Why a Mathematical Ultimate Reality Comforts Me

Max Tegmark’s theory of the ultimate reality of our universe presents the idea of a beautiful universe governed by and built upon the foundation of mathematical principles; he postulates that there is no difference between physical existence and mathematical existence, and that the universe we exist in is merely the “actualization” of mathematical patterns and structures. To some, this universe based solely on binary numbers, equations and principles is scary; the notion that the universe has no character or that the “joys of life” that Julian Baggini sets as his foundation of ultimate reality are pigments of our own collective, Anthropocene imagination can be a daunting speculation.

To me, this notion that every aspect of the mechanical and chemical universe can be described and categorized by mathematical principles is both exciting and reassuring. If mathematics is the foundation of the entire universe, there is virtually no limit to what we can uncover, except for time itself. This potential of infinite knowledge excites me, and the fact that humans will be able to continue to discover more and more about every aspect of the universe with advanced theoretical mathematics shows the importance of our human race and how we have learned to channel and implement the power of knowledge in a way that no living thing has ever done. The theory that every movement, interaction and structure in the universe is described by mathematics is nothing to be afraid of; this potential theory should be embraced, as if it is true, discovery about the fundamental laws which govern our universe will have no end. –QC

 

P.S. It would be interesting to hear from someone who is afraid of or is a skeptic of Tegmark’s actualized, mathematical theory of the ultimate reality. : )

Sean Mcnamara revised activity points

Forrest Gump is an Academy Award winning film about a simple man who experiences and participates in some of the most defining moments of the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Director Robert Zeckemis takes the audience on the journey of Forrest Gump as he plays college football for the University of Alabama, wins the medal of honor in Vietnam, and tries to find his true love. Tom Hanks plays the role of Forrest Gump, a man with a low I.Q who always has good intentions. Forrest goes through a tough childhood of bullying and phsyical ailments, but gets through it with his best friend, Jenny, played by Robin Wright. As time progressess, Forrest becomes more and more famous, but Jenny strays farther away from him. The movie encaptures many key moments from the Cold War era, such as the desegregation, the Watergate scandal, and the anti-war sentiment of the 1960’s. All of which Forrest is connected to in some way. 

This movie has a personal connection to me becuause I was sometimes bullied in grade school, and the only people who helped me get through it were my closest friends. This is similar to how Jenny helped Forrest get through his early life bullying. 

The writer’s message that is shown in the film is that if America was as simple-minded as Forrest, the world might be a better place. The author portrays this by showing the success of Forrest. Even though Forrest might not be the smartest person in any room, he finds a way to be an inspirational figure wherever he goes. I think the writer is trying to say that if America approached things with a simple mind, like Forrest does, our problems might be more solvable.

Forrest goes on many runs in this movie, and his running represents Forrest changing. In these runs his emotions change, and he becomes a better or more significant person. These runs help him get to where he’s going both literally and figuratively. For example, when he runs across America, it symbolizes him becoming an inspirational figure to all of America. 

This film can be compared to the Billy Joel song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. I make this comparison because it encompasses all of the events and feelings of the Cold War Era. In Joel’s song, he describes all of the problems of the era and describes them as a fire that needs stopping, but in Forrest Gump, there is a more positive outlook on the era, even when it is in its most dark times, there is hope. 

In the end, I love this movie. It is funny, sad, compelling, and amazing all in one, every aspect of this movie is fantastic. The directing, writing, acting, and music all are amazing. The movie perfectly encapsulates the era in which it portrays.

Interview the Living: iMovie. (Jose)

Roper v Simmons

Nick Bolino Activity Points – Movie Review

For my movie, I watched American sniper, the story of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in American history.

