible coincidence!!!

Connections

2006-09-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

An article in The Oregonian today Wednesday September 27, 2006 about “older” galaxies being studied by astronomers using the Hubble telescope are interesting in many ways. For one thing shows how as time goes on more and more information is gathered unleashing mysteries. One of the astronomers is John Blakeslee from Washington State University who together with other three found about five hundred galaxies that were formed when the universe was very young. According to the article the formation of these galaxies formed when the universe had about 7% of its present age of about 13.7 Ga. These ages are so immense that are beyond the scope of our human comprehension.
Supported by a grant from Paul Allen a group of scientists was able to map the brain of a mouse. One of the purposes of this project was to unravel the connections physical and genetic of the brain. To read more about the news go to: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060927/ap_on_sc/mouse_brain_map where you can read that the information obtained is going to be accessible on line free to all in order to help world wide collaboration on this subject. Both the 100 million dollars invested and the world wide impact that this project will accomplish are somewhat out of our human comprehension. One aspect that is worth mentioning is that the 3-D mapping cost of about 41 million dollars is under the 50 million budgeted meaning that the time used is less that the time expected. Some times –most of the times- one takes more time than expected to accomplish a project so this case is a good example of the flexibility needed when pursuing a goal. This flexibility included in the planning of a project is one of our more difficult elements to deal with.
On the other hand there is also an article in The Oregonian about the re-opening of Crater Lake to visitors after the lake has been cleaned of “tui chub” a noxious fish that took over the lake and was destroyed using harsh chemicals. This cleanup operation took several years of planning and obtaining the necessary permits and a few weeks for its accomplishment. These times are surely within our human comprehension.
What is the connection between these two articles? We as a race are open to the understanding of times scales that are within and beyond our own frame of reference.

Time to adapt

2006-09-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

In our lives we have to adapt to many things. Going back to school every year after summer breaks, going on vacation, visiting friends, every morning there is something new. As we have to adapt to new situations we take time doing it. Some times a lot of time, some times not so much!
So the question is: How do we make it so it takes the minimum time to adapt? How important is that we make this time as efficient as possible. How can we be intentional about it?

Crashing Times

2006-08-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

So now I have been disconnected and lsow to respond because my pc crashed!
It is time to think about replacing it or upgrading. So far the benefits of replacing it far outweight those of an upgrade.
I lost data as I had to format my "C" drive and reinstall the software. Lots of pictures and worse of all the papers and thoughts about my book.
So where should I start? I have to repair an rewrite lots of papers.
Luckly some ideas are here in this blog so hopefully I will be able to remember and recreate some of those papers.
Wish me luck!

Sad Time Passes Slowly

2006-08-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Last month Roberto Loranca had a terrible motorcycle accident. He was hit and run over by a 16 yo girl DUII. What was this girl doing driving under the influence? What was she thinking? Why did she trying to excape run over the motorcyclist on the ground? Roberto lives in Oaxaca and I didn't know him. Not personally anyway! Now I know him and have talked to him on the phone. I got the news through a forum called motolatino and have been part of a "friends of Loranca" kind of group.
As I think about what happened to this rider my sense of time has slowed down. The sadness of knowing that this young man who became a father while at the hospital will never be able to walk is overwhelming and terrifying. It is such a insightful feeling to hear him on the phone so optimistic about the future as we talk about the "light-weight-titanium" wheelchair that we will try to get him.
First thought are what can we do now, we want everything to happen right now. But we must realize that time will come and that we have to be ready for this new friend as he will be there for many years to come!

Quik times come on a motorcycle

2006-07-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

There is one place where time goes very fast. It is during a motorcycle race. http://media.putfile.com/MotogpLifessweetdrug
Have a look at this video and enjoy how the forces of nature all happening at the same time -as usually do- are acting on a guy that is having a good time!

Good times for a good reading

2006-07-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

Summer time is reading time. So many good books, old books, new books. Many titles, many subjects, many ideas. And then there is TV, radio, and email. Reading books that I have not read and re-reading some that I read a long time ago. It is fun and it is nice! To see the truth of one's existence through the reading of books. And there are journals, magazines and newspapers. I am having a good time!

Fox tower and Koin tower

2006-07-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

Fox tower and Koin tower
Originally uploaded by terrakron_usa.

Nice view of PDX looking east from Portland Hights. Is was such a nice day this Saturday so we went for coffee to the NW district, to 23rd. In our way there this is the view that we had as we were going down the hill from our house that is on the other side of the hill.

It is such a blessing to live in Portland Oregon.

Child' Conception of Time

2006-07-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Jean Piaget wrote a book in 1927 about this topic. The book translated to English in 1969 has been a template for understanding the psychological development of children. The next step is to use these ideas and the framework that is presented to analyze how college students learn and how the maturation process happens. That is in relationship to the way in which time is viewed and used during these critical years.
As professors and instructors normally assume that the process is synchronous meaning that the teaching and learning is happening at the same time, but we must do more research to prove this hypothesis. Which I believe is wrong!

