induction & deduction

Science has taken many pot-shots at religion over the years. Only fair, since historically, religion has trampled science quite a number of times as well. But let's take just a few seconds to look at both. Religion predates science, as a thought-induced endeavor. Who can be sure which roots were laid first, but before we had enough awareness of our environment to begin any real intellectual pursuit of science, we were well on our way to numerous varied belief systems.

Religion was the first application of our natural drive to systemize chaos. It wasn't mature, couldn't be mature, things need time to mature. Most of our understanding back then was inductive in nature, fitting the pieces of the puzzle of the world into bigger systems that could be used to take advantage of this world.

At some point there was a moment of maturation that allowed us to step back and say, wait, what if the bigger systems work similar to smaller systems? this step was the beginning of science. The switch from inductive to deductive thinking on a large scale. Since then, both religion and science have developed, both taking advantage of inductive as well as deductive tools. For some reason science has always felt inferior to religion in an oedipal kind of way.

In any case, I wonder if people have really noticed how much of religion's former steam has been redirected into the pursuit of art. Religion is only loosely coupled to rationality, while being tightly related to intuition and inspiration. Science has inherited the importance and structure of inter-dependent systems to use induction and deduction as predictive implements. Religion inherently lacks some element of control that is the foundation of science.

The short version is: Science is forever binah while religion is rooted hochmah. As much as science may despise religion, it can't get by without it. Vice versa is also applicable, religion cannot truly grow without being informed by science.

[It's probably important to note that i'm using religion mostly in the colloquial sense.]
[also, I know I can't stand when people bury their true insight when they try to flesh it out and fail. I think i'm too lazy (or don't have the time) to flesh out these ideas in a way that they are truly palatable here, the short version is the essence of my insight, everything else is just an ADHD attempt to flesh it out. anyways it was this post that started me thinking on the topic.]

heavy

This week is a week of confessions, a week to look into yourself and announce to G-d all that you've done wrong and set your will to overcome these challenges in the future. Here's ('I'm ready') an article about the last words of people on death row. It's so much more intense to see how people think and feel when they are moments away from death. Especially people who know they are guilty and have felt the weight of their mistakes for many years. Let's let go of all our baggage before a merciful G-d, with complete acknowledgement of our actions and hope and prayer that we will have the strength to overcome the same failings in the future.

Now we know why a watched pot never boils ;)

New device tests uncertainty principle to unprecedented level | Science Blog: "Keith Schwab, associate professor of physics who moved to Cornell this year from the National Security Agency, and colleagues have created a device that approaches this quantum mechanical limit at the largest length-scale to date.

And surprisingly, the research also has shown how researchers can lower the temperature of an object -- just by watching it."

working hard at nothing

the most prized possession of a tzaddik is nothing.
I just made that up but it sounds good :) And it jives well with my learnings in the Notzer Hesed. The essence of the truest and deepest tzaddikim is in their attainment of Ayin, nothingness. It's a form of self-nullification to the will and reality of the all-pervasive G-d.

anyways, I was wondering this morning on the way to work about the purpose of computers. Why are they here? and I figured one of the best reasons is: As we advance the science of computers, we reach a point where there are few things people can do better than computers, without computers ever achieving any form of real 'consciousness.' So basically, all we can do that computers can't is be conscious. something we do without even really trying.

But I digress. the point is: computers humble us. I can write software that can figure out problems much more quickly than I could figure them out myself. I can even write software which can solve problems in ways that I may never understand. At some point, I can't say anymore that I'm in control of the software, or that I entirely understand what comes out of it. It certainly isn't doing things I didn't tell it to do.. but it is trying more variations than my brain could ever hope to encompass. It's varying those variations in ways that never occurred to me. What I can accomplish through computers is astounding, but how much credit can I take when it is beyond my mental capacity to comprehend?

At some point it becomes: How could I take credit for understanding or knowing things when I don't even know how it is that I understand? To make a long story short (too late!) computers are one of G-d's implements that will ultimately make us feel little, will allow the most brilliant and nothing-challenged among us to feel childish and sophomoric. (or even elementary)

In a sense the world moves from a childhood of powerlessness, to a maturity of control/power and then ultimately to a recognition of our true powerlessness, but this time with comprehension and appreciation for the kindness of G-d.

(Tzaddikkim just try and get ahead of the curve. Figure out their insignificance)

Seeing torah in the world

There's a cool article about scientists discovery of an entirely symbiotic worm that has symbiotic bacteria under its skin that eat and excrete instead of having a digestive tract of its own. The worm moves from food-rich place to food-rich place in its environment ensuring that it's tenant bacteria have plenty to eat. In return, the bacteria supply all the necesary proteins to the worm and dispose of its waste products.

