Who Cares if the World Is Weird?
August 1st, 2007 by hayesy
The last two posts (this one and this one) gave an overview of some weird stuff that science says about the world. But who cares?
Who cares if time slows down when you speed up? Why should you care if you are made of particles or waves (or both)? Why spend time trying to understand it?
This doesn’t just apply to science, but anything you care to think about. Why do it?
- It’s interesting - this may be just me, but hopefully by the end of this list you will agree.
- It makes you more interesting - the more you know, the broader your range of interests, and the broader the range of areas you are familiar with, the more you are able to talk about.
- It’s fun - (Don’t throw anything too heavy at me!) Being challenged, being confused, struggling to understand things…. is fun!
- Its good to know stuff - (and have a broad vocabulary with synonyms for ’stuff’) No-one has ever run out of room in their brain. Use it!
- New types of thinking create neural connections in the brain - erm… yeah, something like that. See here and here
- It is humbling - It is way too easy to think you’re all that, to think you know a lot. Wrestling with something as hard as relativity prevents you from thinking you know it all. (If you understand it, you are the third person! I’d appreciate it if you could explain it to me
)Two more - and they are my favourites:
It gives insight into the nature and character of God!
Why did God do it this way? I don’t know, but it’s good to think about.
Even better is this: the universe is ordered. We can discover it’s laws. Thats cool. But we can’t understand them - thats even cooler! If even his creation is difficult to wrap your head around, what then of God?
God is a God who is beyond our comprehension: what we know, we know in part and imperfectly. And it shouldn’t surprise us that this is the case - why wouldn’t the Creator be more complex than the created.- It’s useful for when you want to out-nerd your friends.
‘Nuff said, really.
[Aside: this can be applied to stuff you do at school, college, university, and even at work]
Have I sparked your curiosity? Have I missed anything you love about nutting stuff out? Do you disagree? Leave a comment.
Update: Don’t miss Vinchuco’s excellent additions in the comments.
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:21 am
Comments
August 1st, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I love it, I love it. Where is this kind of everyday to-the-heart passion in our teachers? It is actually FUN and REWARDING to learn. That is so long gone that nobody even conceives it anymore… Nobody but the Crazy Australian and the Creepy Dudes from the Basement. Check out our site dude and leave a comment! I’ll add you to the links soon.
August 1st, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Thanks for the comment!
I’ve been blessed with being part of a thinking Church, and have had a few great teachers who have encouraged me to think.
Some awesome guys have set great examples(like Dan) and Grice
I suppose I’ve also been lucky to have read people like C. S. Lewis and John Piper.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Tomorrow I’ll be wrapping up this series with the 3rd “The World is WEIRD!” post.
Its definitely the weirdest of all. Stay tuned, and keep commenting!
September 2nd, 2007 at 10:42 am
Your reasons might sound rather egocentric. I dont intend to insult you or anything but I think we differ in thoughts.
If I were to ask myself “why should we care about all these principles?” I would surely respond with these:
1. We live in a society that has taken all the knowledge of people who started asking questions about their enviroment and what was in what they could perceive. Thanks to those people we have a much more developed society and have a better quality of life.
2. If we have been taking all our lives out of society, we can decide to be a parasite or to retribute what it has given to us. This is, helping it to develop, by answering these questions and improving society.
3. At last, its not only because the subject is interesting, it is also a matter of trascendance and humanism. As you can see, animals differ from humans (not always, though) because they can use language, they can think, they can control their insctincts and even can try to understand themselves, God, their enviroment and the laws that sustain that enviroment. We can also trascend and work for a cause that is not only for our wellbeing.
4. It might help us to admire how magnificent is the universe that God has created. It might help us realice what we are according to the existance of Him.
September 2nd, 2007 at 10:43 am
I would also like to know what do you consider of my reasons. Please reply
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:02 pm
A great point!
My list was by no means exhaustive, so thanks for adding to it and anyone else is welcome.
I hadn’t noticed it, but they are indeed egocentric. I want to return to this after I comment on your reasons.
1. I would ask “Can’t we simply reap the benefits of their work without ‘bothering’ ourselves with the details? But, of course, you would respond with…
2. A fine point! To contribute to society/knowledge ect it is helpful, though perhaps not necessary, to have previously acquired knowledge.
3. I suspect you are thinking along the lines I was when I wrote “It is humbling “ (transcendance) and “It gives insight into the nature and character of God!.
And lastly, the greatest of all your reasons:
4. How did I miss this? Ultimately, the most valuable aspect is related to the insight learning gives about God - but I forgot to take it the next step: glorifying God. This is, after all, the reason for the universe and all its contained knowledge.
Thankyou, Vinchuco, for opening my eyes to my egocentricism and adding some more reasons.
November 17th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Can you please tell me where you got this pitcure I really need for my art class. I love it Thanks
November 17th, 2007 at 10:22 am
I don’t know who created it, but if you click on it it will take you to the site I found it on. It’s towards the bottom. Clicking on it again, on that page, will take you to a higher resolution version.
Sorry, that’s all I know about it. Hope it’s helped.
Trust in Jesus.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:50 am
LOL !!! it is wel funni that u have made it from the melting clocks to the melting i-pods!! i have had art week in school and year 6 have been learning about Salvador Dali!! i think he is a weird but geart artis!! i painted a picture of the butter flys !! i have had lots of fun !!!
March 15th, 2008 at 7:52 am
sorry about al the mistakes my ey board doesnt work propaly !!!!! lol !
March 27th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
hahaha don’t worry, it was very entertaining to read!
March 31st, 2008 at 4:04 am
love it!!! And agree with u 100%!!
March 31st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Aggie, glad you liked it! Now live it!
May 31st, 2008 at 5:58 am
me gustaria saber donde estan las pinturas ampliadas de surrealismo
June 12th, 2008 at 9:02 am
ace stuff
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