On Catching Words

There was a man who talked and talked until he had no more words to say. Because of this, he talked more, but said nothing. He did not know the secret to having words to say. The man, like everybody else, had two implements, one on either side of his head, with which to catch words, so that they could later be used. Yet he did not use them.

Soon, everybody started to have no more words to say. As a result, they all talked more, but said nothing. The words that were once said drifted away, off into the distance, and were lost. Nobody had any words left, because nobody had bothered to catch the ones that were said.

Timber

I walked through the forest and came upon a fallen tree. It appeared recent, maybe even last night.

I knew it was dead, as did all the other trees. Maybe that's why they didn't move to help their fallen friend.

Things That I Often Think About (And Probably Have Answers That I Am Too Lazy To Look Up)

If x is any real number, what is the probability that it is zero? The probability is 0. Therefore, x is not zero. If x is any real number, and it is not zero, does this mean that zero is not a real number? What about 1? 2? I'm so glad to not be a mathematician.

Infinity is a frightening concept. I used to think that everything in the universe is bounded, but eventually I learned that there are galaxies that are moving away from each other at greater than the speed of light. That means that there are conceivably bits of matter than would require infinite time in order to reach, and are an infinitely far distance away from us (since an object moving away from us at higher than the speed of light cannot be measured, according to our current knowledge of the universe).

On the flip side, I've heard that things cannot be infinitely small. There is apparently a minimum distance, beyond which smaller distances make no physical sense. Given, this distance is something on the order of 10^-35's, so it doesn't really mean much to us. This minimum distance would confirm what I've suspected for a while now, which is that there is no such thing as a perfect circle, and that there are no such things as tangent lines, let alone lines. (But on the contrary)

This would imply that the universe has a positive infinity, yet does not have an infinite amount of precision (that is, it is truly discrete.)

Does information consist of some sort of matter or energy? How does a subatomic particle interact with another subatomic particle? With a smaller subatomic particle? And how do those interact? You might begin to see a problem here.

What is the universe? I assume that outside of the universe there is either nothing or something. If there is nothing, what is the opposite of nothing? What exactly is nothing? Surely there is a difference between a vacuum and the total lack of existence.

Exactly how much affect does the flapping of the butterfly's wings have on the other side of the world? Is this a measurable effect? And to that end, does the flapping butterfly have an effect on the moon? On Jupiter? On Alpha Centauri? In another galaxy? Does it have an effect on a vacuum?

Is it possible for the universe to repeat itself at any point? That is, has the universe ever had every single bit of matter in the exact same place as it was a moment ago? If not, no experiment can be perfect. If no experiment can be perfect, then no knowledge can be scientifically proven. If no knowledge can be proven, can there be a single truth, despite the fact that it is unknowable? If no truth exists, then logic cannot exist as truth, yet the idea of truth not existing depends on the existence on logic.

One of my favorite thought experiments is Schroedinger's Cat. Why does such a conundrum even exist? Why are things not knowable, or not possible? Why are things possible? (Same as the tree that falls in the forest example.)

What does it mean to be all-knowing? Is there an infinite amount of information in the universe? Is the amount of information increasing at a faster rate than the ability to know or recall the information? If information is increasing at a faster rate than the ability to know it, how can anything be all-knowing?

If there are more than the four appreciable dimensions, we must exist in those other dimensions. What separates existing with four appreciable dimensions from existing in more than four dimensions?

What do synesthetes see/hear/feel/taste/smell?

Why is the sky so utterly vast? If space is infinitely large, then why am I able to perceive any given amount of it? Isn't any given amount of space literally 0% of the total amount of space? I would occupy literally 0% of space, so I should not exist. This is referring back to the first point, I know.

Why do humans presume to know anything at all? Clearly, nothing we know is more than 0% of the sum total of everything, nor is any amount of information. We exist in literally 0% of total space, yet we are only occupied by ourselves.

What is the real capacity of a human brain? Does it contain our personalities? How about our emotions? What about our character? Finally, what about our souls? Is a soul a bit of matter or energy that exists in this universe? Does a soul even exist, in the most strict definition of "exist"?

If I sleep earlier every day until my sleep schedule is back to normal, will I be able to keep that sleep schedule? Remember, these are just thought experiments.

Desire

Curt walked up to the window, knowing that he could never cross the quarter-inch thick glass to the other side. He pressed his face up against it, trying to get as close to the other side as he could.

He closed his eyes and imagined passing through the glass, face first, running to his prize. This drove Curt crazy. He opened his eyes and looked around for a hard object. He found that someone had used a hefty rock to weigh down a trash can lid across the street. Without even contemplating his actions, he was lugging the rock back across the street to the window.

As he gathered momentum rocking his arms back and forth, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the glass. His thoughts were catching up with his actions. He didn't want to think; it would drown out fire inside him; it would make him question whether it was really worth the trouble. Refusing reason and a second more of time, he threw the rock at his reflection... breaking it.

An alarm sounded, but he did not hear it. Faced with nothing but intangible air and his prize, something suddenly hit him. He was scared, very scared. He was about to obtain something he knew he would never have. He looked at it as it stared back, waiting to see whether destiny would be rewritten. Of course, destiny can never be rewritten; destiny is destiny. The object knew this, and it was only a matter of time before the man realized this.

It didn't take very long for the man to realize. He thought he had changed destiny, but he hadn't. The only thing he changed was the barrier preventing him from having the unobtainable object. He stared at the object in full desire but also in full inaction. The object stared at him, fully cognizant of their relationship and the destiny shared by the two. The man stared back.

The man averted his eyes as tears started streaming down his face. Fear capitalized on the opportunity and drowned him. Having broken eye contact with the object, his desire was engulfed in the imperfections of the world. He turned around and ran as fast as he could.

The object stared back at him, even as he was out of sight; its gaze the same as it always was: unchanged. It saw the desire, the passion, the rage... but was unmoved.

The object did not recognize him. For of what importance is someone to something destiny has not allotted for?

Quote from a story I've abandoned

Though the story might never reach the light of day, may this quote be passed on and appreciated.

“Well, I better get going.” I said, unsure of how else to break the awkward silence. She snapped out of her thoughts and led the way to the door. As she opened it for me, she said “It was very nice meeting you mister Li” and gave me a perfect smile. It was paralyzing. It’s shocking how such a simple gesture can be so powerful, like how playing an F# instead of an F changes an entire key and emotion.

hubba hubba

(read with rhythm)

tick, tock, drip, drop,
licky licky flip, flop,
one, step, skip, hop,
lock it bring it make it pop.

make a mooove through it down there
take some cooool dips down through air
drop it looow crank it bank it
use some sass and flip that hair with flair.

won't you work all day, sweatin'
don't you work all night, sweatin'
can't you work it every way,
ain't you workin' without pay?

bring it out to here, break it,
ain't nothing far too sheer just fake it,
please girl don't show fear, we'll see it,
please girl take this beer believe it.

please girl try and make believe it,
please girl really make me see it.

LNYF Skit: The Story of Tigerman and the GG Squad.

Stay tuned.