Chp 2 “Nothing Comes of Nothing” [The West rejects Zero]

I’m reading Zero by Charles Seife, and I read chp 2. The Greek Universe was created by Pythagoras, Aristotle, and Ptolemy which was able to survive after the collapse of the Greek civilization. Because of the fact that the Greeks were unable to accept such things as zero or nothing, the West did not accept it until many years later. Before the people of the West could accept such things they would have to destroy their universe, unfortunately. The Greeks thought of numbers and philosophy as being inseparable. Take for example, Hippasus of Metapontum whom was part of a cult that he betrayed. Hippasus had revealed a secret deadly to the Greek civilization, for revealing the secret Pythagoras sentenced Hippasus to death by drowning. The leader of the Cult that Hippasus belonged to was Pythagoras. Pythagoras believed that he was the reincarnated soul of Euphorbus. People believe today that Pythagoras wrote the constitution for Greeks living in Italy. The Greeks inherited a lot of their knowledge of numbers from Egyptians, surprisingly. In Greek mathematics there was no clear distinction between shapes and numbers. The Ancient Greeks became the masters of Geometry, and the questioners of the heavens and the moving planets or the “harmony of the spheres and the beautiful mathematical orchestra”.

Will the Protesters get what they want from the Thailand Government...?

(The reason I wrote about this article is because of the fact that my cousin and aunt are stuck in Bangkok Thailand in a very bad situation…that could possibly go worse in the next few days.) I read an article called, “Thailand shuts down second airport in capital”. In this article it talks about anti-government protesters storming airports, closing main streets, and warning people who work for the government to leave their jobs… or else. This country’s main international airport has been closed since Wednesday because of the tens of thousands of protesters that are laying on the terminal pushing for the government’s resignation. There seems to be no end for the protesting until Somchai resigns or the government takes back its power and puts it into action. Already blood has been shed, and people attacked. The European Union and Britain’s Foreign Office have issued statements of concern towards Thailand. Currently thousands of travelers are stranded in Bangkok; several thousand travelers have been bused to city hotels to await developments on the issues.

The Heaven on Earth in Shoepack Lake Mn

I read an article called "The Fish that Time forgot" from the magazine "Minnesota Conservation Volunteer". Two young men decide to travel to Shoepack Lake which is a six hour hike and canoe trip. Before leaving, they stop at Bait N' Bite Cafe to talk to two old timers who made their living as commercial fishermen on Lake Kabetogama and Shoepack Lake, according to previous people who had gone to Shoepack Lake it is a difficult journey and traveled by few. When they arrive, the history of the lake is the reflection on which they reciecve off the water. The muskies that live on Shoepack Lake occupy a unique and unforgettable footnote in the history of Minnesota fisheries. While they were there they caught four muskies which they had to release after caught. This place is really heaven on earth to all fishermen.

Our new home may be closer than it seems...

I read an article from the magazine Popular Science called, Gone Fission. In this article they talk about when they do get humans to the moon in 2020 what the power source will be for the duration in space. Space Agency Officials are thinking of going nuclear. They want to install an underground, uranium-powered nuclear reactor to produce heat and to generate electricity. NASA is currently debating between two power converter designs. The two choices for turning nuclear heat into electricity are the Sterling Converter (which is more efficient) and the Brayton Converter (which is more reliable). With this nuclear heat in space, each and every one of our lives will be moved at the very accomplishment of our world. They think that if when installed it may run for around eight years, maintenance free! Could the moon become our next potential home or will it remain the very haunting planet it is already…?

The Scary Night in the Woods

I read an article from the magazine “Field and Stream” called, “My Scary Night” written by Keith McCafferty. The idea of this article was to prepare someone for surviving a night in the woods. Keith McCafferty drove into the country of Montana to get a broader view of the word backyard. I think in order for people to understand survival in the wild, they actually have to experience it. A survival kit is necessary and helpful incase of an accident or incase something bad happens. A night alone in the woods can make a real coward of anyone, even with a rifle by their side. The fear of what’s waiting out there is what keeps you from falling asleep in the night. That is a painful lesson to learn. It’s hard to imagine what you learn alone from a night in the woods, how the heavens shine brightly and how among the stars it shows a broader picture of what life really is.

Is the end, the heart of the number zero…?

I’m reading a book called Zero (the biography of a dangerous idea) written by Charles Seife. In the book the author describes zero as “the ineffable and the infinite” because it has been feared and hated. Zero has always held a potential threat to physics; it still makes this century’s brightest minds struggle to understand it. Through history, despite the rejection, zero has always defeated those who oppose it. We could never ask zero to fit anything, instead zero has shaped our view of the universe and of life. At the beginning of history, there was a time when there was no zero or seven or even seven hundred. Wolves surprisingly were a key clue to the nature of the Stone Age mathematics; wolves were used as a blackboard. “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whisper”. The universe begins and ends with zero.

Firewood

I read an article called "Makers of Firewood", by Will Weaver. This article was about, the work of cutting and chopping wood and how to some it is viewed as an art and to others it is viewed as a family ritual. Work, thats what it takes to cut firewood. It is the amount of work that catches the true firewood maker. There is a need in us all... no matter how small, to work. "You can tell a lot about people by their firewood piles." If people have a will, then they have a way. It is a family ritual to those who think, working hard is an important characteristic in life because people who work hard are more successful in life. I really never thought about how hard it must be to wake up every morning to chop wood, I really do appreciate those who appreciate chopping firewood.

Is Mars a home for me...?

I read the article, "Purchase a Lovely New Home on... Mars?". Buzz Aldrin is the second man to have ever stepped foot on the moon, Aldrin is proclaiming that the United States Space program send a mission to Mars and if they do they should be prepared to stay. Aldrin proposes that when and if men and women board the first non-stop flight to Mars they should establish a long time colony on the planet. These people who leave for Mars should think of themselves as pioneers, they should not plan on coming home. You might ask why not the moon first..., it is a shorter trip but it offers no potential for life. The reason for sending humans to Mars, instead of robots is the fact that humans can act independently, a necessary and crucial trait for life in space. If the time comes for when we do send people to Mars, it will be one giant step for man.