Day 22 - "42"

"The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything", calculated by an enormous supercomputer over a period of 7.5 million years. Unfortunately no one knows what the question is. Thus, to calculate the Ultimate Question, a special computer the size of a small planet and using organic components was created and named "Earth".
-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Sometimes in life, interesting things work their way into ordinary situations.  The above quote is, of course from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams .  Note now, if you haven't read this, do it.  In any event, as described, apparently by Douglas Adams, and after much speculation and theory, this number was randomly chosen because of its simplicity... but, in our Universe, the most simplistic things are the most infinitely complex...

Let's examine what I stumbled upon today, coincidentally, while showering (an ordinary and mundane task). I was attempting to define what a "living" thing (Life) is versus something non-living, such as a piece of iron.  I thought about what made them different, besides the obvious chemical structures.  The difference between a complex non-living object versus a complex living object is one basic thing.  It is the fact that all things living have some mechanism to continue the existence of life.

Single cell organisms have different methods, such as basic divide and conquer.  Multicellular organisms, such as us use various forms of reproduction.  An iron ingot simply cannot perform this task and has, as it seems, no desire to do so.

Using this concept, a virus would be alive since it does contain a mechanism for the persistence of life, even though it requires another organism to do so.  This is a key fundamental because, of course, without it life would not exist.  Therefore, it is safe to say that the base purpose of life is the persistence of life.  It is terribly simply and not overly exciting, but we all need a base point for anything, and this is it.

On a side note, I decided that what determines an intelligent organism versus a basic organism is the ability to willfully choose to not persist life.  But perhaps that is for a different discussion...

[WARNING THERE IS SPOILERS TO THE BOOK AHEAD]
Moving on, what does this all have to do with "42" and Douglas Adams.  Well, the amazing thing about his book is that it is all around this idea that Earth was created for the purpose of discovery the question to everything, since the answer was found to be "42".  In the end, it boiled down to the fact that the question was inside Arthur Dent's head (one of the last 2 surviving Humans).  The problem with many solutions, especially in a computer system, is that they are answered in the context of their medium and their creator.  In this case, the medium was a Human and their creator, in that particular dimension was a lab rat...and here comes the beautiful part, what is 42 and is unique to a lab rat, that is especially particular to life... the number of chromosomes, yes a lab rat has 42 chromosomes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_rat

Why this is interesting to me is that Douglas Adams wrote the book most likely not knowing this and was most likely interesting in telling a great story, which he did.  However, a main point of his book is exactly what he has provided.  He had the answer, although obscure in his mind and it came out through here.  The number simply needed to be understood from an outside perspective and the puzzle put together, which I believe I have done...

Douglas Adams unknowingly gives us the answer to everything as 42, which happens to be the chromosomal count of the lab rats in his book that created the machine (which is Earth) to determine the question of everything.  Chromosomes are absolutely required for life to be persisted, which is exactly what I am claiming to be the purpose of life.

The question: What is the meaning of life?
The answer: The persistence of life.

Day 21 - The Human Syndrome

I have been contemplating the post for quite awhile now.  I have been on the border about doing this because of it's message.

It is always important to speak the truth, as my wife often reminds me.  Many times, the truth will bring some pain upfront, but by being honest with each other and ourselves, it will heal the wound, generally, quicker.  However, we also need to understand that when speaking the truth, the outcome is not relevant, the truth must always be told, no matter what the cost...

That brings us to Day 21 - The Human Syndrome.  I suppose I will start by defining what I mean by "The Human Syndrome".  My intent here is simple, we are creatures created through an imperfect process of natural laws and events.  Our existence is not required nor is it scripted.  In any event, we are, in the most basic form, a machine.  As a machine we our privy to certain functions that we can all, mostly, perform to various degrees.  On the simplest form, we can feel emotion, we have specific senses to interact with the world around us, we can reason, create and destroy.  We are very powerful machines because we can perform most of these at will.  (Whether or not the existence of the universe is pre-dictated by simple energetics flow since its existence is beyond the scope of this post and will be left for a different posting :) ).  I would like to focus on the idea of "we can perform most of these at will" and "we can feel emotion", specifically. 

"We can feel emotion and we can perform most of these at will".  That is The Human Syndrome.

Let's move on to the "So What?"...

Right now, our world is in a turbulent age.  Technology has risen quickly and allowed us to create, truly a global mind (the Internet).  We can communicate across boundaries that prevented us from doing this before.  People in "locked down" regions are able to get their voice to the outside world, where, for the first time, we are listening and ready to spread the word of Freedom.  The Internet itself has created spawned a unique entity of Anonymous individuals ready to fight in the eyes of freedom.  Without a face, without a directive, they are like a phantom in the night, striking when Freedom cries for help.  Their attacks are like death by a thousand stings.  One sting isn't enough to take the beast down, but over time it becomes injured and vulnerable... we'll get back to this...  This is the face (or lack thereof) of Freedom, but has anything really changed...

