Why is the universe lumpy? Because it has quantum jitters! Strange item for OSLIST, but this is a pretty strange LIST! And what about lumpiness? Well, isn't it wonderful that a blinding flash of homogenous, superheated plasma spreading out in the moment of the Big Bang to create space and time should clump and lump? And big clumps and lumps like galaxies and stars, super novas and tiny galactic splinters like planet earth. Not to mention even smaller clumps and lumps like you and me. And how did all that happen?
According to Brian Greene, physicist and author of "The Fabric of the Cosmos", it all began with Quantum Jitters. The silent, majestic clockwork universe of Newton holds a deep secret. The panoply of the stars which appears eternal and un-changing as we view the night skies is jumpy at the core. Well beneath the effective threshold of our feeble eyes, the fantastic world of quarks and electrons, neutrinos and photons vibrates in fits and starts. Some have called this a dance, but it is a very odd dance, for no step is like any other, and every step is indeterminate and unpredictable. In a word, it jitters. Who cares? Well we should because the random jitter of some jumpy quark provided the small chaotic disturbance that initiated the ongoing process of self-organization. The Cosmic Butterfly flaps its wings to transform the primal sameness of hot plasma into the variegated splendor of our universe, to say nothing of the infinite, special diversity of each and every one of us. At least that is the story as Brian tells it. Needless to say, my competence to judge the veracity of the tale is non-existent. But Brian's colleagues in the exotic world of physics in all of its various flavors - astro, atomic, quantum and whatever -- appear to be telling a similar tale. And from my point of view the story is too good not to be true - more or less. But why tell it here on OSLIST? You could blame my weird, esoteric, possibly perverted, and definitely curmudgeonly nature - and I wouldn't argue. But frankly, I hold Mike Copeland responsible. Several days ago, Mike wrote: "You know we are catalysts for a huge cultural shift that is happening in our world. I firmly believe I need to be living in open space myself if I am to facilitate in this way. It is very much a case of Open Space starts at home." There is little doubt in my mind that we are witness to a "huge cultural shift." How that will all turn out, and whether we are actually catalysts, I don't have a clue. But perhaps we can help. The essence of that "help" is pointed to; I think, in Mike's final phrase - "Open Space starts at home." But as I thought about this phrase, it occurred to me some addition to his words might be in order. No question, "Open Space starts at home" but the real news is that Open Space is all about coming home! As we stand in the circle inviting the random, indeterminate passions of those who cared to come, we acknowledge and celebrate the advent of the human version of the cosmic jitters, the power of chaos loosed by the flaps of butterfly wings. And once again the eternal force of self-organization does its thing. We add nothing, we have created nothing new. It is only that we have come home to what we always were - despite out best efforts to be something different. It's nice to be home. Thank you, Mike. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist