Elegant Universe by Brian Greene

Preface to The Second Edition, Elegant Universe, Brian Greene

"...A book about the challenges and triumphs of the modern question for the deepest laws of nature is not something you imagine breezing through at the beach, or curling up with just before going to sleep. And a book that takes on such an abstract subjection with the intention of emphasizing the science, not the scientific personalities or historical anecdotes, might seem to cater to an even smaller audience. But this didn't particularly trouble me, as I told myself frequently (and, no doubt, with a tinge of melodrama) that if I reached one person, introducing them to a new spectrum of ideas, a new way of thinking about themselves and their place in the cosmos, that would be enough."

Dear FB

Dear Facebook NY, i know that me posting this helps you somehow, but how many times are you gonna ask me if i wanna take any advertisements? did you ever really just want users? or the whole time were you thinking in the back of your head, HOW AM I GOING TO MONETIZE this? I wonder if Mark Zuckerberg would ever respond to me or if he is just busy trying to think of witty responses for Nobel Peace Prize Winner Barack Obama

I do see how running a startup company success out of Harvard University like Facebook and acquiring companies like Oculus and bidding for Whatsapp and Waze can give you power- I'm sure Zuckerberg has a great handle on what it would be like to run one of the greatest Empires in the world and he should definitely not reserve comment when it comes to matters of International Safety and Security . Every time I write the word safety, Facebook Design keeps on popping up. It's funny how I'm sure there are organizations much worse than the NSA that are using Facebook's perfectly secure server with malintent.

So just be careful Mr. Zuckerberg, because you think Facebook has such a great handle on the world, but if the US Government and Chinese governemnt REALLY wanted to they would shut you down tomorrow. So next time you pull a PR stunt, please don't mention my president. Thanks!

"I used to..."

I used to,

I used to like facebook when there weren't ads,
I used to like youtube when there weren't ads,
I used to like google when there weren't ads,
I used to like radio when there weren't ads,
I used to like tv when there weren't ads,
I used to like movies when there weren't commercials,

I used to like education when there wasn't advertisements (buy my textbook, go on this website, get this scholarship, take out this loan)

I used to fully believe in capitalism when there were meaningful advertisements, I used to like almost everything when there was not advertisements getting in the way, but when you realize that your surroundings are creating a 30 second to 2 minute attention span, that's when I realized that "I used to" isn't gonna cut it, and I'd rather say its gonna be, not it's gotta be just yet, but its gonna be...

How far can laizzez-faire take us? Are we just getting lazy because we want the world to be fair?

But to lose the meaning underlying capitalism is where this -ism just like any other -ism becomes dangerous. All -isms can be dangerous. All memes can be dangerous.

Remember this -ism's underlying message is individuality and competition not who can make the most money. Money is a means to an end not an ends to a mean.

Are we walking advertisements or are we human beings that have thoughts and feelings? Are we emotionless, stoics or are we painters, artists and poets?

"Money isn't all you need, but it helps" - says the laughing upper middle class. But if you are never happy with the amount that you have, when will you ever really reach your pursuit of happiness? Why aren't life and liberty enough?

Is the company doing xyz because they want you as a user or because they want you as an advertisement? Are they trying to change the world for the better or are they trying to do whatever they can to get money to put food on the table? Or are they trying to make just enough money to buy the new Mercedez, BMW, Rolls Royce, Maserati, or Bugatti? Does it matter? What are we actually talking about?

Would it really be that great if you woke up in a new Bugatti or any other brand spanking new car? Would it even matter? Would you take a selfie and send it on snapchat to all your friends and then post it to fb and twitter and instagram? But then what? Let me take another selfie?

If you are searching for money you can find it, you just have to keep working hard. Work hard for the money or continue trading your pride for bribes.

If you are trying to change the world, then what?

"If you wanna change the world, first you have to change yourself?" Well what if you don't see many around you changing?