My blunt, direct, true answer: NO.  Nothing has changed, it has temporarily in some degree.  Over time, yes, freedom has become more prevalent, on the top layer of society.  It is no longer acceptable to raze a village and rape the women (thankfully) directly or openly as in Feudal Times.  I would say that it is not allowed to tax people into poverty, but that is not entirely true.  I would also say that we ended slavery, but again... and let me step lightly because we DO NOT have slavery... however, the impoverished are enslaved to the elite, for life.  Bring up and point, and, on the surface, you might be right, but somewhere, in the shadows, behind a law, behind closed doors, or in some twisted form, it still exists. 

My point?  The Human Syndrome is what perpetuates this.  We can fight for freedom for 1000yrs, hell, for an eternity, and it will not matter.  As long as their are Humans, there are emotions and will.  As long as there are emotions and will, there will be greed.  We can take 50 of the best human beings (and by best I mean, selfless, philanthropists, etc) put them on a rocket, fly them to Planet XYZ to start a new civilization based on Freedom and Love, etc.  In the beginning it will be great, the founders will establish education and benefits of peace and charity.  Over time it will change, it only takes one bad seed to ruin the soil.  One will be born that either wasn't "loved enough" or had sibling rivalry, or was born a little psychotic and will manipulate the system.  Over time, I guarantee their society will develop and degrade into something very, very similar to our own.  The reason is simply The Human Syndrome, for as much good we can bring, there is equal bad...  We will never win the fight of true Freedom, as long as their are Humans.  It will be contorted and twisted to fit the perverse desires of a select view, to give the illusion of freedom, but nothing more.

In the end, it is what it is.  Go back over history, follow the cycles of human suffering and empires, it is all the same.  Perhaps a little more gruesome since it was done out in the open, but nonetheless, the same problems they experienced then, we experience now, in some form.  This cycle will not change in my generation, or the next, or at all, as long as The Human Syndrome exists.  Maybe the next evolution of life, synthetic life, will not have this problem.  Even then, it would be a cold world, lack of emotion..  But, we can't give up the fight because that will only make it worse. 

In the end, it's an uphill battle on the slope of eternity.

Day 20 - The Dark Side of Rebellion

Considering the recent protests against #PIPA and #SOPA , one thing has become a concern to me, and that is the shadowy workings of politics.  This is my intent in the term "Dark Side" , cloak and dagger tactics to getting what you want...

Lobbyists serve a purpose in DC and that is simply to get what "they" (as in their business) what "they" want and when "they" want it.  Even though their workings are legally shady, it is no secret how they work.  Through things that would be considered bribery if I did it to a police officer to avoid a ticket, they "convince" politicians to swing into their favor.  Again, this is no real secret to society and has become something of a spectacle recently.  Nonetheless, what concerns me is what happens when lobbying no longer works?

My guess is simple, things get shady.  People will begin sliding in pieces of legislation purposefully worded and purposefully brief to go either unnoticed or with such confusion that nobody would both to pay any mind.  This means that us, on the receiving end of the "rights stripping" have to be ever more vigilant and cautious in paying attention to each and ever thing that is sent through our congress.  So, that is manageable, for now, but the process will become sneakier and shadier over time, naturally.  As we develop technologies to expose truths, "they" will develop ways to conceal intent.  I am concerned that we can keep this up as a loose movement of individuals...

What happens if something goes to a corrupt Supreme court that can make ill decisions upon bribery and sheer will with no regard to the law?  (i.e. Citizens United)  Will these acts simply be forced upon us in the end either way?  Do the protests simply force the "powers at be" to take a more direct means in forcing us to do what they want?  In my opinion, if this is the case this will lead to violent outburts and retaliation because we will simply be unable to do it peacefully..

This is more of a curious opinion and consideration item to see how it plays out...  Also, a bit of warning that the mal-intent portions of #PIPA and #SOPA are far from dead, they are simply being reworked and engineered, and will do so infinitely until they can pass through the cracks of our system...

Day 19 - Citizens Pledge

Unique Pledges To Date: 1
List available upon request.