This is such an amazing metaphor I just had to apply it to what I'm learning currently. (the Notzer Hesed (Komarna Rebbe)) Certain Tzaddikkim go about their days interacting with the physical world in a way that gathers and releases all of the holy sparks contained in their environment. These sparks cling to the Tzaddik because they know the Tzaddik raises them up through his deeds and meditations. These sparks, in turn, enlighten the mind of the Tzaddik and allow him to attain wonderous levels of cleaving to G-d.

I guess it's just interesting to see similar interactions in the most mundane segments of the world.

If we look of course, we can see similar symbiosis everywhere: The best example for me would be the adage of the mishna: (in Avot, i think) Through all of my teaching(/students), I've gained wisdom. (mikol m'lamdai hiskalti - מכל מלמדי השכלתי)

Renewing old eyes

I wondered what my car would look like a year or two from now... How could it look like the current old looking old models? I realised I could make my eyes see that. See new things as old .. I could take things that were new and fresh and pure and make them old and wasted.

But I stopped myself. If our eyes have the power to take time and vitality out of the equation, then they must have the power to replace them in the equation. It's not fantastic to see evil or negative in all things--that comes almost naturally.. Being seen in the natural progression of time. To see light in darkness and find the good in the seemingly evil.. That is a worthwhile endeavour.

Lo and behold, the old become young and all is refreshed. Beauty is apparent in what was once bland. The mundane is certainly certainly unique.

Every day we praise G-d that he remakes the world anew. It doesn't have to be just lipservice. It is in our hearts and mouths to do it.

bring in the light

My favorite college professor (who I call Snake Eyes behind his back) posted a pretty dismal and hopeless post about being unable to awake people from their zombie slumber. He happens to live in NYC, a place I specifically left because of its sopporific affect on me at the deepest levels. Only after years of mastering life-fu do i now think i could live in Manhattan/the borroughs. Lucky for me i'm in Jerusalem instead :)

On yet another side note I once argued pointlessly with Rav Adin Steinsaltz on just how hard it is to get people (especially in america and extra especially in the TriStateArea) to do make any forward progress of any kind at all. I argued that such a move would require them to first actually examine themselves, which is impossible without disrupting their security blanket of absolute denial. People there have more layers of denial than fat and it's scary and hurts my heart to see it.

On the last side-note and as a segue into the actual point of this post, it was for the very reasons above that Chabad moved to new york instead of somewhere else. (Israel?) It was to fight the root of the problem at its very source, or so Chabad tells their story.

Anyways, the first Chabad Rebbe, R' Shneur Zalman of Liadi (who never was anywhere near New York), the Baal HaTanya, he says in the Tanya appropriate to last Friday that every Rosh Hashanah (New Year) the G-d's light that permeates this world and gives life to all its inhabitants ascends and leaves this world, only to be replaced by a new light of a higher origin than the first at the completion of the New Year celebration. Through our work in this month of Elul, the month leading up to the new year, we are able to prepare ourselves to receive this new light. [Interesting that it falls on the autumnal equinox. One of two days in the year in which day is split equally between day and night.]

He goes on to explain that a similar personal process happens every day of our lives, each morning in the shacharit prayer we receive a new light in place of the light that left us the night before. Each time though, the light we receive is from a higher place--we are always moving forward, making progress.

Personally, I like to focus on the correlate that has for the week, Shabbat being the essence of my being, the source of all blessing in the world. Each Shabbat we get bring down a new light into the world, to replace the previous lower revellation of HaShem. Every week we are brought closer to G-d through the revellation of a higher light.

I guess this is why people might be experiencing the darkness a little deeper this month. To help us prepare to receive and appreciate more light. Or you can persist in the belief that the shortening of the days towards winter just makes people depressed. You can always choose to be just a robot.. or a monkey.. or one of pavlov's dogs.

Or you can choose life.

must post

I told Stu that he needs to post more just to help me get through my days @ work. So, I figure, in return, the least i could do is post also.. he actually looks more like a pirate than either my sister or my (double) brother in law. That is it. that is the post. there is nothing more. there is nothing else to see here. go away. :)

the lives of others

Daedalus: The "Impossible" Romance and PostSecret are two good examples of online glimpses into the lives of others. it's kind of another form of blogging, slightly more anonymous, because it's someone retelling the story of someone else.. people seem to be even more free. And, when it's pre-digested for actual interesting content, it makes it palatable.. anyways i think almost everyone has a built-in voyeur and at their heart, it is where everyone gets their story addiction.

I read an article not long ago, about how our brains reward exposing ourselves to new information and/or ideas with releases of natural morphine. Something similar must happen when we hear/read/see intimate details of other people's lives... Otherwise gossiping wouldn't be such a natural /rewarding inclination. Anyways, just a thought.

arrr to you too!

my sister sareet left a picture of her and her then-fiance as the desktop of my grandparents' computer-- here's the new version updated by my sister rachel & myself.. in honor of their wedding. (sorry, i don't have a copy of the original for reference.)