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 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...

Day 10 - H.O.P.E.

Humanities Objectives for Prosperity and Exploration

A new thought I had this morning about an idea that, I think, could change the world. 

Awhile back, maybe a month or so, I read some various articles pertaining to space exploration.  These articles provided an interesting concept: Turn space exploration into an adventure for those willing to sacrifice everything for the ultimate journies.  The concept has been mulling around in my brain since then because it really struck home.

First, the idea.  Humanity's past is loaded with literally thousands of stories of adventure.  How a group of people organizaed a boat, loaded up and set sail.  They had no certainties, barely any equipment or food supplies, and some (probably most) of them were thought to be facing certain death.  This didn't stop them though... they had the desire and the motivation to put everything on the line in the name of Humanity.  These pioneers paved the way for culture and life to permeate around the globe.  However, we have reached a point where the Earth is no longer a mystery, at least on land.  Our planet is crowded, our resources are dwindling, and, in general, our planet has a finite amount of time to exist.  Anywhere from 1 millisecond to billions of years.  That is a chance, an intelligent society, should not be willing to take.  This, of course, is what H.O.P.E. is all about.

There are many, many human beings on this planet.  In the coming years, of course, there will be many, many more.  We are going to reach a critical mass for population and resources, if we haven't already.  Beyond the "walls" of our planet exist an unlimited number of possibilities.  Moons, planets, planetoids, and who know's what else for other universal bodies exist in the vast reaches of space.  There is no better time than now to embark on the most important adventure to our species.  We are on the very beginning of space exploration and need to sieze that opportunity to begin moving outward.

What is HOPE?  In my concept, HOPE is an organization dedicated to making two things happen.
1) Finding individuals willing to put everything they have aside.  The willingness to risk their own life in the name of science and Humanity.  These individuals simply need to have the desire and the motivation.  Of course, one individual most likely will not be enough, instead there will be teams and each team will have a leader.  The leader will post what s/he thinks is needed for their team to be successful.  This includes manpower, equipment, funding, supplies, etc.  An example of this might be:
-Team Freedom : Leader-Me
  -Crew Requirements
    (1) Biologist
    (2) Pilots
    (1) Physicist
    (1) Chemist
    (5) Shiphands
 -Equipment Reqs
    (1) Planetary travel capable ship
    (1) Terrain vehicle
    (1) Biodome
 -Supplies Reqs
    (5) Years worth of food and water for 10 people
 -Mission
    To travel to Mars and colonize a lava tube inside of Crater XYZ

Anyway, that is just an example, of course there are more details to it, but that gives the general idea.  At this point, people could apply to join the team, perhaps there are certain requisites and some type of "hiring" process.

2) Companies and organizations could sign up for the different material requirements or provide funding for those requirements.  The benefits, of course, to the companies is to be involved in this adventure and paving the path for humanity by risking monetary assets versus their lives, unless of course they wanted to do both!

There is so much to talk about here, it's mind boggling.  The payoff would be enormous, it wouldn't require extra taxes and "wasteful NASA spending" (which I put in quotes because I don't think it exists).  Instead, NASA could be used as a sort of "inspector".  Once their plans are in motion and such, the Team could pay NASA (revenue) to inspect and make sure that it meets the requirements, as far as they are aware.  Of course, if the ship doesn't make it, explodes, everyone dies, etc. it will be sad.  But this is the risk they knew they were going to take.  However, when it succeeds (because it will succeed at some point), the return will be priceless.  A whole new industry will explode open and, instead of the sky, space will be the limit.  It is necessary to make these steps, put the desire and motivation in the hands of the people and businesses willing to fund them.

I'm very much considering trying to put this together.  If anyone reads this and is interesting please contact me: jason.wilczak@gmail.com

Day 0 - The universe is round!

This is my first post.  I used 0 because I am a programmer and that's just how we roll because 0 IS a number and never gets any love.  Anyway, I would like to open up that I encourage discussion and I am massively addicted to the internet, so I will probably check my comments/posts on a ridiculously frequent basis.


My first topic, and thought process, is something that I twitted (past tense of tweeting?) to @NASA and @NSF, but to not have received any response.  I was reading an article, somewhere, mostly like from Alan Boyle on msn.com related to how the universe is expanding at an increasing rate, versus a decreasing rate.  Of course, everyone is confused because the thought is, at a certain point, you should (and by you I mean celestial bodies millions (trillions?) of light years long) should lose momentum and begin to slow down in expansion.  


I thought to myself, at this point, that perhaps the universe, our universe in fact (since the multiverse is all the latest rage nowadays) should be round, well spherical to be precise.  I mean consider it, everything natural has some spherical quality to it, at it's core.  Why shouldn't the universe be spherical too?  If you consider a balloon, inflated of course.  Assume that at the top of the balloon you drip some water onto it.  As the water travels to the edge of the balloon they would move faster, no?  I mean, think of the Earth, while you're on top of it, you never actually know it's round, it always seems flat and perhaps, if applied in a similar manner, I would even make the bold assumption that if you rolled a ball down the road, as it approached the horizon it would appear to be moving faster that it actually is, but that of course is theory.


I'm going to take this a little farther... suppose that the universe maintains it's own gravity, so as these celestial bodies travel "down" the sides of the universe, they reach a special area.  A more massive than super massive black hole.  All the celestial bodies eventual travel to this black hole and when the density becomes so grand (after all the matter in the universe falls inside) it "bursts" back out of the top and restarts the process all over again.


Alright, well there you go, somebody had to solve the mysteries of the universe(s).  That's my thought on this topic for today and now it's time for some sleep.  I would seriously love some feedback from someone that maybe has a little bit more knowledge on the subject.


Good night everyone.