Time for change of constants

2006-07-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

The Universal Constants such as c (speed of light) are basic for the understanding of natural laws. However the question has been to question the constancy of the constants. Has G (the gravitational constant) always been what it is today?
Maybe not. Michael Schirber of SPACE.com is wrigting in http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060711/sc_space/
/scientistsquestionnaturesfundamentallaws about this questioning.
It is so important because of course this has to do with the initial proposition for the creation of the universe. The laws that govern the universe are supposed not to have changed since they were iniciated at the beggining of the universe itself.
As intrincsic as it is the ratio pi that describes the nature of the circle it has bee since the beggining of the circle

2004 The year I didn't die.

2006-07-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

The year 2004 has a special meaning for me. I lost all my upper teeth and had a motorcycle accident in which I broke my left leg. The tibia to be exact, it broke in many fragments and a 10 in. plaque had to be screwed in with thirteen screws. The accident happened July 24, a day after our 33rd wedding anniversary. I was riding the most beautiful road in a gorgeous day, going down from Vernonia to Astoria on OR highway 202. Nothing was wrong everything was perfect! The ride was to get something for dinner after a hot day in the campsite where I had been camping for a day. The gathering to which I was attending was RUN 21 where a crazy crop of bikers gets together for some good time. Maybe I was having too much fun and forgot to remember how blessed I am, and have been. Thinking that all I have and all I do is because I can, not because I have been blessed and that there is some responsibility that comes with that gift.
If I have it, it is to give it away and not to keep it because I deserve it.
2004 was supposed to be my lucky year, and most likely it was! I have always been fond of numbers 2, 4, and 8. For no reason I guess but hose numbers have always been part of my life. Born in 1948, I guess made me like 4 and 8, 48. The nineteen might not have anything to related as (I thought) nothing special about being born in the XX th century.
The “2” of course is intrinsic within the 48, I guess. So now you see why the 2004 was supposed to be a lucky year, and it was! Let me describe the half full glass of water.
I broke my leg, and it did hurt a lot! I went to the hospital and had surgery. But along the way good people and angels came to me. Came to my rescue, to my healing and to my comfort! And most important of all came to teach me a lesson. The family was always there for me, especially the wife, daughter, and son. It didn’t matter that is was two or three in the morning when the icebox had to be refilled, my daughter will get up from bed and do the choirs without hesitation and without any complain. The love of my wife and the care and support of my son soon put me in a position where I was able to work. As classes started I didn’t have to miss a single class. At the college all of my colleagues were so welcoming and warm, they did everything they could to make me feel fine; I could feel their love for a broken-one like me. Everybody’s support and encouragement help to find the energy needed to heal and to work at the same time. It was another proof of the goodness of my life, of the blessed that I was and have been. To be surrounded by all of these friends and family is something that we should never take for granted, as we normally do.
Turning to the good side let me tell you that the people that met were extraordinary, starting with an angel who picked me up and drove me to the hospital, then the surgeon who has hands to perform miracles and one was performed, the first physical therapist who guided me to walking again and help me with the initial exercises at home. The physical therapist who help me during the long days or recovery and help me understand how my knee works and how should work, she has a lot of technical knowledge but most of all a caring way that is kind and strict at the same time.
My old friends and family were there as well as I mentioned before, not that I didn’t think that they would not be there but is that not only were there but were in a way that is impossible to describe. Every single one did way more than what is expected, with loving care and a smile. This is a lesson that I will never regret, even thought I don’t desire it for anyone, as it happened to me I am grateful that it did and think that is another blessing gift given to me.
Mainly the lesson that I am not in control, that it is God who is in control.

This is a picture of our family having lunch at "The Peppers" eating "barbacoa con consomé" and drinking some "agüa de horchata" and "pulque"

BC-AD

2006-06-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

A Greek coin was found with the date CCCVLI BC. I think it would be 346 BC !!!
Some people think the coin is false because the nickel/silver alloy is an alloy not commonly used by the Greeks at the time. The face of Alexander (The Great) of Macedonia is also in doubt as he didn't succeeed to the throne until 336 BC ten years after the date of the coin!
Some other are suspicious because it is using Roman numerals!
But many think the coin is authentic because it was found in Greece!
So far even though I made up this tale I haven't made up my mind. can you believe that?

New knee

2006-06-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my new knee as it is now working just fine. After surgery (is going to be 2 years this July 24) recup has been fine. Sometime I think is going slow, so times I feel is going fast! How is it that the flow of time depends on how you feel? Weard! This of course is psychological time, time that we make up in our minds. Time that doesn't exists. Time that is 110% subjective.
When I am riding my bike, time has a different meaning, time flows and flies y a way that is imposible to describe.

Flickr time

2006-06-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the show of my motorcycle that I posted on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42452071@N00/show/
hope it works

Daily Scribble.

2006-06-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

Every day I’ll try to write a bit about what I see in the newspapers and on the Internet. The idea is to put issues in the context of time. For instance today I real that people are asking about the timing for universal health care. It is time for us to realize that a new moral standard has been set. This standard can be stated in terms of our religious believe that we can do better. Of course it can also be stated in terms of humanistic principles. Is up to us to find the base for our believes.
Other topic that is around is about the timing for democracy. What is happening in the third world today is an eye opener regarding the value of democracy and the need for educated people exercising it. Lack of understanding of reality and of the forces and tendencies that move social phenomena are an impediment for a productive democracy. The two main consequences occur when the people on whom democracy is based is not educated are abstentionism and populism as a demagogical manipulation of false issues to distract voters from core problems that are transcendental to their lives but require some sacrifice.
One might propose that at the moment different areas of our world are located at different times in their historical moment. In this way the classification of world is terms of first, second, and third world reflects a sense of time it isn’t a material value.

Is Time Money?

2006-05-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Time is money the saying goes. Does this mean that time spent is money gone? Or money invested? It depends I must say! Where do you put your money? Where do you spend your time?
Reading and writing must be an instance where investment is.
What is the product of this investment? More reading and more writing, I’d suppose.
Can it be that being able to write without looking at the keyboard is a gain worth appreciating?
This is what I am trying to do!
How happy one looks when the family is around! This is one day as any other day. Is there any way we could see if time is passing by or is it still?

