Week Seven---Chaos Theory ....

"Ordered chaos"---does this sound familiar? ....It is interesting to think about what 'equilibrium' really means---a balanced system---but in my mind, I make the assumption that 'equilibrium' also means order. In a dynamic system, 'order' also means 'static', and for a dynamic system, this is a true imbalance. To understand life itself as the result of two seemingly oppositional processes---autopoiesis and entropy---is to grasp deeply the fundamental tenet that All is relative ....order and disorder are not at all at odds with each other, but rather, making life possible. The struggle for balance is life; balance is and must always remain an Ideal. Life is chaotic.

Fractals are patterns of complex systems ....One of the properties of a 'fractal' is self-similarity---essentially, a part of a given item resembles the item as a whole. A good example of this is broccoli. Take a look at a stalk of broccoli: you will find that it is made up of a collection of 'mini-broccoli', or broccoli florets. Each floret, a part of the whole stalk, resembles the broccoli stalk as a whole. This self-similarity is a kind of patterning ("x+1"). It may be inferred that broccoli has an amazing self-organization capability. It is a super-food. (I love broccoli.) Fractal patterning can also be found in the human body---one of the best examples are our lungs. The architecture of our lungs sub-divides and sub-divides into 'branches'. Their very structure makes the act of breathing possible.

Consciousness out of chaos ....I would argue that individual consciousness is something that trickles down from a greater cloud of collective consciousness. Like raindrops. And these raindrops evaporate and condense into a greater stream of consciousness. I think of energy. We are all plugged into the same machine. The individual nature of consciousness is what breeds chaos in our world---we are a disordered race of beings, the masses, all inter-connected but trying to break free. I think of war zones. Everything is chaos. Survival in a war zone (I imagine) requires a higher state of consciousness---you are on edge, your senses are painfully heightened, your awareness is all too aware.

"Cool Experiments" ....Having a cat that is always up for fun, interactive games, I was particularly drawn towards Cat Static. In a dark room, I rubbed kitty along the carpet---and while the air felt somewhat 'electric', I can not say that I saw any sparks (the experiment instructions says this will happen). I was a bit disappointed ....Perhaps the room was not dark enough? Or perhaps I should have been a bit more malicious as I rubbed kitty along the carpet? ....well, she was already giving me that 'insulted look'. Though I did not achieve the exact results hypothesized, I think it is more my error.