Do you just keep on living surrounded by businessmen, liars, cheats. financial advisors, delusional entrepreneurs, judgmental lawyers, loony judges, biased scientists, blind optimists, pessimists?

But then you realize, what's the big deal?

You can't take life too seriously, you don't get out alive.


So you live a full life, you either work for the man or you are the man. You either work for yourself or you perpetuate the plan? I doubt it. Just keep on going... until I'm 120...

Life is what you make of it. So live in the infinite or live in the ephemeral, it doesn't matter, as long as you're living.. one day at a time, one moment at time, one second.

Live life on life's terms...
Play the game by the rules, but if you have to break them know that you have to deal with the consequences of your actions.

One Day

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

Am I gonna make it?

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

Am I gonna fake it?

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

of you putting on your makeup

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

They say I'm jaded

They say i'm faded

they say I'm elated

I say you're belated

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

of you putting on your makeup

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

of you

Changing Through Space Time

Living my life one day at at ime

Changing Through Space and Time

Line after Line

Sign after Sign

it doesn't even matter the words I say

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

of you putting on your makeup

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

that I'm gonna make it

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

I'm not gonna fake it

One Day

One Day

One Day

I'm gonna make it

Changing Through Space and TIme

I think of you

When you're on my mind

Line after Line

Sign after Sign

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

One Day I'm gonna wake up

[Whistle Interlude]
// gonna be electric guitar SOOOOON (one day)

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

that I'm gonna make it

One Day
I'm gonna wake up and think of you putting on your make up

One Day
I'm gonna think of me

One day I'm gonna think of her

putting on her makeup

Will the idea of you disappear

it isn't clear

they say have no fear

One day I'm gonna wake up and think

One Day i'm gonna wake up

[Musical Interlude #2]

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

One day I'm gonna wake up and think of you putting on your makeup

One Day I'm gonna wake up and think

Sticks and Stones May Break my Bones but Words Will Never Hurt Me

Sticks and Stones May Break my Bones but Words Will Never Hurt Me

I've never heard such a crock of shit
Sticks and stones have broken my bones, torn my ligaments, ripped my arms our of their socket, ripped my hamstring off the bone.

Next time a police officer is cuffing you tell them Sticks and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt you and they will sit you in a room until words hurt and "you realize the consequences of your actions"

The only thing that holds power are words. Read the 5th amendment.

It is the power of words that I have come to realize that some days spoken words aren't necessary.
Because if someone asks you something and you say, "I don't know" they can't judge you. and you know how much people love to judge you so they can roll their eyes when you're not looking, or they can wink at some girl to make themselves look cool.

If you play dumb then you can be the possum that people beat up.

But if you realize that words are the only thing that matter in this life... then you gain power. But that doesn't mean to have diarhea of the mouth. It means to use your words wisely.

And in our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, we just don't know that we are seeking power because we have all been powerless. Life is all relative - just think about the theory of relativity. We have all been "enslaved" at one point to our problems, enslaved to our addictions or whatever you want to call it in your conceptual reality. Your conceptual reality is something that I can't infect unless you are really impressionable.

I've been called every single name in the book A through Z I could name a word or 5 that is offensive that I have been called. "Quick" stream of consciousness. Please take these words in jest, but I have been called all of them in one way or another... hopefully most of them were in jest, but at least 50% of jokes are trues (and at least 65% of statistics are made up)