Once a day

2006-05-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

One thought that is coming to my mind continuously is: what am I going to do to make the writing of my book possible in this months that I have as sabbatical leave? Typing this letters with the intention to be clear and at the same time distracted by the fact that my fingers are not hitting the proper keys in the keyboard and making me go back and look down to find where the key is, it is just annoying!
My thoughts go all over the place and it takes so much energy to come back to the idea. What can I do? I think I know the answer … practice, practice, and more practice. If –and I will- get to manage the keyboard it is going to be worthwhile I am sure of that. I’m already feeling the feeling! So once a day I’ll write something without looking at the keyboard.

There was a picture shown in The Oregonian yesterday showing hundreds of motorcylist following the trucks that carry the movable Memorial display that is coming to Potland this Memorial Day weekend.

True Time

2006-05-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

When ever we say or hear "I told you so" there is a connection between fiction and fact, between reality and imagination, between two wishes and desires. It is the connection, the relationship that is important not the disconnect. But it is the disconnect that appears to be the important issue here.
Being able to predict or to make a diagnosis of the present relative to the past and future is a good asset that everyone wants, but nobody has. Many claim to have it, though. So let one claim that s/he has it. Then s/he can say "I told you so" and feel sort of proud for being right. Right?

1905

2006-05-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

This house was built in 1905.

It's been almost a month

2006-04-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

since I wrote. It's April's fool day so I'll keep it short. To short, very short.

Not enough time

2006-03-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

These past days have gone so fast that is hard to keep track. In many ways everything is going smooth as it should but in other sense this smoothness make it hard to follow in detail what is happening. It is like being on automatic pilot. Following a schedule, meetings and reunions becomes such a rutinary state when at the same time one is looking for meaning. Last Tuesday (i think?) March 7 my dear wife and I had the pleasure of listening to Rabbi Michael Lerner at Powell's books in downtown Portland. He was presenting his new book: The Left Hand of God. But was also -and more important- sharing his views about what is happening in the spiritual world today. As soon as I read the book I'll post my comments.
Also this week I have been busy taking web seminars and enjoying every minute of it. As I learn more pedagogy: some for online tools for hybrid courses and some for adult education I feel a personal growth both in my conceptualization of the learning process and the confidence about content of what I want to communicate.
One thing I would very much like to learn is how to stretch time, as so far I see that there is not enough time!

The Values of Our Times

2006-02-26T13:52:00.000-08:00

Today we all are talking about how it is important to looks at the “values” that rule our lives. In political, economical, and social terms how we perceive “value” determines how we act. So the common statement that we must do something because of our “values” is mostly an understatement of our reality. In most cases the idea of basing our actions on some predetermined values has lead to erroneous outcomes, in some cases even dangerously close to a disaster. The book written by Jimmy Carter (2005) “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” Simon & Schuster Publishers, ISBN: 978 0 7432 8457 8 is a very good account of present dilemma regarding how we are dealing with true values, especially he refers to Christian moral values such as taking care of the poor. Throughout a profound analysis of past and present policies of the American Government together with a knowledgeable account of monetary investments in various sectors President Carter is cautioning us to be aware of the direction in which out country is moving. In general moving generally away from our cherished Christian moral values. This is for sure a must read for those of us who are looking for a clarification of the meaning of being a true Christian…a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rightnow

2006-02-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

I have found a very beautiful website by Ralph S Marston Jr. The URL is: http://www.llangley.com/yoga/wisdom/rightnow[2].htm If are thinking about the future, if the future is bugging you, have a look at this website.

Time for Truth ----- Time for Reality

2006-02-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

In the book edited by Joseph Neeham in 1955 "Science, Religion, and Reality" published by Braziller, New York you'll find a good set of questions that relate to today's news. The book is a balanced exposure of ideas based on Blaise Pascal quote "Two extravagances: to exclude Reason, to admit only Reason."
George Sarton in his introductory essay questions who should be asked about reality. Who is competent to appreciate the validity and soundness of an astronomical book? Are the editors of Harper's, or Reader's Digest, or the people who have devoted their whole life to the study of astronomy?
Are physicists the ones to define the physical world? Who will help us understand the spiritual world? Would it have to be spirits? This is the difference between truth and rightness. When one moves outside the physical world into the metaphysical one the possibility of encountering "paradox" is created. Paradoxes are not irreal nor unreal, but are they real? Today we use perception as a measure of reality, polling after polling is used to state that the reality of the situation is what is perceived. As I think Einstein said Objectivity is the common denominator of subjectivity, probably mocking off those who self proclaim being in the "objective" side and using the "matter of fact" ing of their position to sustain an unsustainable proposition.

