Paradox Point

          Epistemological Elephant   Here is a quantum riddle and a Spinoza riddle: Is light a wave or a particle? That depends on how you look at it.   Is the One God or Nature? That depends on how you know it.   Now consider the tale of the Blind Men and the Elephant. The blind men perceive the elephant in different ways, and perceive different things. Define an ‘epistemological elephant’ as something that is perceived depending upon how it is perceived. Therefore light is an epistemological elephant; and so is the One.     GDN: What if no one is home? NH: Before perception, both light and the One are unknown.  

             Work Explained             I work because I need the money.           I need the money because one must eat.           One must eat because bodies consume fuel.           Bodies consume fuel because cells can’t power themselves.           Cells can’t power themselves because there is no perpetual motion.           There is no perpetual motion because energy is conserved.           Energy is conserved because physical law is constant over time.           Physical law is constant over time because reality is eternal.        ...

                 Counterspell to “MAGA”   My first critique of the word “MAGA” is that it’s infantile. Goo-goo, ga-ga, ma-ma, ma-ga. Also it stands for “Make America Great Again”, yet it’s against everything that makes America great. Trump breaks alliances, wrecks the economy, immiserates the masses, breaks laws, negates norms, and contradicts ideals, and violates the Constitution. Fortunately Trump is just a man, all men are mortal, and cults of personality do not outlive their idols. But he will bring down much when he goes to jail or the grave, including American greatness. History will look back at MAGA as when America jumped the shark. A more accurate alternative to “MAGA” would be “MAGNM”, meaning “Make America Great No More”. After him, the USA will be as mediocre as the UK. Looking forward, I recommend “MAGE”, which is an actual word, and which stands for “Make America Good Enough”. That’s a worthy goal, and mode...

          Alertness Explained             Why do I rise fresh and bright?           Because my morning bedroom’s full of light.             Why is my morning bedroom full of light?           Because the Sun rises in the east.             Why does the Sun rise in the east?           Because Earth’s spin is constant.             Why is Earth’s spin constant?           Because angular momentum is conserved.             Why is angular momentum conserved?           Becaus...

Dark of Night Explained   Why is night dark? If night weren’t dark, then everything would be illuminated. If everything were illuminated, then there would be no mysteries. If there were no mysteries, then there would be no excuses. If there were no excuses, then life would be impossible. If life were impossible, then I would never have written this, and you would not be reading this.   But I did write this, and you are reading this; therefore life is possible; therefore there are excuses; therefore there are mysteries; therefore not everything is illuminated; and therefore night is dark.  

        Cat Waste Explained    While cleaning out the litterbox, I asked myself; Why do cats shit?   The answer is, of course; Because you can’t unburn a candle. - that is, because entropy increases. But then this raises the question:   Why can’t you unburn a candle? Because tiny chaos always grows. - which explains entropy as molecular disorder. But then:   Why does tiny chaos always grow? Because later is likelier. - the thermodynamic arrow of time. But then:   Why is later likelier? Because the universe will expand forever. - which links thermodynamic and cosmological arrows. But then:   Why will the universe expand forever? Because far stars fall up. - which links the cosmological arrow to cosmic acceleration. But then:   Why do far stars fall up? Because vacuum sucks. - which links cosmic acceleration to dark energy. But then:   Why does vacuum suck? Because ...