Asshole, Awkward, albino, adabisi
Bitch, Baby, Buddhist, Backhanded, backwards, bum, biased, black, blue, blackout, belligerent
Cunt, Corny, Cry-Baby, Casper, Coach, Conscious Asshole
Derelict, Degenerate, Dick, Different, Dreamer, Disheveled, duroq, dead, deadhead, dos equis guy,
Existential Asshole, emaciated, envious, eggshell white, entitled
Fucking Asshole, Fagot, Flaming, freak, fat
Gooch, Ganjababe, Ganjadaddy, Gay, germaphobe, grain of salt, generalizer
Half-hearted asshole, handsomely moronic, hypocrite, hypocritical, hypercritical, hyper
Inconsiderate, inquisitive asshole, inconsequential, impressionable, ignorant, idealistically idiotic
Jerk, joker, jestful asshole, jester, jealous, jesus shuttlesworth
Kyke, Kyle from South Park
Lolligagging whore, loser
Mean, mean-hearted, moron, mench
Not completely there, negative nancy and many other n words
Open headed Asshole, Optimistic piece of shit, oxymoron, oxymoronic,
Pussy, Pansy, phobic
Questionable
Rambling Idiot, Radical, Rationalizer
Stupid Idiot (one of my favorites), skinny, selfish, stereotypical, sinner, sensitive, square
Tampon, Tweety, Taint, Twitter lover, Thesis lover, theorizing theologian, theological illogical moron
Uranus, Undeniable, Unstable, Ungrateful, Unconscious asshole
Very Stupid, Voluptuous, Venomous, Vehicular
Weird, Whole-hearted asshole, Whore, White, Worthless, Whitey Ford, Won't shut upper
Xistential asshole (X isn't easy!)
Zebra-ass mother fucker

Words only matter if you make them matter, but that doesn't mean they don't hurt. But the funny thing is whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger and cliched quotes suck.. or do they?

One of the only things that is TRULY dangerous in this world are dangerous MEMES. Memes are packets of information. For example, Islam means Surrender. Surrendering doesn't sound that bad to me. Jihad means struggle, struggle doesn't seem that bad to me. But it is how you apply the ideas, how you take your experience and you twist it to affect or infect other people. If you can find some sort of middle ground, some shades of grey, you're fine, but if you are extreme then you will be labeled as a radical. And for some reason everybody is afraid of being classified, labeled and identified, even though the only natural tendency that we have as humans is to stereotype

As humans, we think we are greater than evolution and we have created our own humancentric, anthropomorphic view of evolution. We think we are greater than some cancer growing on the planet. We think we are something greater than billions of years of evolution, we are NOT the ultimate, we're not even the penultimate, we are just products of evolution and lucky to be alive.

According to Diamond, there are two other animals that are on every continent other than humans - Rats and Pigeons. So we are in really great company. Imagine if the animals judged us like other animals. How would that make you feel?

So enjoy twisting and misconstruing these words because I wouldn't expect anything different.... (ellipsis)

Health, Family, Love... and nothing else matters... "so close, no matter how far."

Pi Day Update to Letter

3.14 Update

To The Penn Community and The World In General:

It is never easy when someone you know passes away. It is extremely difficult and beyond my comprehension when a young woman with her whole life ahead of her commits suicide. I wrote this letter initially in the wake of Madison Holleran's tragic death but this letter is not about Madison and all the amazing things she accomplished, this letter is for the Penn Community and for all the students who have ever struggled with any type of mental health issues.

You know it is weird because people die everyday, and when you respond people tend to say just focus on yourself, make yourself a better person. Maybe, we have to stop focusing on ourselves and maybe we have to recognize that there is a major problem. It is unfortunate that we are busy blaming the victims when we are not looking at the institutions. For example, the mental institutions and hospitals that are incapable of helping people with so called "mental illness." Or, the psychiatrists and doctors that believe that prescribing a pill will make things better. Or, the Universities that are "putting EDUCATION FIRST." Putting Education before Health is not part of any sustainable system in the 21st century.

I learned the hard way that Universities and Institutions do not care about student's feelings they just care about keeping their jobs and following protocol. One simple multicultural psychology class would help them, one simple ethics class would help them. One simple sensitivity training would help them.

Depression is a very real disease that manifests itself differently in each individual. However, psychiatrists recommend the same protocol for nearly every person with their first bout of depression.

Regardless of prior health problems, the psychiatrist has a strong tendency to recommend taking medicine and more often than not they prescribe a "Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor" or SSRI. I am not writing this to tell you to stop taking your SSRI - by all means if it helps you continue to do what you have to do.

