Uncertainty, Causality, and the Weirdness of the Universe

Uncertainty?
Yeah, got that. I think I left last weeks's class more confused than when I went in! Ultimately, I think the only real uncertainty is within ourselves. I was particularly intrigued by the idea that we don't know what the electron is doing when we aren't looking at it. Why do we need to know? I think, ultimately, the electron knows exactly what it needs to and is supposed to be doing and that we ought to just let that happen.

I go back and forth with the idea of intention in the universe. I think there's a very specific order to the universe and I don't think much of it is in any way accidental. Who or what is driving the intention - well I have no idea on that. As I travel on my spiritual path I become more and more content to allow the universe to unfold without really needing to spend a lot of energy figuring it all out. I'm very much at peace with the idea that it all unfolds in the necessary pattern.

Causality.

Cause and effect. We all know and understand the relationship between cause and effect. You eat the cookie, you get the fat. You stay up all night playing WoW, you experience the fatigue the next day. We get that. But what about effect and cause? Are they interchangeable aspects? Sometimes, I think yes. I know for me, I often have the experience of thinking about things before they happen. Last Tuesday night I had an interesting dream featuring a fire drill at the school. The next morning, as I was lecturing, the fire alarms were set off by smoke in the kitchen. Twice this week I was thinking about a friend and he called within minutes. Both times, I knew it was him before ever picking up the phone to see who was calling. My life is scattered with anecdotes like that, from as far back in childhood as I can remember. Like my interest in the universe, I don’t try to analyze it or understand it. I accept it as something that is, and respond to the call as it comes.

Do I think the universe is weird? In some ways, yes. In most ways, I think it is a beautiful melody. I think it is a puzzle of wonderful, colorful pieces. It’s true that there are lots of aspects of our world and our societies that leave a lot to be desired, but at the end of the day, I think it’s a pretty groovy universe.