Ping pong balls !

Let's assume we have an endless resource of ping pong balls. We would also need a container for them, let's say the size of our beloved sun. Now that would be one huge amount of ping pong balls don't you think. if you dare, you could even calculate how many. A human-like character the corresponding size is holding the cup and giving the cup a flip and sees the ping pong balls go around. What does it look like? Ping pong balls? No. it looks like some sort of white liquid that splashes inside the container.

Let's make another container of basketballs. Now we need another container. How would that look like? Most likely that would look like red liquid that moves in a slightly different way.

Now our imaginary character, who considers himself a scientist, looks at these white and red liquids carefully. He sees them move in different ways and tries to think what it means. There must be a parameter in the liquid that makes it move in a different way. He decides to call it viscosity. Or - let's call it discocity just to separate it. And because it's groovy. Our imaginary scientist carries on his studies with the liquids and comes up with a couple of equations that represent the behaviour of the liquid, discocity being one of the parameters. Our huge scientist is quite pleased with this formula, it seems to apply well with the liquids. And throw in a massive vessel of tennis balls, and we have yellow liquid. Theory confirmed.

This is an example of plain physical emergence. A complex phenomenon on a meter-scale (balls bouncing from each other) appears very different on a million-kilometer-scale. One physical effect disappears and another appears. The system consisting of a trillion ping pong balls is not trillion times more complex than bouncing of one ping pong ball (which is actually quite complicated come to think of it) What I mean to say, for the huge scientist, for reliably predicting how the macro-liquid behaves, it would not be required to model all the bouncings of the little ping-pong balls, it only needs a formula that can be tested, and this discocity-formula seems to apply. This new physical law is a statistical approximation, which applies only to that scale, and when there are billions, trillions of ping pong balls. The formula would not work with ten balls. Of course, we as meter-scale humans, have never had any need of such formula, and I doubt we will. (If we ever do, consider me for the formula naming)

I guess you already know what this is coming to. Our dear Newtonian laws were created by studying the nature, now knowing much about what lies beneath - electrons, quarks and beyond. Does it reduce the value of Newtonian physics? Does it make it wrong? No it does not, as long as we know the scale where it applies. It applies on meter-scale, and when not approaching light speed. Both apply to most people I know.

Quantum computer

Have you heard of the quantum computer? A computer that would use photons instead of electrons as the medium of computation. Do you know what it is, really? Would you like to know? I knew you would.

There is a phenomenon in quantum physics called entanglement. It means that two particles that originated from the same quantum phenomenon, share a common state (typically the particle spin), and when you measure the state of the other, the other particle's state is immediately known too, even though both of the particle states were unknown just before measurement. So the particle states are unknown, but still somehow coupled.

This extraordinary phenomenon is very uncomfortable, as it seems to transfer information (the state of the particle) faster than speed of light. And as Einstein stated, this should not happen.

Entanglement has one very interesting theory to explain it: the parallel universe theory. Every time a pair of entangled particles are formed, the universe splits into two parallel alternatives. One of them contains state AB and the other BA. Both of these universes exist at the same time, without anyone knowing. When first particle is measured, one of the parallel universes realizes, and the other disappears. Or does it? What happens to it?

Quantum computer was designed as a test whether this kind of parallel universes actually exist. Sure, it would be nice to know if such things exist, as everything you do is based on quantum physics, including decisions you do inside your brain! Think about it. In that parallel universe you decided to finish your studies and ditch your boyfriend. That would make a great romantic comedy. Oh, it's been done? But I'm sure you didn't realize the movie is about quantum computers.

Anyway. the test would work OK with a 1-bit computer. But the scientists found something funny. If you add more bits, which are also entangled, let's say 32 bits, the computer will contain 4 billion parallel universes (alternative states) that means all of those possibilities exist simultaneously. This is where the scientists got really interested. Such computer could perform incredibly well in tasks where parallel calculation is required.

It is sometimes quoted that to decrypt AES-256 it will take all the computers ever built, and a time longer than the age of the universe. But imagine if all the possibilities could be tested simultaneously. The quantum computer's state would divide into an infinite number of parallel states which each make make a guess of the pattern. One of these parallel routines hit it right, and the entire construction will then collapse to that state.

Such computer will be extremely hard to construct, for a number of reasons. To maintain a quantum state and keep it from collapsing, the particle should be completely isolated from its environment. And this means total isolation. No warmth, no hitting other particles, no magnetic fields or other fields, nothing - at least in theory. Having said that, I should also mention this. First computer utilizing quantum calculation is on market, providing a variety of programming environments such as C++, Java, Python, SQL, and MATLAB. Extremely cool.

So this is the situation now. For some unknown reason, sponsors like military are more interested in funding projects that develop decrypting computers than scientists that study the essence of the universe. The original purpose of quantum computers has silently faded in background, and the quantum computer has shifted from science into engineering. The nature of entanglement remains still to be explained. Maybe we will never know if parallel universes exist or not. At least I don't believe there is a python script in the new D-Wave computer to tell us that.