Summary: American Sniper is the biographical movie telling the story of the life of Chris Kyle. Kyle grew up in Texas, learning to shoot and hunt from a very young age. This was a major part of his life from the get go. Despite this, Chris Kyle was a rodeo cowboy for the first part of his adult life. This changed when he saw news of attacks against America, he decided to enlist in the Navy. Kyle was accepted as a Navy SEAL and was trained as a sniper. He was sent into active duty after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Kyle quickly became a success, notching far more numerous and difficult confirmed kills than other snipers. He eventually earns the nickname legend. Throughout the movie, he goes on four tours in Iraq, while balancing a family. Over this time, it was apparent that Kyle was being affected mentally and physically by the stress and things he witnessed, but he felt he had a duty to protect his fellow countrymen. In the end, Kyle was killed by another veteran he was trying to help on American soil.

Personal Association: I really wanted to watch this movie because of the interview I did with my grandpa, who served in WWII. While my grandpa was a part of the 388th bomb squad, and did not experience much ground war, the horrors that he must have seen were similar. He told me many of his friends were killed in the same war. Additionally, my grandpa was very successful, flying 30 missions and receiving some accolades for his accomplishments. I feel it is a possible connection, though less extreme, to the experience of Chris Kyle.

Theme: A major theme I saw was patriotism. Chris Kyle first enlisted because of attacks against innocent Americans. He grew up in the south, a region which puts a lot of emphasis on the great country that America is. This was the driving force which start Kyle off. Along the same line, I saw the theme of duty. Chris served his first tour, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had a duty to America and to his fellow SEALs. Patriotism may have brought him there, but duty kept him there. Last, I saw the theme of the hardships of war. The things that Kyle went through obviously had a lasting effect on his mental stability. There were certainly signs of PTSD, even for such a hardened and experienced veteran. 

Analysis: As this was biographical, there were not many symbols that jumped out at me. That being said, there were obvious symbols that we see in real life, that were expressed. War is in effect a symbol for death and conflict. Also, there is no real fight between enemy soldiers, it is simply a symbol of the opposing country that they fight against.

Association: This movie of course reminds me of Saving Private Ryan. It has been some time since I’ve seen that movie, but to this day the most memorable scene involves a sniper. It is interesting to see how the advancement are portrayed, there is heavy use of more advanced explosives in American Sniper whereas back in WWII, and in SPR, grenades were the explosive of choice. Additionally, as technology got more able, shots like the famous 2100m kill by Chris Kyle because possible.

Evaluation: I loved the movie. It does a great job showing the life of a true American hero, and a fantastic and admirable man/husband/father. I am certain the movie persuaded Americans to enlist in the navy and follow in Chris Kyle’s footsteps, though that is a tall task. For me, it increased my patriotic beliefs and made me proud to live in the greatest country in the world. 10/10.

Nick Bolino Activity Points – Book Review

For my book, I decided to reread my favorite book from high school, the Great Gatsby. 

Summary: I love the intricacies of the story line, and how they relate to the historical context in America. The book is set in the roaring 20s, a time of great prosperity and happiness in America. The different is that we not know the 20s were just the calm before the storm that was the depression. The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, a bond salesman. The true plot though, is centered around a man by the name of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is an eccentric rich man in Long Island, who is madly in love with an old friend of his, Daisy Buchanan, who lives with her husband in East Egg. Gatsby throws extravagant parties with all the entertainment you can buy in hopes that he will see Daisy there, but he just ends up being used. This speaks to the superficial and empty nature of the prosperity of the 20s. Everybody believe that all was looking up, and they had a lot of fun with it, but the fact was it was all on credit and it would eventually catch up with them. Gatsby’s situation devolves, driving him crazy and eventually, it ends up getting him killed. It comes out that Gatsby earned all his money through organized crime, possibly an allusion to the times of prohibition and the depression. There is also parts that show the “behind the scenes” working class in the lower class areas with the mechanics and other such jobs. These places are dark and dirty, but rather than embrace the facts, the higher class prefer to pretend like these people don’t exist unless they are needed for manual labor. 

Personal Association: The superficiality of the upper class during the 1920s in the Great Gatsby really reminds me of the north shore. At times I feel people are taught to repress issues and show themselves in the most perfect light possible, for the sake of others. As someone who has done his fair share of traveling, I can say that there are people who have a very hard time in life, but sometimes I think we like to pretend that these people don’t exist to avoid guilt or sadness. This is not as applicable because the situation is not the same as it was back then, but the moral of the story for me is that we have to embrace our problems rather than ignore them, because historically, ignored problems can be the most dangerous.