Past Post-Modern Times

2006-01-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

“The World is Flat” according to Thomas Friedman in his book “A Brief History of the Twenty first Century” 2005; Farrar New York ISBN 0-374-29288-4 OF. Linn Library call no. HM846.F74 2005. In it Friedman goes over an extensive survey of today’s socio-political system in search of democratic leadership. Analyzes how the United States of America is lagging behind undeveloped nations in her effort for a sustainable development.
Based on a strict view of what is happening in places such as India, China and Latin America. His insight is based on extensive travel and personal interviews with important people in those countries. Just to mention one, the one with Guillermo Ortiz the governor of the Central Bank of Mexico (equivalent to Greenspan in the US) is quite interesting, basically because Ortiz was put in that position by Salinas (Mexico’s President from1988 to 1994) and represent the most active ideology of open markets for big capital and corporations.
Friedman’s analysis is clear relating: Awareness>>Attitude>>Education>>Science>>Technology>> to Prosperity.
By doing this he criticizes some of the baggage of our current situation where meritocracy is substituted by cronyism and short term substitutes long term planning and vision.
As the author opens our eyes to intangible and tangible reasons for the flattening of the earth emphasizes the need for better education as the first step and the awareness that with today’s technology many problems of society could be resolved very easily. There is absolutely no reason why more than one million people are estimated to die of malaria each year. According to the author an energy war is taking place and will be even more acute as China takes more and more of energy resources as she continues with her development. This (flat) world is amoral. Both good and bad organizations have their playing ground flattened –those who work for the advancement of society as well of those who are looking for selfish gains in detriment of all. This is what makes violent organizations so powerful regardless of their lack of acceptance by civilized society in general.
As a native of Mexico chapter 9 “The Virgin of Guadalupe” caught my attention in a special way. Friedman’s argument in this chapter could be summarized with the following idea: in the run for the bottom nobody wins! The “bottom” could be low wages, low standards of living, environmental standards, or any other socio-economic standard. As Mexico was keeping progress at the slowest rate possible in order to compete in the international market place with low wages as a member of NAFTA, China could go even lower! The proximity with the US was no match for the extremely low cost of Chinese production, even taking transportation into account. Most of the book is focused on education. Mentioning the role of parenting and the strength of public education in the US, as well as the positive impact of the influx of foreign born need for success and achievement. He doesn’t propose militarizing education but higher standards, and taking students out of their comfort zone. Students have to learn how to save and sacrifice some immediate pleasures in the present for a return in the future. India’s investment in education is paying off now many years after the strong investment done after their independence from England in the 1940s.

Wind of the Times

2006-01-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

Why the Right Got it Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get it? Is clearly explained by Jim Wallis in his book God’s Politics, 2005. Harper Collins ISBN: 0-06-055828-8. As far as I have been able to read (not finished yet) the author’s strong arguments demonstrate a change in today’s political winds where the appearance of moral high ground that has been sequestered by self designated keepers of morality is now been freed and promoted by truly religious individuals and organizations. These self appointed “guardians” of morals are characterized by extremist positions that are similar in both Islamic fundamentalism and the so-called Christian evangelism. Even the names for these religions have nothing to do neither with the majority of churches practicing the religion nor with the people that practice it. A few extremists have hijacked these beautiful ideas and principles into false and ugly ideologies that have nothing to do with the original intent.

It is so refreshing and encouraging seeing that many good people are taking the lead in order to recuperate religion. Today we celebrate the life of a distinguished Christian who gave his life for his sisters and brothers. He was a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Martin Luther King Jr. was “only” defending the principles established in the New Testament.

Other book that I highly recommend is “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” by Jimmy Carter 2005. Simon and Schuster ISBN: 0-7432-8457-7. This book emphasizes our responsibility as religious people to take care of our fellow men to be pro life (that is against war, and any other form of killing) and to take care of the earth as stewards of creation in order to leave our descendants the environments and resources that we were given.

It seems that these are the prevailing winds.

Time for best wishes for the New Year!

2006-01-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

Time reading is time well spent. The Universe in a Nutshell by S. Hawking (ISBN 0-553-80202-X) is a book full of interesting thoughts and it is so nicely presented. One chapter in particular must be read with great care: chapter 2 about "The shape of time". One can't say what time is, nor what shape it is but according to the theory of General Relativity one can say that "time isn't linear" nor monochromatic, nor monotonic, nor simple.
We wish all a prosperous new year full of good venture, happiness, and helth.

Disconnected Time

2005-12-31T19:28:00.000-08:00

Disconnected time

Published in 1908 a book that was translated from German continues to be a relevant and updated discourse on the ethical questions of today. Friedrich Paulsen’s “A System of Ethics” (Scribner’s Sons Pub.) was written for the general public in a plain and direct language that enlightens and analyzes topics that were of paramount importance then and still are now. As I am reading these ideas that were thought and expressed more than one hundred years ago I become aware of the transcendence of these basic virtues and values.
Today as one start a new year (for posterity: one is talking about 2006) the same old questions are asked. But for the old question there is a new perspective. One that is not really new, but for a personal renovation can be stated as a new point of view. As when one thinks about a new year in the sense of renovation, knowing that the cycle is part of a continuum, that psychologically there is a renewal as after the hibernation of winter comes the awakening of spring.
So as we wish to all a “Prosperous and Happy New Year”, the wishes are for this next year as for all the next years. Disconnected time is being connected.

Space Time

2005-12-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

Einstein’s Cosmos: How Albert Einstein’s Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time. Michio Kaku. 251 pp. Atlas Books. ISBN 0-393-05165-X O.F. Linn Library QC 173.59 S65 K356 2004.

Prof. Michio Kaku from City University of New York has written a wonderful account of Albert Einstein’s struggle to find the unified theory of the universe. This account goes far beyond the traditional biographies that of this great scientist have been written. For almost two hundred and fifty pages Prof. Kaku gives us an idea of the times, friends and colleagues of Albert Einstein and the way in which his thought were developed and shaped by his personal relationships. All of this is done within a profound understanding of the physics involved so this is not only a historical description of the life of a great mind, but it also enlightens one with the intricacies of the theoretical concepts in modern physics and the relationship of these concepts with natural philosophy and ultimately to our final sense of reality.