Paradise island

Once upon a time there was a beautiful island in Oceania. People living on the island were living out of the fish in the sea, and there was plenty of it. People were happy.
The island itself was originated from an underwater volcano and a coral reef on top of it, and was rich with minerals. But the inhabitants of the island did not care about such things. Until something happened.

The world changed. The paradise island was no longer isolated. The men that arrived from outside world said that they would very much like to have some of the grey rock that lied here and there all over the island. Why not? It's just rock. The people on the island were not planning any particular use for the rock, so the visitors could as well have it if they so much wanted. But there is more. The people promised to even pay money for it, and money is something that the people on the island were not yet familiar with, but they had heard that it is something worth having.

Machines came. Mining started. The foreigners built a harbour for transporting the mineral, phosphate they called it, and of course people on the island started getting money. Life changed. Suddenly fishing was no longer enough. There were more important things to do, because it was possible.

Time passed. The villages turned into towns. Roads were built. And now that the people had roads, they could buy cars. And they did. Driving their cars around the small island from village to village become their primary hobby. The people consumed more gas per person than anywhere else in the world. Radio, TV, air conditioning, all the things that a modern family needs. All imported. Nobody was fishing anymore, why should you when you can buy imported fish.

The middle parts of the island were already badly scarred, and the machines were approaching the shores of the island, where people lived. But as people had adopted a consuming lifestyle, they were depending on the income from the mineral. There was no way to stop. But the thing that came across nobody's mind was that the mineral in the island would not last forever.

Now this is all starting to sound so depressing. There are too many sad stories. Let's see if we can do a happy ending, fairy tale style. It's more fun that way.

The king of the island stopped his car. He had been driving his Cadillac three times around the island that day, and he was bored. Driving inland was not popular, only foreigners did that, islanders only drove on the coast. But this day, the kind decided to drive inland. What he saw shocked him, as he realized his beautiful island is deserted, and if this is allowed to continue, they will not have a place to stay.

That evening the king appeared on the paradise island local TV station, as he knew that everybody would be watching TV anyway. He told what is happening, and what will happen soon. And he made a proposal: let's get our island back! People cheered in their homes.

Next day the people on the island started collected all the money they could get. After selling all the cars, TV's and other goods, there was some. And lead by their king, they marched to confront the executive of the multinational mining corporation. They said they wish to buy the corporation out.

Time passed. It took years to bring back the soil, but today the islanders are experts in planting forest. The trees are growing back. And the people enjoy fishing again.

What if electricity ceased to exist

A friend asked me a question - just to make some intelligent conversation - that what would happen if electricity would be no more.

After a small moment of thinking, I answered that everything, all living and non living things, this earth and all other planets, the sun, our galaxy and all other galaxies would stop to exist, and nothing would be anymore. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

The disappearing of stars and planets can not be called an explosion. Explosion is a chemical phenomenon and chemistry is electricity. After electricity ceased to exist, there is no chemistry anymore. The stars and planets also do not disintegrate into atoms, as atoms are kept together by - yes, electricity. Atoms and ions will stop to exist. Electrons are no longer negatively, and protons no longer positively charged.

There can not be any solid objects. The concept of objects being solid (atoms attaching to each other) is all electricity. Electricity also prevents atoms from interlacing. It is electricity that stop you on the ground, otherwise you would continue falling through the surface of the ground! So from this point on, particles will float freely, and not form any structures.


You know what would also disappear? light and temperature. The electromagnetic field smallest possible unit - quantum, happens to be photon. So photons would also disappear. As photons do not exist, all lights will be turned off. But there will be no one to shiver in the dark. (Note: mobile phones do not work either, but you already guessed this, right?)

So what is there left to be but darkness and void? Assume that the unification of theories is kept out of this and we assume QED only disappears and QCD would still exist, quarks will still form baryons. That means protons and neutrons will still exist. And the protons and neutrons will still form ions, atom nuclei, but the electrons have left them permanently. What would a world be like, when there is a porridge of nuclei and electrons, but they can not form atoms, and nothing is solid, particles are drawn together by gravity, and there is no electricity to keeps particles from a decent distance from eachother?

The answer is obvious. All stars and planets would immediately collapse into black holes. Those would have to be non-radiating black holes, because gamma-rays have gone too.

That's what would happen. In fact, what my friend really meant that what if man was no longer able to use electricity as a power source. I kind of knew this. But I found the question so much more fun to answer after a small misunderstanding included, don't you think ! Also I wanted to show off. I'm such a selfish bastard.

Paradoxes

"Dad, what is a paradox?" asked my son one day. This is a difficult question, so how to explain it to a kid on first grade at school? Here's how I answered:

A paradox is something that is is both true but still impossible at the same time. Here's an example: a man is named "unnamed". So he has a name, but at the same time he is unnamed. So that is a paradox.