There is a known link between SSRI-prescriptions and suicidal behaviors. So sadly, it's the pill that doctors prescribe that may lead to the eventual suicide. Unfortunately, the patient believes they are seeking help and the psychiatrist prescribes an SSRI. One of the most commonly prescribed medicines for depression for adolescents and college-aged students is Zoloft. When I was 19 and depressed due to the pressures of University of Pennsylvania, I was prescribed Zoloft.

The scariest part about seeking help is that the doctor has a bias to recommend medicine, specifically a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) and if asked the doctor is unable to explain to the patient how the drug works because modern science does not explain how SSRIs work exactly, because we do not fully comprehend how or where consciousness/intelligence physically takes place.

Even with future research in the cutting edge fields of neuroscience, nanotechnology, and even bio-nanotechnology, I highly doubt we will ever be able to explain how SSRIs and other medicine for depression actually influence the individual's brain. The reasons for this are beyond the scope of this letter, but simply enough life happens in the moment and current technology is not dynamic enough to comprehend the nuances of the brain as a system.

The student in seek of any type of help takes the pill and then they wonder why their feelings get worse and sadly, the doctors are unable to explain and some people act on their feelings and end up committing suicide.

The saddest part of suicide is that nearly every single person that survives a suicide attempt regrets trying. The amount of devastation that suicide can inflict on a community and a family can not be quantified. That is why facts and statistics are of little importance when it comes to the value of an individual's life.

Let's stop pretending like the problems do not exist.
Let's stop trying to put band-aids on bullet wounds.
Let's recognize that there is a major problem, and it is how institutions such as UPENN treat the so-called "mentally ill."

How many deaths does it take to realize that there is something wrong with the system not the individual? I know that millions of people die every year, countless people die everyday, but how many great people need to die for us to recognize that there is a problem?

Four undergrad students at UPENN have died since winter break. At least two of those are due to suicide and this is not the first UPenn undergrad to commit suicide. When I was in school one of the best players on the football team, Owen Thomas committed suicide. Now, Elvis Hatcher another student at UPenn marks three talented, highly influential people that are no longer with us. Three of America's future leaders are no longer physically on this earth to make a difference.--When are we going to realize that we have to put HEALTH before the student body's EDUCATION? People are supposed to live to be the change they wish to see in the world, not die as martyrs.

Let's stand up NOW and try to make a change, let's recognize that there is a problem, awareness is the first step and ACTION is the second step.

At this point in time, we are more than AWARE that there are problems on college campuses, specifically Ivy League campuses and top-ranked Universities, specifically Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell and University of Pennsylvania. With all of these problems, it makes it difficult to hurrah for the red and the blue. It makes it very difficult for me to proudly say that I am a Penn graduate.

One of the most upsetting things in this world is recognizing that there is a problem and doing nothing to stop it. The next time I walk into the Palaestra, do I have to wonder if any Penn Quakers are so depressed that they are contemplating ending their lives?

Let's take ACTION and work on what we can do to prevent the next suicide.It is too bad UPENN ADMINISTRATORS and faculty are unable to recognize that there is an issue and are unable to affect change on any measurable scale.

It is too bad Penn Administrators are unable to recognize that 18-25 year olds are left with major mental health problems that old school injections, pills, anti-depressants and tranquilizers are not going to fix.

No amount of money, or part of the budget is going to fix the problem.

We need the right people in the right places at the right time. We need people who care, people who truly care. We need health care professionals that have some idea of the pressures of achieving at the University level. We need the entire staff to understand that mental health is not something to be stigmatized, and stereotyped. We need the right type of nurses and social workers. We need the right type of health care professionals - unbiased and non-judgmental.

Depression is a real illness and those with depression need real help from people who understand mental health and mood disorders. The most important thing when you are depressed is to establish a trustworthy support system. This support system must be in place to make sure that the person struggling with their mental health recognizes the importance of their life and the impact that they have on the world.

