It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn. George Washington
Chaos Theory - from the body of science known as Quantum Physics
Like any small town, Stockbridge has its share of challenges and obstacles. From this page, we will create a space to raise and define them, one by one.
If you've read anything about quantum physics, you will have heard about "the butterfly effect." Basically, it says that the butterfly gently beating its wings in Thailand can ultimately have a connection to and a cause and effect relationship on events occurring right here in Stockbridge. I believe this to be true. And I'm sure each of you have seen examples of this, too, if you are paying attention.
So here we will explore those things close at hand or far away that have the ability to create a significant effect or to impact us greatly and directly.
When our local administrators are fixated on and obsessed with petty concerns and affairs that neighbors working together could resolve themselves, then we waste a great deal of energy and time we could be using to work on some of the bigger things coming at us. Things of greater import than who's got his lawn- mower out in front of the garage or whose house needs painted.
THE COOLEST THING ABOUT THE WEB IS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE CONSTRAINED BY LOCAL IDEAS ONLY! THE ACCUMULATED KNOW- LEDGE OF THE ENTIRE PLANET BECOMES ACCESSIBLE, -ANYWHERE THERE IS A NEED FOR YODA-TYPE EXPERIENCE AND WISDOM.
EVEN LEARNING WILL ONE DAY OCCUR OVER THE WEB. WHAT WE SEE TODAY IS ONLY A BEGINNING. THE KNOWLEDGE WILL BE SYSTEMATIZED AS IT NEEDS TO BE, AND SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.
WE WILL BE ABLE TO REDUCE BLOATED GOVERNMENT BUDGETS AND EXPENSIVE BUILDINGS AND STAFF BECAUSE MUCH OF THE POLICY MAKING AND ADMINISTRATION WILL OCCUR IN VIRTUAL SPACE. AND ONCE AGAIN, THE ACCUMULATED KNOWLEDGE OF THE EARTH'S PEOPLE WILL BE AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE CHARGED WITH THE IMPORTANT TASK OF GOVERNING.
GOVERNMENT PROJECTS WILL GET FUNDED NOT BASED ON SPECIAL INTERESTS SO MUCH AS BY THE VALUE THE PEOPLE PLACE ON THE SERVICES BEING "PURCHASED" BY THEIR Tax DOLLARS. THE MARKET MODEL NEEDS TO MORE GREATLY INFLUENCE WHAT GETS GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND WHAT DOES NOT. BUT TO MAKE THIS WORK, THE PEOPLE AND THOSE DOING THE GOVERNING NEED FREE- FLOWING INFORMATION. THE WEB PROVIDES THAT BEAUTIFULLY.
EVERYTHING AS WE KNOW IT WILL CHANGE EXPONENTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE DEMOCRATIC ACCESSIBILITY AND FREE SPEAKING ENCOURAGED BY THE WEB. AND IT WILL HAPPEN MUCH MORE RAPIDLY. THIS PROSPECT IS VERY EXCITING TO ME. I DEDICATE MY LIFE TO ITS DESIGN AND BUILDING. APPLICATIONS DESIGN AND PROBLEM SOLVING ARE MY SPECIALTIES.
WE ARE NOW READY TO PUT A FEW THEORIES TO THE TEST ABOUT FREE SPEECH, SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ADVANCING SOCIETY, ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME. Change requires information and dialog!
I HOPE YOU WILL PARTICIPATE! And offer up your own thoughts on our community's challenges. It is the only way to have input on what gets attention and what does not here at the local government level.
-Sharon Baller
Invasive
Chaos Theory: A Brief Introduction
by James Gleick, author of CHAOS THEORY -- THE MAKING OF A NEW SCIENCE
What exactly is chaos? The name "chaos theory" comes from the fact that the systems that the theory describes are apparently disordered, but chaos theory is really about finding the underlying order in apparently random data.
When was chaos first discovered? The first true experimenter in chaos was a meteorologist, named Edward Lorenz. In 1960, he was working on the problem of weather prediction. He had a computer set up, with a set of twelve equations to model the weather. It didn't predict the weather itself. However this computer program did theoretically predict what the weather might be.
One day in 1961, he wanted to see a particular sequence again. To save time, he started in the middle of the sequence, instead of the beginning. He entered the number off his printout and left to let it run.
When he came back an hour later, the sequence had evolved differently. Instead of the same pattern as before, it diverged from the pattern, ending up wildly different from the original.
Eventually he figured out what happened. The computer stored the numbers to six decimal places in its memory. To save paper, he only had it print out three decimal places. In the original sequence, the number was .506127, and he had only typed the first three digits, .506.
By all conventional ideas of the time, it should have worked. He should have gotten a sequence very close to the original sequence. A scientist considers himself lucky if he can get measurements with accuracy to three decimal places. Surely the fourth and fifth, impossible to measure using reasonable methods, can't have a huge effect on the outcome of the experiment. Lorenz proved this idea wrong.
This effect came to be known as the butterfly effect. The amount of difference in the starting points of the two curves is so small that it is comparable to a butterfly flapping its wings.
The flapping of a single butterfly's wing today produces a tiny change in the state of the atmosphere. Over a period of time, what the atmosphere actually does diverges from what it would have done. So, in a month's time, a tornado that would have devastated the Indonesian coast doesn't happen. Or maybe one that wasn't going to happen, does. (Ian Stewart, Does God Play Dice? The Mathematics of Chaos, pg. 141)
This phenomenon, common to chaos theory, is also known as sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Just a small change in the initial conditions can drastically change the long-term behavior of a system. Such a small amount of difference in a measurement might be considered experimental noise, background noise, or an inaccuracy of the equipment. Such things are impossible to avoid in even the most isolated lab. With a starting number of 2, the final result can be entirely different from the same system with a starting value of 2.000001. It is simply Impossible to achieve this level of accuracy - just try and measure something to the nearest millionth of an inch!
From this idea, Lorenz stated that it is impossible to predict the weather accurately. However, this discovery led Lorenz on to other aspects of what eventually came to be known as chaos theory.
Some Chaos computer models became popular Fractal Art
Cosmogony
St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Wheeling, WV, Bell Tower dedicated by the Brown Family to John David & Marjorie Brown, beloved family patriarch and matriarch
A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD - Martin Luther, 1483-1546 (text, translated Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878) - J.Klug, Geistliche Lieder, 1543 (tune) Based on Psalm 46
A mighty fortress is our God. A sword and shield victorious; He breaks the cruel oppressor's rod And wins salvation glorious. The old satanic foe Has sworn to work us woe! With craft and dreadful might He arms himself to fight. On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide Our striving would be losing. Were not the right Man on our side; The Man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He. Lord Sabaoth his Name, From age to age the same, And he must win the battle.
Though hordes of devils fill the land All threat'ning to devour us. We tremble not, unmoved we stand; They cannot overpow'r us. Let this world's tyrant rage; In battle we'll engage! His might is doomed to fail; God's judgment will prevail! One little word subdues him.
God's Word forever shall abide, No thanks to foes, who fear it; For God himself fights by our side With weapons of the Spirit. Were they to take our house, Goods, honor, child, or spouse, Though life be wrenched away, They cannot win the day. The Kingdom's ours forever!
God Is Our Refuge and Strength
Psalm 46
Spiritual comfort in a time of national tragedy September 2001.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
View of devastation from Interchurch Center, NY, NY, 9/11/2001
History does not entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid.~Dwight D. Eisenhower Copyright 2007-2008TALK CITIZEN is a trademark of LobaTek Incorporated
