| I used to watch with extreme regularity the old TV | | | | models of the world. Models are kind of "working |
| show "X-Files." I've always been interested in strange | | | | theories" on our best guess is to how things work. An |
| UFO paranormal type phenomenon, at least from a | | | | old model of the universe was that the Sun revolved |
| fictional stand point. I've always enjoyed movies and | | | | around the Earth. That was later proved false by |
| TV shows that explored these areas. Growing up, I | | | | Copernicus. And the secret to having models is that |
| couldn't get enough of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone. | | | | they must always be flexible. It is only when we hold |
| One of the reasons I enjoyed X-Files so much is | | | | our own particular models as scientific fact, or absolute |
| because of different perspectives of the two main | | | | reality, that we get into trouble. |
| characters. There was Agent Fox Scully, who would | | | | One of the great benefits of having a flexible model of |
| believe in almost anything supernatural, without any | | | | the world is that you can adjust it as circumstances |
| proof. Then there was Agent Dana Scully, who was a | | | | change. This is the basis of the scientific method. |
| medical doctor, and always had a scientific explanation | | | | Scientists measure things, come up with a model, and |
| for everything. | | | | then as time goes, they adjust the model accordingly. |
| As I move through this journey that is life, I always try | | | | One of my all time favorite examples of this is the |
| to employ this dichotomy in my own personal views. | | | | problem of "Black Body Radiation" in the 1930's. They |
| One the one hand, I really would like to believe in the | | | | measured the frequency of light emitted from a black |
| supernatural, God, Karma, ESP and all that other stuff. | | | | body, and it didn't fit anything that they thought it should. |
| For no other reason that it is just so cool. However, | | | | Several different scientists tried to apply several |
| the scientist in me (I have a degree in Physics and | | | | different theories, and all were wrong. (Including |
| was an Engineer for several years) has to take the | | | | Einstein.) Then this guy named Max Plank came along |
| Scully approach, and at least leave it open for | | | | with a new theory, and Quantum Physics was born. |
| describing things in a scientific perspective. | | | | The ultimate secret, is to realize that we will never truly |
| Some people believe that these two views contradict, | | | | understand our world. The best we can do is |
| but I disagree. Some things that were mysterious and | | | | understand that our working models are flexible, and |
| God like to people hundreds of years ago are easily | | | | should be changed when things we see don't match |
| explainable by science today. There may be some | | | | with our old models. Once we understand this, the |
| things that are so far outside of the human capacity | | | | world becomes a fun playground of discovery, instead |
| for reason that we will never be able to describe them | | | | of a rigid set of rules that must be followed, or else. |
| in terms of equations and cause and effect. | | | | Have fun out there. |
| The secret is to realize that at best, all we have are | | | | |