Pledge Introduction:
     I'm writing this pledge for one simple reason: to reaffirm power to the citizens.  It is a very simple concept, we, as voting citizens, sign this pledge.  The pledge will state that we, as voting citizens, will not vote for any politician in a federal position (and perhaps eventually on the state level) that does not sign this pledge or that signs and breaks the bindings of the pledge. 
     As for the politicians, this pledge is very simple.  They are signing to pledge to do 3 things:
       1) Not sign any other pledges endorsed by the Citizens Pledge
       2) Always place country before party
       3) Release financial donor information upon request

CITIZEN'S PLEDGE

I, _________________________________,  sign this pledge acknowledging that I will not vote or support any candidate or politician that does not sign this pledge with me.  By signing this pledge I believe that the commen good of the country and its citizens should be the only focus of an elected official.  I sign this pledge understanding that my name will be available for public view in relation to this pledge and the following sections:

SECTION 1

Section 1 identifies this pledge, the Citizen's Pledge, to be the only pledge I will commit to as a citizen in public office or seeking a public office position.  I understand that this pledge, the Citzen's Pledge, is my commitment to those that have and will support me in a public office role.

SECTION 2

Section 2 identifies that no party takes precedence over the needs of the country and its citizens.  This does not prevent Citizen from creating and supporting legislation that backs their political views.  This section is intended to prevent purposeful and willful misconduct against their country that is is legally and/or ethically wrong.

SECTION 3

Section 3 identifies that as a citizen in or running for a public office any donated funds for that purpose will be disclosed, willingly, upon the request of any citizen of the country.  I understand that I am not legally obligated to this, but willingly do this for the benefit of transparency and honesty.

Day 18 - The Atheistic "Jesus Christ" Moment

Good day/night, whatever it may be, wherever you are reading this.  In recent posts I have "come out" as an atheist.  This didn't happen right away, it was a gradual understanding that began to lift the shroud from my eyes.  For those of you that haven't read my past posts, I would suggest quickly reading [The Thorn: http://temporalrelativity.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-16-thorn.html] and [I'm Coming Out: http://temporalrelativity.blogspot.com/2011/06/day-12-im-coming-out.html].  Those should give you a good synapses of my upbringing and realizations.

This post is a little different, however.  I feel as if I am having some type of crisis because of all this "transitioning and understanding".  The amazing thing about religion, as warped as it is, is that you get a nice little package.  You are born because of some "god" given reason, you live for some "god" given reason and you die for some "god" given reason.  Then, you live on into eternity in some alter-dimension of awesomeness (or complete misery depending on how things go).

The hard part of this, which, ironically is the comforting part, is that you don't have to question anything.  If you do happen to question something that is grand or deep in understanding you just have to "know" that "god works in mysterious ways"...  Again, I'm completely out of this brainwashed business, but I've run into a problem, the crisis I mentioned.  I am calling it "The Atheistic Jesus Christ Moment".  Any good Xian (Christian for those asking what this means) knows the story of Jesus Christ wandering the town and the hills and his "WTF" moment.  He suddenly realizes that God put him on Earth to just die for the sins of mankind and save all of our souls.  JC, being partly human, is understandably pissed off and starts freaking out, in that hippie/pacifist kind of way.  The details aren't as relevant as the overall concept, JC realizes what he is and doesn't understand why it is going down this way.  This is where I am, for different reasons of course.

I have, of course, have realized that the probability of some "ultra deity" is insanely minute.  I can't completely say there isn't something because I simply don't know, but it seems pretty certain.  Additionally, this means there is no "afterlife" or Holy War, or anything for that matter.  It means that, in the most probable case, we are simply an organization of energy existing in a vast network of organized energetic entities.  We have no direct purpose, there is no karma, and, most importantly, when this body gives out, I am gone.  Out of everything, it is the last part that is freaking me the hell out.

I am very cool with the unplanned organization of our existence.  To me, it's the randomness that makes it all so beautiful.  The fact that a beautiful sunset occurs simply because of the arrangement of molecules in the atmosphere and angle of light from the sun.  That is beautiful because it just happens and I love that. 

On the flip side, it's the ending that is driving me crazy.  The simple idea that when my "spark" extinguishes I will cease to exist in mind, body, and spirit.  I am simply a collection of organic molecules and organisms coexisting in a time-bound harmony.  Much like a star exists in harmony with it's supply of hydrogen, but a star isn't conscious.  It doesn't see its own beauty over a neighboring planet's horizon.  It doesn't create and raises organic copies of itself as we do.  It doesn't stop to make the decision to be an atheist or a theist, it just is.  But for me, that isn't enough.  I can't get the idea out of my mind, like a black hole it consumes my thoughts.  Descartes said "I think, therefore I am."  What about "I think, therefore I am not"?  Because we think, we die... without thought there would not be conscious existence and without conscious existence there would not be death...

I would love to hear from fellow atheists, both recent and seasoned on how (if you have) you dealt with this issue and these questions.  I feel like I was dreaming on a raft in the middle of an ocean and have awaken.  The initial pleasure of knowing that I am truly awake is/was fantastic, however the idea that I'm floating on a raft in the middle of an ocean is slowly sinking in...