Yes, I know, the above is not really a good example of a paradox, it is more like a game of words. Similarly, a boy's name could be "girl", or a dog's name could be "cat". Stupid, really. But I think I managed to explain what this paradox thing is all about, briefly and using an easy-to-understand example.


Actually, what first popped to my mind was the classic "I am lying" paradox. A person says "I am lying", but how can he lie if he just stated truthfully that he is lying? That is a classical example of logical paradox. But on the other hand, if you are a mathematician, the above forms an equation which is just plain false. Anyway, I found the liar paradox too hard to explain.

So are there real paradoxes, things that really are impossible but true at the same time? One that is not a word game? I think some could be found in quantum physics. For instance the tunneling phenomenon could be considered as one. No particle can exceed the speed of light, ever, except during tunneling it temporarily can. Although, if you consider particles as a field covering all space-time, which is actually is, it is no longer a paradox.

Still looking for a real paradox.

Work cultures in west and east

There are people that think their work career is like a life imprisonment and getting a pension is like a pardon from it. Even if they could enjoy their job, they refuse to do so. After all, it is not the job's purpose to be fun, its purpose is to provide money for your free time, right? So that in free time you could have hobbies, and hobbies are the ones that on the contrary to work, cost money and give pleasure. There is a clear line, isn't there.

Why is this? There is a voice in our head that commands us to move forward. The position you are currently in is not good enough for you. You must try harder. You should aim higher. Try harder. You will be a millionaire, or more. Only so few of us will. But if you do, the voice will not stop. And the inner voice comes from our culture of valuing money and power, and is fed by TV, movies, commercials and so on.

The above applies to the western world.

The traditional eastern culture is very different. In fact it is pretty much the opposite of what is being taught in the west. It teaches you to satisfy to your position, and be happy of what has been given. It has always been like this, and the social class system has supported this culture. All your neighbours work as hard as you do, and are pretty much as wealthy as you are. Those that belong to a higher social class (meaning richer than you are), seem from another planet, and are strictly separated. So there is nothing to be jealous about, and nothing really to pursue, except of those little everyday moments of happiness, which are easy to accomplish.Even the village chief is automatically the oldest person, so you can not challenge him for gaining more power.

This was true until now. The class system has been ruined, the world is becoming more and more western. Those who happily ate rice all day long, watch TV and think that we really should be eating meat. Those that walked everywhere, want a car as the commercial says that everybody should have one.


What the economists call "global growth" is actually an increasing need of needless consumption. This can also be seen in the world population. it is needless to say that the end is not going to look nice.

What emotions really are

I've been told that the difference between man and machine is that man can feel, machine can not. A machine does not have emotions. As a sceptic, I automatically question this, and the first most obvious thing that should be clarified is what emotions are in the first place. This article tries to answer that question.

Let's look at some of most common human emotions and try to find a common nominator. For instance: jealousy, anger, love, loyalty, sorrow. Those are some very basic emotions that we all feel in occasions. Why? I think I know why.

On first glance it might seem that the human intelligence was the first thing to control our behaviour and the emotions would be some kind of secondary system on top of that, in occasions taking control if we are not careful. Actually it is the opposite. It is the emotions that are running the core program in our brain and the so called intelligence is just filling the holes.

The purpose of this emotion core program is nothing less but to keep human race alive! This is all actually very simple. We evolved to feel happy about things that support staying alive, and to feel bad about things that are harmful. To be more precise, the core emotions program could be actually compared to a list of fuzzy logic commands. Those can be even listed. See below a list of fuzzy-logic kind of simple commands, that control human (and almost every mammal) behaviour by means of emotion.

• Stay alive
• Breed
• Take care of your family
• Favor genetic versatility
• Belong in a tribe and protect it
• Lead your tribe
• Obey your tribe leader
• Challenge your tribe leader

These rules would explain many human emotions and behavioral oddities. Let's take envy as an example. How is envy explained as a core logic? In two ways. It can either be explained as challenging the leader, in which way automatically the group will get the strongest possible leader. Or it can be explained as a built-in need of collecting things and goods for survival.


A curious thing to notice in the above list is that the rules conflict with each other. This is not a mistake. Being fuzzy logic, different individuals interpret them differently in different times. Example: For human kind survival it would have been important to both take care of family and children, but also to mate as much as possible and with as many people as possible, to give evolution a change! This conflicting fuzzy logic still haunts us and leads us in trouble.

Now we have defined emotions - they are a core program that give simple primary rules that help a living creature to survive.
But can this be applied to machines? Let's take a robot vacuum cleaner as an example. When it starts running out of battery, it's fuzzy programming logic will start raising a signal that it would be time to return to the dock. Not necessarily does it do it immediately, but when the need of power exceeds the need of executing the other goal (cleaning) then it will. You could as well call this driving force "hunger". Does it really feel hungry? Does a vacuum cleaner really feel happy when it gets its work done? You know, these are just words we give to electro-chemical phenomenon that occur in certain circuits. If they can occur in organic circuits, why not metal-silicon circuits?