Maybe our own planet is a neural network too (1)
I was struck by Stephon Alexander’s idea of the universe being a neural network (11 September, p 47). The concept wasn’t fleshed out much in the article, and having scant knowledge of astrophysics, I’m not able to see how it would work.
But perhaps there is a good example of this on our doorstep. The Gaia hypothesis sees Earth as a complex, self-regulating system involving the biosphere, including us, the air we breathe and water in liquid, solid and gaseous forms such as in water vapour, clouds, oceans, lakes, streams and ice caps. All are tightly coupled as an evolving system. The idea is that the system as a whole, called Gaia, seeks a physical and chemical environment optimal for contemporary life.
Is it not the case that we have, in Gaia, a system of such complexity and interconnectedness that it might well be able to form an intelligent neural network?
Maybe our own planet is a neural network too (2)
Despite what the preamble to the interview with Alexander said, growing up in the Bronx is typical training for a theoretical physicist. The Bronx High School of Science has produced eight science Nobel laureates 鈥� seven in physics and one in chemistry 鈥� the most of any secondary school in the world. The American Physical Society has dubbed it a “Historic Physics Site”.
Nature just did the field trial for ocean seeding
Alice Klein’s article shows that a large-scale experiment to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide by seeding part of an ocean with iron to make phytoplankton grow has now, inadvertently, been carried out for us by Australian wildfires, thanks to iron-rich ash seeding the water there (18 September, p 8).
Now, why should we hesitate to use ocean iron-seeding judiciously to capture gigatonnes of CO2 to buy us time to address climate change and phase out fossil fuels?
The Olympics show just how uneven the world is
I have to agree with fellow reader Sam Edge (Letters, 4 September). It was with some dismay that I watched Great Britain, China, the US, Japan and the Russian Olympic Committee claim medal after medal in the summer Olympics in Tokyo. I even wondered whether any other countries were competing.
The games were a stark representation of the inequalities of the world, even more so than in previous years. As it stands, they aren’t a way to bring the nations of the world together; they instead assert hierarchies. But then again, have they ever been anything else?
Brush for 2 minutes, twice a day? Try this instead (1)
In her look at the truth behind widely publicised health targets, Amelia Tait asks who has the time to brush their teeth properly 鈥� in other words, for the recommended 2 minutes, twice a day (11 September, p 38).
As an aged member of the underclass who can’t afford expensive dentistry and who doesn’t fancy walking around toothless or with NHS dentures, I think taking care of one’s teeth is a worthwhile investment of time.
I spend 15 minutes in the morning and again at night, mirror in hand, carefully cleaning around my mouth 鈥� tooth by tooth, quadrant by quadrant. My teeth are still structurally intact.
Brush for 2 minutes, twice a day? Try this instead (2)
Regardless of how long you should brush your teeth, flossing clears more bacteria. In that regard, given the choice of only brushing or flossing, take the latter. Once proficient, it takes 30 seconds and is painless with proper technique.
Also, as far as hydration goes, observing the colour of your urine is a good indicator. Too dark, drink more water. Very clear, drink less. Search the web for a colour chart.
Car ownership may be a hard habit to kick (1)
In your excellent article on net-zero living, there is talk of a future with fewer cars, as many of them will be shared (4 September, p 34). Really? My impression is that most car owners love their vehicles and regard them as their private space, an extension of their homes. They are reluctant to share their cars, and will not give them up until forced to do so.
Many older people (myself included) continue to own a car when it would be demonstrably cheaper to use taxis for their journeys. I don’t see why this should be different with electric vehicles or any other motive power.
Car ownership may be a hard habit to kick (2)
Your well-conceived feature “A day in a net-zero life” discusses heat pumps as though they only provide warmth. You seemed to refer to air conditioning as separate tech. However, a heat pump can both heat and cool a home. We have had one for a year. It has operated well through a cool winter and a very hot summer.
Only maths not words can describe quantum realm
Much of the puzzle of quantum weirdness resolves if we notice that, for example, “collapse of the wave function” is a metaphor (and, I think, an unfortunate one 鈥� waves don’t collapse, they break on shores and slap into sea walls) (28 August, p 34). This mean that asking what collapses when the wave function collapses is meaningless.
The only literal language for talking about quantum mechanics is mathematics. That is why attempts to interpret quantum mechanics must resort to metaphor.
We talk about electrons as both “waves” and “particles”, when all we actually have are observations that are best described using the mathematics of waves and/or particles. Both these terms arose in classical physics. Applying them to quantum mechanics is obviously, I think, mere metaphor.
I came to this conclusion primarily because pretty much all the refutations of quantum mechanics (and relativity and so on) take these metaphors literally.
This source of greenhouse gas is a little unsettling
I am somewhat worried that I am contributing to climate change since I am apparently farting seven times more on a plant-based diet (11 September, p 14). Please tell me that my vegetarian lifestyle will, to some extent, offset the damage from my noxious fumes.