Is it to late?

2005-12-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Thinking about how long has it been since ...? I remembered that discussion that I had with many people at the turn of the millennium. Many used to argue that the year 2000 was not the beginning of the "new" millennium as they argued that the year 2001 should be the first. It was so difficult to explain why the year 2000 was the beginning as the counter argument was that there is no year zero at the beginning of counting. We know that zero is a number but how can we explain that this number counts as a place in the sequence of event if zero is understood as a non-event.
I don't know if it is too late to argue about our counting (measuring) of time but one thing I know: it is the semantic knowledge through our language (or the lack of it) that leads us to the understanding(or to problems) of dating. Here is an easy way out: If I have been teaching (i.e. I am still doing it) since a particular date, I can count how many years have passed (X) and I can say that I am in my Yth year. Where Y = X + 1. In this sense the year 2000 is in fact the 2001st year as 2000 years have passed.

A long time

2005-12-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

Not the time that it has taken for me to write, as it has been a long time. But nothing compared with "cosmic" time which is what this is all about.
It is difficult to appreciate the full scope of time when one is limited to a short time experience. As our definition of time and the units that we use for its measurement are so anthropocentric it is almost impossible to make any lucubration about universal time. As Einstein proposed his basic assumptions about the universe he made one powerful move: there is unity of the universe. By stating two fundamental principles, one philosophic and one physical, the theory of relativity is able to conform the cosmos to a “continuum” where a vacuum filled with “fields” manifest itself as matter or energy depending on the configuration of the geometry of that space. It may be that because of this Einstein expressed his opinion that geometry was a “physical” science. The philosophical principle is that the laws of physics are the same for any observer. So if two observers were moving relative to each other and they observed the same phenomenon they should get to the same law as the explanation of said phenomenon. On the one hand the constancy of the speed of light in vacuum as electromagnetic radiation being the physical principle allows the connection between those observers that are moving relative to each other. Can we use the same bridge –the constancy of the speed of light – to connect our time to “cosmic” time? With string theory the effort is to connect our time to the atto –femto scale by means of quantum field theory. As far as I know this has been attempted through gravitational field theory (quantum and relativistic) but the assumption has been that if the time involved in the phenomenon is grater than that of Planck’s time (1.38 E-43 sec.) time will be considered continuous that is as an analog function where its flow is directed by the second law of thermodynamics

Andy Warhol's time

2005-11-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

Andy Warhol writes in his 1975 book "The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again.)"> ISBN:0-15-189050-1

About Time

From time to time
Do time
Time yourself

Weekends

In time
In no time

In good time
Between time
Time and again
Lifetime
Time-worn

Pass time
Mark time
Buy time
Keep time

On time
In time
Time off
Time out
Time in
Time card
Time lapse
Time zone

The beforetime
The meantime
The aftertime
The All-time-

Time for cosmic talk

2005-11-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

“Blowing Bubbles in the Cosmos: Astronomical Winds, Jets, and Explosions” gives a wonderful insight into the evolution of our universe. The book written by T.W. Hartquist, J.E Dyson, and D.P. Ruffle and published by Oxford University Press in 2004 provides a full view of all sorts of phenomena observed by astrophysicists. Starting of course with a comprehensive account of the discovery of astronomical winds, and going through the quantification of their magnitude as is connected to star formation and stellar evolution. The authors look at differences in regional activity as well as the possibility for connecting supernovae and their remnants. They look at active galaxies, their nuclei, and their galactic winds. Finally the authors provide us with a comprehensive mathematical appendix and a very useful glossary.
ISBN: 0-19-513054-5. O.F.Linn library QB529.H37 2004
One reason that cosmological studies are so important can be seen in this blog's question(http://abandontheweb.blogspot.com/) " Is hi-tech timeless? one can see that it is!
Loyal starts a comment with: "In technology...More is law. More speed, more storage, more graphics, and so on." But will this law—more of an assumption, really—be true tomorrow, and is it true today?

Time for Academic Reform

2005-11-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

The following is from Slate magazine : "Stanley N. Katz provides an overview of the liberal arts debate here.
What should students be studying in college? No one seems to agree anymore. Harvard University is in the midst of a heated debate about its general education requirements, while the Association of American Colleges and Universities has launched a campaign to promote "a liberal education." Slate has taken the occasion to ask an array of prominent academics to tackle the question at the heart of the debate: What should undergraduates leave college knowing?"
This is such an important and ongoing question that needs all of us in higher education to get involved. Two points I would like to make: Blogs are becoming a wonderful tool for the discussion, and the discussion is now open to a wider audience.
Cross references and recycling electrons is fairly efficient, so let's do it!

When time goes by ...

2005-11-07T18:56:00.000-08:00

... it is difficult to keep track of things. One thing leads to another and by the time you realize that time has gone it is too late. More so when you are busy and in some ways productive. It is the time of the year when we transition to deeper thoughts, as winter is settling. Last week I had the opportunity of meeting with some friends of the Science Integration Institute where I presented the topic "Reality, Reason, and Imagination" we had a great time. We talked about the idea of eather and how this idea as it was abandoned helped Einstein use the Lorentz-Fitsgerald translations to sustain his relativity principles.

Time in The Physical World

2005-10-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

One’s senses connect us to the world in many ways and through many steps. One’s mind interprets one’s perceptions obtained through one’s senses. One’s mind is made of a brain and the interconnections that neurons make that give reality to the idea.
So is it the world real? Or is it an idea? (Old question that we'll not answer here!)

