Last night, somehow, I got dragged to a birthday party. I didn't know anyone there, and after observing the candles, the bong, and in particular, the way everybody talked to me, it was easy to guess that they were hippies. I have a lot of friends that are hippies, but these were hippies: New Age, postmodernism, everything-is-true, pot-will-bring-peace hippies. They felt that science is a dogmatic, narrow-minded, faith-destroying, rich-white-men's cult that kills and poisons. I'm not trying to defend science from these attacks, I'm just trying to give you an idea of the way they think about it. In fact, they constantly talk about how they understand things qualitatively and how they hate quantitative. I don't understand why would anyone hate the natural numbers, much less counting, but that is the way it is.
That is the way it is.
I feel I did pretty good about having small talk with people and somehow dodging the topic. But, that is a Poissonian exercise, and eventually the topic came up:
"So what do you study?"
The question was asked by the birthday girl, who was getting a masters in Spiritual Psychology.
Shit. Spiritual Psychology. Shit shit shit. Diarreic Elephant shit.
"Physics." I coughed. I knew what she was going to say before she said it:
"Oh, really? So, what do you think about Quantum Healing?" See? I knew it!
"I'm sorry, I don't know what that is."
"Well, it is that quantum mechanics says that things aren't really there, they are everywhere, and..."
"I know a bit of quantum mechanics..." And that isn't what is says, I wanted to say.
"... you can use that for healing people. So, what do you think about that?"
"I don't really have an opinion; I don't understand Quantum Healing."
This seemed to annoy her, she wanted to get reinforcement of her ideas with the authority that quantum physics carried in her mind. Then she proceeded to describe an experiment, I don't know how it is related to Quantum Healing, but it was about this guy who could change the pattern in ice crystals with his mind. I have read about that guy before, and how he was never able to repeat his results when there were scientific observers. In other words, a ton of bullshit.
"So what do you think about it?" she asks.
"Well, I've read about it, the guy who performed it wasn't able to reproduce his results."
"So, what do you think about it?"
That is so post-modern.
The only thing that is important to them is how do you feel about things. Not the data, not the evidence, those are useless. Only your opinion. That is the truth to the post-moderns. I've been called a modernist before. I still don't quite understand what it is, but I know it was meant as an insult.
I was trying to explain the data that I used to form my opinion, and with that, soften the message that Quantum Healing is a ton of bullshit. But, she really didn't care, and we were going in circles when I finally said:
"Look. Physics has limitations that we understand very well. One of them is that if a claim can't be reproduced under certain controlled conditions, with the tools of physics you can't reach any conclusions."
This seemed to satisfy her, and she left to smoke some weed, or as she referred to it, "slow down time". I guess she is really into physics.
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4 comments:
I have an idea, for parties and goups such as the one you described, you must have an alternative answer for the career question. What about advanced macrame? It is as hip as hippiedom. It is not objectionable by the post modern because, after all, it is your construction. What does this mean? Nothing, but it sounds sooo independent.
No one should go to parties with the fear of attacks by people who don't know that hippies and postmodernism dont mix; actually, by definition, they exclude each other. No one should be forced to answer seriosly to questions asked just to make room for a metaphysical speech.
So, be creative, be absurd, if you can manage it, be ofensive, actualy, only by being so you'll get into the groove. Let me know what happens.
I know, the part about being ofensive doesn't sound too meek. Ok. So I don't get to go to heaven. But give it a thought: I may not live in college snobism hell either.
I don't care for metaphysical speech, they can believe in whatever they want. What bothers me is that they try to claim that their metaphysical experiences are physical. And that is bullshit.
Well for me quantum physics can be mental psychology. I had done a great share of research about quantum physics when I came across a website www.magicaltransformations.com which really broadened my understanding of quantum physics. This information actually changed my life in many ways, so if you are struggling with any of the aspects of quantum physics or even life in general I suggest visiting the site for life changing purposes!!
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