Week Eight - Classical Physics

• Newton’s Three Laws and me
• When I think of Newton's three laws of motion I remember the image of him sitting under the tree and a red apple knocking him in the head.  That image will be forever cemented in my mind, however I haven't thought much about the laws since.  Newton's first law, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object remains at rest until compelled to move by a force.  Therefore the state of motion would change based on an influential force.  Newton's second law, addresses the cause and effect relationship between force and motion in the equation        F = ma.   Lastly, the third law is for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Metaphysically I can relate to his laws since their ideas influence me on how I try to live my life.  I feel that the reason I want to practice Chinese medicine to is to help make a positive difference in my community, that which I am compelled by a spiritual force inside of me.  
• Our “Energy Efficient” Culture
• Today more than ever, there is weighted pressure to develop more sustainable methods of energy as our world's resources become depleted by the minute.  In thermodynamics, the first law states that the total energy content of the Universe remains constant, never being created nor destroyed but only transformed.  This idea becomes hard to grasp when our current energetic resources are becoming scarce.  It could be that we need to change our methods for powering our societies.  I think that we also need to look at how we waste energy.  If we modified our consumption then we wouldn't be in this predicament so soon.  American culture promotes abundance and therefore waste.  There needs to be a cultural shift towards energy efficiency in order to see some change.
• Descartes has a lot to answer for!
• It makes me wonder how it would be like to travel back in time and meet Descartes himself and have a meal together.  Our opposing views and opinions would definitely make an interesting conversation!  I wonder how he came to the conclusion that we are separate from nature.  It would be hilarious to take him on a camping trip to Big Sur.  Maybe he would be so moved by the beauty of our California coast that he would begin to think otherwise ;).