Along human history there have been many discoveries of “natural” laws and phenomena that occurred by serendipity, or mistake! Some discoveries were due to unsuccessful attempts to demonstrate some unsustainable theory such as the existence of aether. This aether had been proposed to explain the transmission of light and its high speed through the universe. The experiment performed by Michelson and Morley as it failed opened the door to a new way of thinking; where the idea of “vacuum” became accepted, and as others -like Lorentz try to “fix” the problem- were very imaginative with their proposals.

Lorentz proposal of a contracting space even though wrongly stated to fix the Michelson-Morley experiment gave support later on to Einstein for his proposal of “time” relativity where time itself would shrink or dilate if the observer was moving relative to the frame of reference. Lorentz contraction –or relative expansion of the other system- is now used with no hesitation as one calculates the interaction of orbiting communication satellites that use electromagnetic signals that have to follow Einstein’s relativity theory.
Time after all is relative, so I’m going to stop here

Reality Time

2005-10-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

Time for some real time.
Does it mean that time doesn't exist because we aren't able to explain what time is?
Reality, Reason, and Imagination are linked through the search of truth. How can one undestand reality? Natural laws have to be universal thus objective and they have to be discovered through one's reason. It is important to realize that human reason is over all dependable even though in some cases it looks like it is not!
Common sense is commonly wrong! So one has to be careful in equating common sense to human reasoning.
All this is to establish a framework for our understanding of time or lack of it.
Yesterday Oct. 1st during the Linus Pauling Award symposium George M. Whitesides (the recipiant of the prize) lectured on some of the concepts about matter that we are in the very beggining of understanding. One of this concepts is the relationship between enthalpy and entropy, as in chemistry one normally relate them in the sense that one is at the expense of the other! This concept makes one think that one really do not know what enthalpy or entropy are about.
So if enthalpy and entropy do exist even though on doesn't know what they are, maibe time also exists even though one doesn't know waht it is!

Time for Physical Thoughts

2005-09-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Why is it important to study the physical concept of force in its relation with the economy of a society? Two things come to one’s mind: Time and energy.
Timing is everything in economic terms as well as in social terms, as they are intrinsically dependent. When we one look at the linking between social developments and economic ones the “energy” bridge is used to understand it. How is this link defined and affected by our definition of “energy”, and how are time and energy related is a profound philosophical question that few have tried to address. We’ll try in my book (Treatise on Physical Economy) to address this question and to propose some ideas regarding the physical nature of social development and behavior. Some of these ideas have been around for a long time, some since the XVIII century and I hope some will be brand-new as they are proposed in the light of current events.

Time for Gravity

2005-08-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'll like to recomend reading the book by Bernard Schutz, 2003, "Gravity from the Ground Up: An Introductory Guide to Gravity and General Relativity", Cambridge U. Press, 462 pp. ISBN: 0 521 45506 5. O.F.Linn QC178.S36 2003.
As the title indicates this is a good introductory book to a very important subject in modern science. Bernard Schutz using a clear and direct language allows readers that are not specialists understand and most importantly enjoy the discussion of basic scientific ideas. The understanding of “Gravity” as it is related to the functioning of the universe is of paramount importance for the understanding of all natural phenomena. Schutz gives examples from astronomy to show how the universe can be used as a laboratory and how measuring distances and masses, and calculating their ratios, is used to infer laws and deduce the existence of black holes. Other astronomical objects and phenomena, such as neutron stars and cosmic rays, are mentioned as indicators of the kind of knowledge we can gather for the understanding of how the universe functions. Some one who is interested in understanding the principles of the time-space relationship and the correlation of mass and energy should read this book.

Timely Read

2005-07-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

When Gödel was asked by Judge Philip Forman –as I read Palle Yourgrau’s book “A World Without Time” -if a dictatorship such as the one that flourished in Germany could arise in the US? Gödel spiritedly reply with an affirmative. The reason being that according to his “incompleteness theory” in mathematics it will apply to law in the sense that any legal code couldn’t –even if intended to be fully explicit and complete- cover the whole set of situations that could eventually arise.
Today we face a situation if we try to reconstruct the constitution by looking at the letter of the law and forget to look for the spirit of the law.

24 days

2005-06-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

Twenty Four Days [OFL libraryHD9502.U54 E57927 2003] by Rebecca Smith and John R. Emshwiller 2003 ISBN: 0-06-052073-6.
From the inside cover: “This is the story of two Wall Street Journal beat reporters –one covering the energy industry just after the chaotic California electricity crisis; the other chasing stock swindlers. Together these journalists were ideally placed to uncover one of the great cons of the century.” If you’ll like to have a profound insight of what happened with the Enron story, how economic power goes hand in hand with political power, and how modern technology can be used to create artificially immense wealth, this is a book you’ll like to read.
It is interesting to see how time plays such an important role, timing of the con with the political atmosphere of deregulation.

Time for A Healthy Earth

2005-06-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Another excellent book that environmentalists have to read is "Environmental Health" (3dr Ed) Edited by Monroe T. Morgan (2003)[ISBN: 0-534-51717-X; OFL library RA566.M67 2003] where a good collection of contributors present a solid, consistent, and thorough analysis of the state of health of the world. From the definition of the health paradigm to the exposition of issues related to transportation, building and development as they relate to the transmittal of diseases. Current topics such as those related to the production of electricity from nuclear energy, and the protection and safety of food. Ending with an excellent account of the principles of environmental health administration written by Larry Gordon of the University of New Mexico. In this last chapter a well rounded account of the organizational diversity involved in health administration, looking at the national, regional, and local level.

