Week 10 Biology - Ecosystems and Deep Ecology

I think it is a sad reflection on the state of our civilization that we need an eight-point deep ecology platform.  The first seven points should be intuitive and "common sense" leaving number 8 unnecessary.  I also think that number 3 should read..."Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity."  Adding..."except to satisfy vital needs." just provides a loophole.  The powerful and rich have demonstrated over and over that they can justify "a vital need" to meet their goals with the stroke of a pen.  I mean, in the U.S. corporations have "person" status.  Does that really help us as a national ecosystem?

Ecosystems are strong as a whole because they are diverse and rich with experts that do their parts well and interact and support the rest of system.  The interconnectedness doesn't need to be graphed and made a priority because it exists to benefit the ecosystem AND its individuals.  But it is fragile when parts of it are devoured with far reaching consequences.  I truly believe that mother nature will eventually win.  I saw it first hand when I worked at an Army base as a contractor.  The army was closing this 7000 acre facility and as it decommissioned an old production line, when you went back a year later there were no signs of the roads and concrete structures that were not able to be demolished.  New plants and growth had reclaimed the land and wildlife was thriving.  It was truly a beautiful sight to see.

The end goals of social ecology are fantastic but again, should be intuitive.  I fear we humans have raped and pillaged our beautiful Earth and each other beyond redemption but it is still worth the effort to do better.  There are some really incredible organizations in the world with passionate, engaged people working to hold politicians, corporations, and industrial businesses accountable.  And I try as an individual to break my consumer brainwashing, especially when I throw something in the Amazon cart that I think is a vital need!  I love it when I remove everything from the cart and walk away.

Week 10 Physics - Symmetry/Super Symmetry and Sacred Geometry

Symmetry concepts allow physicists to provide explanations for how particles behave and the math demonstrates conservations of 1) energy being the same before and after an interaction, 2) conservation of spin regardless of location in space, after a collision of particles, and 3) the total charge of the particles remains constant in an interaction.  This type of symmetry and laws of conservation apply to the invisible micro world but there are examples of symmetry all around us;  in the leaves on trees, pinecones, the intricacy of the passion flower, and so much more.  I also see symmetry in the asymmetrical when I look at my children.  Although both eyes are not exactly the same, they create a beautiful symmetry for the entire face.

Super symmetry has physicists looking at even smaller aspects of particles by predicting that there is a partner particle for each particle in the Standard Model to help explain why particles have mass.  It hope to relate matter and force in the Standard Model.

The original theory for particle was that all particles would decay at the same rate regardless of time.  As technology advanced and scientists could see more of the micro world, they found that particle decay is more often in charge-parity violation and that all particles do not decay at the same rate or in the same way.  Through these findings and future experiments, scientists hope the mystery of dark matter and dark energy will be unravelled.

Are there connections between Sacred Geometry and Physics?  Of course, Physics is connected to everything in the universe!  I find it interesting that thousands of years ago, religious scientists found geometric methods to try and understand the questions we still ask today; Why are we here? How did we get here?  And physicists still try to understand and prove The Big Bang theory.  Maybe the answers to dark matter and dark energy could be revealed through study of Sacred Geometry from a different perspective.

Week 10 Chemistry - Under the Kitchen Sink and Safer Cleaning Products

The first row of cleaners under my kitchen sink that I use all of the time are Dawn dishwashing soap, Cascade dishwasher pods, Amway glass cleaner, Amway general purpose cleaner, and my own DIY mix of 1/3 Dawn and 2/3 distilled white vinegar, which is my go to cleaner.  Shoved in the back are Easy-Off oven cleaner (don't know who bought that because I never use it), Rug Doctor carpet cleaner, Soft Soap liquid hand cleaner, and Raid ant killer.  All of that stuff in the back will go on my next trip to the hazardous waste drop off.  As I use up the stuff in the first row, I will replace them with safer products I have found on the Environmental Working Group website, ewg.org.  They do extensive testing and research and provide guides for environmentally safe products for everything from household cleaners to curtains and mattresses.  There are a lot of safer cleaning products on the market and I intend to do a better job choosing them.  They also offer a guide for DIY cleaning products.

Week 8 Chemistry - pH Balance

Life in general is about finding balance.  Nutrition and diet are in a continual state of latest trends to have your best weight loss or healthy eating guides.  I enjoyed the breakdown of foods based on their pH levels and think they provide a great way to have diversity in your food choices and still enjoy eating.  It really is about balance in food and lifestyle choices, and not being poor.

Week 8 Physics- Classical Physics

Newton's three laws and the math needed to express them were ground breaking and phenomenal at the time.  Especially in a time when religion could strongly suppress the sciences.  Newton admitted that what he did know was far less than what he didn't know.  His theories persisted for centuries and science advanced as new technologies were able to more accurately measure, if only to find the discrepancies in Newton's laws.  I wouldn't be surprised if a hundred years from now scientists find our current theories of quantum mechanics irrelevant.

Week 8 Biology - HIV and AIDS

The Western medical approach to the treatment of HIV/AIDS is primarily through the use of pharmaceuticals.  The effect of the virus was devastating in the 1980's and the development of medications to stall and reduce the severity of AIDS saved many lives and much pain and suffering.  Education also played a role, and the at risk communities for contracting HIV/AIDS fought the battle to be recognized as having a right to research into the virus and treatment for AIDS.  Fast forward 30 years, pharmaceuticals are still the primary treatment and the western approach could be incorporating holistic nutrition, mental, and spiritual health as part of the protocol.

I think availability of the PreP treatment is fantastic as it gives individuals a choice.  As long as medical practitioners provide enough information to their patients to make informed decisions, its a personal choice.

Studies are being conducted and showing some evidence that TCM does strengthen the immune system.  As with all medicine, lifestyle choices are also part of the formula.

The L.A.W. - Loafing Around Without feeling guilty

I have never developed a practice of non ado but I often suggest that very thing for my highly stressed clients and give them a specific relaxation "exercise" to start with.  In fact, I had the conversation the next day at work.  I asked them to try it for 5 - 15 minutes a day and they said they would try but did not know when they would have the time.  I thanked them and said we would follow up the next week.  There were many ways I could offer them to "do" nothing.

Wow!  I now I wanted to develop a practice of non ado so I could see what I was asking of my clients, not just as an assignment for my Western Sciences classes.

That day, Tuesday, at lunch I spent 15 minutes in non ado and was refreshed and energized for my afternoon in a way I hadn't been in some time.

Wednesday - did not practice non ado
Thursday  - 15 minutes non ado at lunch with positive affect
Friday - did not practice non ado
Saturday - did not practice non ado
Sunday - 1 hour non ado
Monday - 2 hours non ado - fantastic afternoon
Tuesday - 15 minutes non ado
Wednesday  - Happy Independence Day! 2 hours non ado
Thursday - 15 minutes non ado
Friday - 15 minutes non ado
Saturday - acupuncture in the morning and non ado the rest of the day (felt slightly guilty at about 4p)
Sunday - 15 minutes non ado

I really feel like 15 - 30 minutes in non ado on a regular basis is an invigorating practice.  I have to be careful with longer bouts of non ado as I can procrastinate any task with very little effort and then I end up stressed and don't take just 15 minutes in the practice of non ado.