We have to focus on the positives and not the negatives, we have to stop judging and we have to start HELPING, lend a hand. Smile, Pay it forward. It is ironic that POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY was developed at University of Pennsylvania. The only therapist at UPenn that ever helped me introduced me to ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) and by the time she actually helped me she had to move on to help other people in other parts of the world.

Pills have their places in the health care system. But when it comes to mental health, pills are not a full fix and old school injections are just temporary solutions. Pills and injections are a temporary solution for a serious problem. Similar to suicide being a permanent solution to temporary problems. Suicide is never the answer. No one should ever self-harm or self-mutilate. We have to realize that pills are only part of the solution; the treatment plan must entail more than just medicine.

Talk therapy as well as the proper facilities and proper people must be in place to properly combat depression and other mood disorders. Special people do special things at special times. We need special people to be there to help you when your mental hygiene is lacking. Physically, people can be in the right place, but qualified people trained properly is what is necessary.

Let's make a change, let's start today, let's stop blaming the victim and let's realize that CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.

Let's wake up, and recognize that suicidal ideations are a part of life and let's stop living in DENIAL and let's take action today.

Let's work on prevention, let's work on SAVING PEOPLE'S LIVES as opposed to perpetuating the same old plan, keeping the same bureaucracy in place, that follows the same protocol that we've been using since the revolution or since the 1800s or since world war II or since the DSM-II.

Let's start making some REAL changes. This is the 21st century and nearly every single person in America has faced symptoms of depression.

Maybe we have to live rationally and not by the University Rule Book.
Maybe we have to start living morally and living truthfully.
Living for the people, living for yourself, but living for every single individual on the planet.
Our time is short and as much as we like to think that time is eternal, our lives are ephemeral.

Let's wake up, let's start making some changes today. Let's recognize that the future, the smartest individual in the country tomorrow is some kid struggling on a college campus right now. Some kid that is contemplating whether or not his life is worth living is going to change the world one day... because "kids these days" some of them are busy using drugs and getting drunk, but most of them are wishing for a better tomorrow.

Some of the "kids these days" just have a little bout of depression but do not know how to ask for help. Instead of seeking help some people with mood disorders self-medicate with prescription and illicit drugs. So I plead for UPenn Administrators to stop categorizing us as one individual because we do not categorize you as "old and washed up."

Many people with depression do not like being classified at all so imagine being depressed and being classified as "mentally ill" or "crazy." You know the feeling you get when you are very calm and someone tells you to calm down. Well imagine feeling totally sane and a room of people telling you - you are mentally ill and acting crazy.

Then again, maybe we are crazy. Maybe it is crazy to think people can actually care about someone else. Maybe it is too idealistic.

Many of us are just hoping for a better tomorrow and many of us are busy trying to SAVE THE WORLD, ONE LIFE AT A TIME.

Let's do what we can NOW to stop the next student from committing suicide tomorrow or later today.

We all know that we have to stop problems upstream, so let's work on rational intervention and prevention.

Let's make a plan.

Step One - Let's recognize that Health and more specifically mental health is the most important aspect of a student's life and education.

For all the staff that are not capable of understanding the importance of mental health they should take sensitivity training or be replaced.

For now let's just work on step one. For today let's change our mindsets.

Let's place Health before Education. Let's start changing the way we think so we can change the way we act so we can work towards saving someone's life.

Let's stop blaming the victim and let's start creating rational plans for prevention.

Let's start right now. Recognize that Health is more important than education because if the student is not healthy then they are not able to learn.

At least for a moment, let's shift our focus from Education to Mental Health. Maybe we need longer than 4 moments of silence for the the four students that died. Maybe for the rest of the semester let's shift our focus from Education to Health. Maybe for the rest of our education let's understand that if our mental health is not intact then students will not be mentally prepared to learn.

Let's learn to put health first. Let's learn together as one community made up of many individuals. Let's recognize that some of the individuals who make up this community are suffering from mental health issues.