Time for Environmental Managment

2005-06-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

In a clear and concise way different authors in the book "Managing Environmental Policy: A casebook" present cases that are relevant to the present discussion on environmental issues. The book is edited by R.P.Watson, D.C. Kiegel, and S. F. Robar. And published by Krieger in 2004. (ISBN: 1-57524-233-8. O. F. L. library: GE310.M36 2004.)
Several cases in particular relate directly with Northwestern US. From “Salmon and People” presented by Mary Brentwood (Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at California State University, Sacramento) to “Wolf Politics” by Martin Nie (Assistant Professor of Natural Resources Policy at the University of Montana.)
The format of the book is inviting and induces a discussion where both sides of the issue are recognized. Based on actual cases gives the reader a broad idea of environmental issues facing our world, as well as a perspective of the situation that comprises all sides.
Even though the cases presented are based in the USA and mention real institutions and organizations the book has not a provincial view, it can be used and read to gain a general, universal perspective.

Times don't change

2005-06-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

What is going on with the energy crisis? We are talking about gasoline price in the US above $2 per gallon - and rising. Have a look at this book: The Energy Crisis: World struggle for power and wealth. Michael Tanzer (1974) ISBN:0-85345-346-2; O. F. L. Library: HD9502.A2 T35 1974
According to Michael Tanzer: There is no energy shortage. The problem lies on the power struggle between energy companies and their host countries.
With very few exemptions this book written in 1974 is actual. Up to that date facts represent in general what is still going on. So the content becomes so relevant to today's situation where as crazy as it sounds, nothing has change in more that 30 years!
On the other hand and looking into the paradoxical nature of our use of energy, we might expect that unnoticed changes have occurred, and these will suddenly -without any warning- bring havoc in our society. Hopefully this havoc will give way to a positive chaotic transition out of which a more equilibrated and just society will emerge.
This is a short read -about 170 pages, and highly recommended.

The Preacher

2005-06-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that Ecclesiastes 3 is becoming my favorite chapter. It start with: (King James) "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven;2 A time to be born, and a time to die;..."
And, as I truly like questions- finishes with the following: "22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? "
Accepting that there is a time for each thing and each thing has to be at its own time is for me so fundamental and basically the only way to achieve happiness. Having work as a means for excellence and being is a truism. Finally who knows what is after him/her? But one thing we know: we are another link of humanity. The link that comes after history and before the future thus "we are the present." Whoever we are it doesn't matter.
We are the present. Even after we die, whenever someone read this, it will be.
"2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ... "

Is it "time" for a change?

2005-06-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

Many thoughts come to my mind. Some have to do with politics, some have to do with international relationships -mainly US-Mexico, some have to do with little things in life that are so unimportant that they are profound!
So how can I change what I am doing here? Is it time to change? So I figured it out! Maybe if we have another blog. That way we will not deviate from the main topic-time that we are supposed to deal with here. We can also post in another language - say Spanish. So once in a while check my other blogs, you can find the by going to "view my complete profile" and clicking on the other blogs at the end of the profile.

Time to rest, time to move on

2005-06-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

Thinking about what time does to your thinking. Taking the time to mature a thought is as letting a rain drop flow into a river, if the thought is profound the river will go to the ocean. C.S. Lewis book on "Miracles" tries to declare a framework where t is necessary to establish the right filosophy in order to talk about miracles. The question is: can we prove the occurence of a miracle? Can we do it within a historical context?
Lewis' claim is that if you don't believe in miracles -that would be your philosophical framework- then it can't be proven that miracles exist. One must then be in the right frame of mind what ever that means!!!!

Book Review

2005-05-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Mathematician Roger Penrose’s book “ The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe” (2004) ISBN 0-679-45443-8; OFL Library location: QC20.P366 2005 is a blast! There is so much to say about this magnificent encyclopedic account of the history and philosophy behind the most important discoveries of humankind. So much that I will not try.

To get a taste of the one-thousand-page book you have to only look at the content.

1. The Roots of Science
2. An Ancient Theorem and a Modern Question
3. Kinds of Numbers in the Physical World
4. Magical Complex Numbers
5. Geometry of Logarithms, Powers, and Roots
6. Real-Number Calculus
7. Complex-Number Calculus
8. Riemann Surfaces and Complex Mappings
9. Fourier Decomposition and Hyperfunctions
10. Surfaces
11. Hypercomplex Numbers
12. Manifolds of n-Dimensions
13. Symmetry Groups
14. Calculus on Manifolds
15. Fibre Bundles and Gauge Connections
16. The Ladder of Infinity
17. Spacetime
18. Minkoiskian Geometry
19. The Classical Fields of Maxwell and Einstein
20. Lagragians and Hamiltonians
21. The Quantum Particle
22. Quantum Algebra, Geometry, and Spin
23. The Entangled Quantum World
24. Dirac’s Electron and Antiparticles
25. The Standard Model of Particle Physics
26. Quantum Field Theory
27. The Big Bang and its Thermodynamic Legacy
28. Speculative Theories of the Early Universe
29. The Measurement Paradox
30. Gravity’s Role in Quantum State Reduction
31. Super-symmetry, Supra-Dimensionality, and Strings
32. Einstein’s Narrower-path; Loop Variables
33. More Radical Perspectives; Twistor Theory
And finally
34. Where Lies the Road to Reality.

