Slog - Comments on The Reason for Reason http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason Our purpose on this living planet might very well be the production of pictures like this: The world's most powerful optical telescope has opened both of its eyes. Astronomers at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) in Arizona have released the first images taken using its two giant 8m diameter mirrors. The detailed pictures show a spiral galaxy located 102 million light-years away from the Milky Way. What does all of this mean? Not that humans can see the universe and record its happenings, but that the universe itself has the ability to see and think of itself. The universe not... Copyright 2008 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:05:13 -0800 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 13:33:33 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Mike of Renton I vaguely remember some environmentalists in AZ (a fairly small group) throwing a fit when that telescope was being planned/built. It was built on the habitat of some species of owl or squirrel, I don't remember which.

]]> Mike of Renton http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960633 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960633 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:26:51 -0800 Comment by adrian! well, that was mighty hindu of you.

]]> adrian! http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960635 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960635 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:27:18 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe Is there a reason for the reason of reason? Reason.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960636 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960636 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:27:46 -0800 Comment by adrian! ah, poe, but consciousness is not the same as reason. om namah shivaya.

]]> adrian! http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960645 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960645 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:32:18 -0800 Comment by Josh Feit All was.

]]> Josh Feit http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960648 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960648 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:33:27 -0800 Comment by max solomon not all of us do what we were made for.

for instance, I was made to love magic
All its wonder to know.

]]> max solomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960650 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960650 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:34:25 -0800 Comment by Gitai Bah. If that were so, we wouldn't be limited to the crappy section of spectrum that we are. We'd have everything from radio to gamma waves. We'd stare at radio towers, marveling at the beauty of them as they broadcast our culture, and stare into the microwave as we saw the radiation cooking our food. When gamma waves emanated from supernovas, we'd see all the evidence of their death throes (though only through satellites, since gamma rays don't penetrate our atmosphere).

False color reproductions just aren't as good. I want direct and true perception of reality, dammit!

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960651 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960651 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:34:27 -0800 Comment by merry I actually understood that post, Charles... And I agree with it... Expanding consciousness, indeed....

]]> merry http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960654 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960654 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:35:31 -0800 Comment by stats Our ultimate purpose?...false question. It assumes we have a purpose.

]]> stats http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960661 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960661 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:43:08 -0800 Comment by Julie If I were Mr. Poe I would say something about having a hard-on right now.

]]> Julie http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960668 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960668 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:50:47 -0800 Comment by umvue Poor little universe, to be devoid of thinking and recording itself for so long. At least some 102 million year old bits can now be at peace.

]]> umvue http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960680 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960680 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:57:06 -0800 Comment by booji boy "A physicist is the universe's way of trying to understand itself." Not sure of the author.

@9 If you believe you have no purpose then why do you continue your existence?

]]> booji boy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960698 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960698 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:09:13 -0800 Comment by flamingbanjo Sounds like you're describing pantheism or possibly panentheism.

]]> flamingbanjo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960718 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960718 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:24:35 -0800 Comment by linus that was beutiful
we...along with other sentiant beings are neurons in a much larger cosmic monster

]]> linus http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960722 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960722 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:26:42 -0800 Comment by LMSW oh please, this is an old science fiction construct, which in turn is borrowed from other various religions.

]]> LMSW http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960761 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960761 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:00:01 -0800 Comment by Brickey Ohhh watch out staring into that abyss. Learn the lessons of Event Horizon, 2001, Sunshine, Solaris. The universe is gonna f u up!

]]> Brickey http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960776 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960776 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:16:07 -0800 Comment by Travis That is not a real image. Its an artist's conception.

]]> Travis http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960777 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960777 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:17:40 -0800 Comment by kinaidos At best such efforts will enable us to perceive the maybe 5% of matter in the universe that isn't dark matter. The more physics one learns the more one becomes just a bit worried that we might be hoos o some unbelievable large collection of dark matter Horton's.

]]> kinaidos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960787 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960787 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:39:25 -0800 Comment by Nathan Brazil Why Charles, that's almost Markovian.

]]> Nathan Brazil http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960794 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960794 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:53:42 -0800 Comment by Timothy Hey...I agree with Charles, at least 90% of it, anyway. Any suggestion that we were made for a specific purpose runs a bit foul for me, but, that we are expressions of the Universe itself and not apart from it I completely agree with.

:-)

]]> Timothy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960801 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960801 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:18:02 -0800 Comment by MarsGirl23 As I'm pondering the life of a astrophysicist this I found this pretty profound. I am also profoundly stoned so...

]]> MarsGirl23 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960802 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960802 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:18:37 -0800 Comment by markinthepark This is the implication of physics. Physics says that you can start with a singularity of near infinite mass and simply wait. It will rapidly expand, and quantum fluctuations in its fabric later become clumps of gas, then stars, galaxies and planets, then amino acids, then organisms, then intelligent minds. 14 billion years later it will become self aware and find how it was born. This was a favorite topic of Sagan.

]]> markinthepark http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960810 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960810 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:39:51 -0800 Comment by Mahtli69 @7 - Very interesting point, except half of these deep-space images are actually taken outside the visible light spectrum, with the displayed colors adjusted to make it look spectacular to our pitiful eyes. X-rays, Gamma rays, microwaves, infrared ... we can image all of them now!

]]> Mahtli69 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960857 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960857 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:05:51 -0800 Comment by Gitai @23 Like I said, false color images just aren't as good.

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960874 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960874 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:00:00 -0800 Comment by Karlheinz Arschbomber The point here is not how artistically Disney-ish the astronomers can make these images.

What is mind-shattering to me is the symmetry, and the even-spacing of the spiral arms. This is Long Range Order... spatial coherence over 10s or 100s of millions of miles.

]]> Karlheinz Arschbomber http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960878 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960878 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:08:36 -0800 Comment by Gurldoggie I can't find the exact line (a rare google gap), but Gary Snyder wrote that "man is nature looking at itself."

]]> Gurldoggie http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960880 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960880 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:23:06 -0800 Comment by Cale "Because I choose to"

-Neo

]]> Cale http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960883 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960883 Science Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:45:42 -0800 Comment by Jonathan So you like to smoke a lot of pot hu?

]]> Jonathan http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960890 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960890 Science Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:21:57 -0800 Comment by each ? begs another ? hey booji @12
the answer is why not, you going to die anyway. what's the rush. check out the scenery. enjoy yourself, have a few laughs. not really a Purpose but a good way to pass the time. maybe even find something meaningful to yourself, which is another way of saying enjoying yourself.

]]> each ? begs another ? http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960909 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960909 Science Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:07:47 -0800 Comment by Vince I don't know about "purpose" but we are the universe observing itself in a rational spectrum; our brains. Brains made of star stuff. The comparison of the minute, us, observing the most vast, the universe, can really strain the mind. Imagine, for example, that their are an endless number of paralell universes. Something that dwarves even the universe we know. Or that it was the collision of two paralell universes that gave us the big bang.

]]> Vince http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960916 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960916 Science Sat, 08 Mar 2008 07:40:39 -0800 Comment by john` Pass the Dutchie on the left hand side, yo.

]]> john` http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960937 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c960937 Science Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:17:43 -0800 Comment by Brian Pass the LSD!

]]> Brian http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c961011 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_reason_for_reason#c961011 Science Sat, 08 Mar 2008 13:33:33 -0800