Let's remember that a team is only as strong as it's weakest link; so, let's drop our egos and let's live for a better tomorrow, let's make this the last student to commit suicide due to the pressures of being a high achiever and perfectionist at University of Pennsylvania.

Let's learn to change as individuals, but let's do it together as one strong Penn Community. Let's proudly say Hurrah for the Red and Blue! Let's evolve. Let's change. Let's adapt with the times.

Let's allow recent alumni to proudly say they are Penn graduates as many great individuals have said in the past. Let's learn from the past so we can take steps towards a more understanding and brighter future.

When I was a student at Penn, one semester we lived by the motto "Do Well by Doing Good." Let's try to ignore all the nonsense and let's focus. Work Hard, Play Harder can get you pretty far in life but Doing Well by Doing Good can save the world.

One cliched quote can save the world so don't be afraid to be the same, don't be afraid to be different, just be afraid to be afraid. Live life on life's terms.. One Day at a Time.

Happy Pi Day!

PENN ALUM
SEAS 2012

Sing Songy

Sing Songy
but i'm an aspiring artist
questioning the world and why i exist
living my life trying not to get pissed

living in the dumpster but trying not to get shit on
like a pile on
or get peed on like a peon

but we're more like pigeons
pigeon holing through the worm holes

but we're more like rats
living in the sewers, subways, small building and big

we're more like the bacteria than the trees
we're more like the cure than the disease

or can we simply say it with that type of ease
that we're a cancer
that we're a disease

because how can you just identify with the bad
it's like looking at the world
but only seeing the sad

sad
ness isn't just a character from some cartoon
it's loony toons how they can try to send us to a loony bin
but i've been to the moon and back and through the worm hole again

studying physics
a study of matter and energy through space and time
realizing that physics can't even begin to explain my mind

Shrodinger's cat is all i can think about
and how uncertain I am about anything that i deemed certain
because one will kill me
and 100 isn't enough

i've watched kids get snuffed while kids are doing snuff in the bathroom
and i'm just trying to do stuff
stay busy
keep my active mind occupied
but i feel like i'm supplied with such bull shit
such minutia
minute by minute
hour by hour
surrounded by the insane
the inane

man i gotta get out of this town
man i gotta get back on the train
man i gotta get back on the plain
i gottta get outta this town
i gotta get outta this place

this itch is coming back
but this itchy has no scratchy
it's like a flat tire with no patchy

listening to these rhymers
but they're just thinking of what's catchy
looking at these dogs thinking go fetch
go fetch me someone that can actually spit
not any of this weak ass fake thug bull shit

so i think fuck it i'll just quit
but to give up an art form for the haters
for the master debaters
is like giving up on life
for all the doubters

speaking softly because you can't hear me
over all the shouters

trying to be a man
but im surrounded by pouters
putting all there bull shit on me

fuck that shit
im just a human
im not your addiction
i'm nothing without you
but i'm not part of your equation
i'm not part of your addition
because to add me plus you
would just multiply your problems
and i love math
but damn i don't like long division
i like fission
and fusion
and the creation of something
from all the destruction

like a broken glass
i'm filled with entropy
but i'm done with begging and pleading
it's not quite surrender and it's not quite seceding
and i don't think it's quite succedding either
it's just being
being me
in this world
where i can live and breathe
and i can see
who i want to be

and i have all these haters
all these negative nancies
trying to bring me down
could i have been a dancing nancy
could i have been anyone other than me

i look up at the sky
but all i see is blandness
but i look up at the sky and i see
that out of the mundane
comes something profound
or is it profane
out of the inane
comes the insane
out of something
comes more

and i can be who i want to be
i can see who i want to see
some may say i'm sing songy
but i like this song and dance
cause it's a chance
to express some words
explore the absurd
where nobody understands shit
because to explore the absurd
is to explore this world
and to explore this world
we have to navigate through all these words
and all these worlds

but words can only say so much
too much
enough

the conclusion
is always delusion or seclusion

but the solution
is to be
whoever you want to be