Theme: One theme I saw constantly was the difference between money and happiness. F. Scott Fitzgerald does a wonderful job explaining this through his characterization of Gatsby, and the people of the 20s in general. Gatsby is not a happy man because his happiness is not rooted in what money can buy, but the fact is those who attend his parties just put up the extravagant facade of the times. Similarly, a theme is the American Dream. One fact of living in America is the opportunity and competition. Ever since our independence was won, we have been operating on this premise. The Great Gatsby points out the flaws of this system, and shows that the path to success in America may not be worth it. 

Analysis: Possibly the most famous symbol in all of literature is the green light. It symbolizes Gatsby frustrating predicament, which he can do nothing about, and it symbolized his love for Daisy. As for symbols with historical significance, I would point to the working class area, the valley of ashes. Fitzgerald does a great job juxtaposing it with the two eggs. The valley of ashes shows the underlying struggle behind the fake parties and prosperity of the times. The same can be said about Gatsby’s city, West Egg vs Daisy’s city, East Egg.

Association: One book that I see many comparisons in is Brave New World. It is set in Utopian England, but under the surface, things are not as perfect as they seem. The world is very controlled and systematic, and when a normal human is introduced, he points out the flaws of the society. This is similar because the world seems so perfect and happy in both stories, but in actuality, there are real problems. Huxley, the author of BNW, uses his story to point out the flaws of industrial America during the twentieth century. Similarly, Fitzgerald points out flaws using the superficial nature of the characters in his book

Evaluation: I love this book, it is one of the best written pieces of literature in the past few centuries in my opinion. While it has literary symbols which are complex, it also has great historical context, which is great because it ties together different parts of my education. All in all, it is my favorite book I’ve read so far in high school, and I will probably read it a couple more times in the next few years. 

U.S. v. Lopez Supreme Court Case

https://youtu.be/fQcAwxFIy-Q

My iMovie

Activity Points – Movie time

For my first 2 activity points, I decided to watch the Titanic again (one of my favorites). This particular movie, expresses much historical significance that often goes unnoticed. I even remember talking to some friends a few years back and they didn’t even know it was based on true story! 
Summary: In this movie, the great ship called Titanic was set to take its first tour of the ocean after being built in Ireland. The story focuses on two main characters and their secret love, Jack Dawson and Rose. Jack Dawson, a poor man, wins a ticket to enter the ship’s elite voyage. And, this really reveals the fact that the rich back then had a massive amount of societal advantage. During the movie, Jack Dawson falls in love with Rose, who is a rich girl from a powerful and influential family. Now, this love was prohibited, because Rose was supposed to marry a sleazy man named Cal. Cal was a selfish, careless being who took advantage of his privilege for malicious purposes. He despised Jack Dawson. Anyway, the ship eventually ran into trouble after striking an Iceberg. The ship sank and practically everyone perished. Rose and Cal survived.
Personal Association: To me, this movie signified the over-eagerness of the human race. Human’s never anticipated an Iceberg and frankly weren’t prepared to deal with the consequences. Also, this movie showed the conflict between the rich and poor. Money could really buy anything back then. And, this is especially true at the end of the movie, when Cal bought his way on the safety boats (supposed to be designated for women and children first).  
Theme: The themes of this movie include survival, true love, friendship, power, and greed.
Analysis: Through this movie, I have determined that Rose’s expensive jewelry (ruby) necklace was was a symbol of her troubled love life. She eventually had to let it go, despite its monetary value. 
Associations: In many ways, I think that the movie titanic is comparable to the movie and book “The Great Gatsby”. Both of these works share the love dynamic and the conflict over wealth.
Evaluation: On a ten point scale, this movie easily would score a 9-9.5. I think it is important to see that even the “best of the best” can ultimately fail, and that human error is essentially inevitable.   

Court Case iMovie

https://vimeo.com/128498121