If you are interested in paradox, language, ontology or semantics this is the book for you! It looks like it is only about mathematics but it is not. Written for the general public, it doesn’t require you to be proficient in math even though formulas are used in order to clarify the semantic connection of reality with concept. In fact I recommend this reading to those who have had bad experiences with math. Penrose is one of the clearest minds alive today and his writings in Mathematical Physics directed to specialists, as well as his writings directed to the general public have become classics.

No Time at All

2005-05-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

As I try to write at least once a day. It shows that I have not been successful, It is more like once a month. Time is scarce. No writing but a lot of reading! One book: Yourgrau's "A World Without Time" is an account of the friendship between Godel and Einstein comes to my point about not having time as Godel's hypothesis is that "time doesn't exist."

Critical Mass-Critical Time

2005-04-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

Reading Philip Ball's "Critical Mass" book one gets a deep understanding of how things are related. As the subtitle of the book implies -how one thing leads to another. We have used mathematical approaches to establish a language (framework) to relate cause and effect as well as, in many acceding, the path in which the process is carried out.
For a statistical analysis to be strong and confiable is it necessary to have a good set of information, data in sufficient quantity that allows us to see the pattern that describes the system in question. This sufficiency in the amount of information is what we call "critical mass" a term borrowed from nuclear physicist that define the critical mass of a nuclear reaction in terms of the density of radionuclides involved in the reaction. All in nature including of course human behaviour requieres a critical point from which reference is made. A city or town doesn't becomes a city or town until that critical mass is acquiered

Entropy of life

2005-03-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

As the second law of thermodynamics states the universe is evolving in the direction of increased randomness. How fast is this happening? It seems to be a paradox as we find organized systems that are constituting themselves amidst this tendency for disorganized. R. Collins in his book Random Designer (2004) talks about how God is not concerned with this paradox and in fact mentions that "the Second Law is simply a necessary part of His magnificent plan."
One can see a deeper purpose in this law. Lets think of different mechanisms, some will increase the order of the system (as the total entropy of the universe increase) and others will decrease the order of the system. For example nutrition versus aging. The competition of mechanisms depends on the relationships of the energies involved with the rates at which the change is occurring. It is all about rates! So time is a basic, fundamental frame of reference.
In the realm of religion:
Our Lord Jesus Christ came two thousand years ago and we are still struggling with his teachings. Christianity has some basic principles that I see are related to the second law of thermodynamics. Love thy enemy! Is this proposition breaking some kind of order that states that we and they are different? Thus belonging to separate organized groups? If we are to love our enemies, we are not different from them under His eyes.

As Time Goes By, Space Warps

2005-02-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

Looking at a candle burn, feeling that time is there without a change! Nothing is new under the sun while everything appears to be moving.
My own concern, my own life.
As I'm cooling down it seems to me that I'm slowing down. Temperature is the scalar measure of the heat (energy) level so as our energy level drops we slow down. Can we think of this energy level in terms of energy density and if so isn't it that energy and mass (the curvature of space according to Einstein) are related? So how are space -with its curvature- and time related? Gravity has been explained based on a warping of time/space. Where is energy in this picture?

Time is slowing down

2005-02-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

It is Friday afternoon. After a hectic morning where rush seemed to make time go fast it is now a beautiful afternoon where time is slowing down.
Time for reflection.
In Spanish people ask about time when thinking about the weather, how are weather and time related?
Como está el tiempo? is: How is the weather?
Could it be that time goes faster when the weather isn't nice? Is it going to the beach and enjoying yourself an energizing experience because time is going so slow? Has this energizing effect anything to do with the energy used in the passage of time?
The only way we have to see the passage of time is when changes in energy occur. Changes could be from one kind of energy to another or changes in the level of the same kind i.e. quantitative or qualitative.

Changing times and pedagogy.

2005-01-20T16:36:00.000-08:00

Frames of reference (theoretical or otherwise) allow us to communicate. As a concept "time" has been used as a frame of reference more than a relational reference. What do I mean with this statement? It seems to me that the presumption that the passing of time is constant within a spatial reference frame allows the calendaring of events, where their relative position is scaled to a particular unit of time. In this way we can say that some dinosaurs lived, for example: 100 years; and that they lived sixty million years ago. It seems to make sense. But, is it so?
Within the framework of education we have assumed that one hour of class is one hour of teaching equivalent to one hour of learning. The hour of class makes the hour of teaching synchronous with the hour of learning.
Here is where I have some uneasiness. My feelings are that teaching and learning aren't happening at the same "time"

A matter of fact is a matter of time

2005-01-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

Time is factual as it is changing, as the only permanent concept is the concept of change. How can permanence and change be related? It is a paradox that can be illustrated by “rhythm” where the regularity of the beat is framed with/within the flow/movement of the music. Of course there are some who say that time doesn't exist.

Synchronous v Asynchronous

2005-01-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

One issue that has been in the minds of people is the connection of past, present and future with the concept of eternity. Is eternity the sum of past-present-future? or is it the extencion of the present? Since the development of relativity we know that there is no "absolute" time so how can we relate different times? Is this relationship synchronous or not? I'll be thinking more about this.

Presenting myself

2005-01-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog! This is my first, so please be patient with me. The purpose of this diary is to share some of the thoughts that I'm having (or have had) related to the nature of time and to try to compile links to other sites interested in the discussion of time. As it applies to issues of pedagogy, natural sciences, or religion. My email address is davidjterrell@msn.com please don't hesitate to write to me. Also I invite you to visit my web site at www.warnerpacific.edu/personal/DTerrell where you can read about other aspects of my life. (Portland, OR/January, 2005)