The human side of a genius
Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists lived in 20th century. He made lasting contribution in physics, politics, society and towards understanding human nature. He was also an avid commentator and his insights were far and wide on a range of topics. The popularity of his quotes is illustrated by the recent publication of The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, volume 15. Several quotable gems have been mined from Einstein’s archives. But it turns out that many quotes are misattributed to Einstein and some are edited or paraphrased to sharpen for lasting impression. The most famous quote is of course, “God does not play dice” referring to quantum entanglement of physical reality. But it isn’t quite his words. It derives from a letter written in December 1926 to his friend physicist Max Born. His actual words were; Theirs is: “Quantum mechanics…... delivers much but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the Old One. I, at any rate, am convinced that He does not play dice.” Einstein does not use the word ‘God’ here, but ‘the Old One’ signifies a “personification of creating entity.”
Einstein has used the word god in many other quotes when he was not talking of physical reality and laws of physics. Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as "pretty childish." His letter was written to Eric Gutkind in January 1954. He added, "the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions." But he also said: "I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil. My God created laws that take care of that. His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking, but by immutable laws."
Einstein had lot to say about raising anti-Semitism in his native Germany. He expresses his disappointment and frustration the way it was practiced at elementary schools by children and how it impacted Jewish life in Western Europe.
Einstein had developed keen interest in the works of many of his contemporaries which included Mahatma Gandhi, poets, philosophers, politicians and entertainers of his days. A passage in a 1936 article in the Journal of the Franklin Institute, he said that: “The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility … The fact that it is comprehensible is a miracle.” This has been used widely in media after paraphrasing the quote. It is not surprising that Einstein who stubbornly believed that quantum reality doesn’t exist, believed that the universe is understandable. Most quantum physicists would disagree with that since many issues of spacetime and quantum gravity is unresolved. Throughout his life he had constant battle with quantum physicists on principles and scientific matter. This is reflected in his letter to physicist Max Born (April 12, 1949); “I lack influence [at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University], as I am generally regarded as a sort of petrified object, rendered blind and deaf by the years. I find this role not too distasteful, as it corresponds fairly well with my temperament.” In another quote he is known to have said that “My word counts for little in Fine Hall (at Princeton)”
Nazi’s tried to eliminate him for years as he was an embarrassment for the Fuhrer and the Third Reich. Right up to his death in 1955, he was targeted for deportation as a Soviet agent by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.
The Author has done extensive work on the Einstein Archives at the Institute for Advanced Study, and this is an authentic work and very well written. Highly recommended.
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Book Reviewed: Quantum Information and Consciousness: A Gentle Introduction, by Danko D. Georgiev
Consciousness and emergent properties of quantum information
The concept of matter and energy has dominated physics, and this has made it difficult to fit consciousness into the laws of physics. Recent studies in quantum gravity and thermodynamics of black holes has demonstrated that information is primary to the structure of quantum and relativistic physics. This "It from Bit" perspective has more relevance for consciousness than originally thought. In fact, quantum information is as fundamental as energy/matter in spacetime. Physical reality requires energy/information duality and consciousness for quantum states collapse. The connection of consciousness and energy-information duality is like that of wave-particle duality in early 20th century.
Consciousness is primarily an informational system. By understanding quantum states as an information system, the energy/information duality and the corresponding nature of quantum spacetime and non-local behavior of quantum reality may be placed in proper context. Quantum information laws leads to a network that creates fields, particles, matter, spacetime, dimensions, quantum gravity, and consciousness; some of these are emergent phenomenon. They are not derivable from the laws or organizing principles or knowledge about their constituents. In fact, emergent properties like quantum gravity and consciousness are not identical with, reducible to, or deducible from properties of matter. The quantum computing with quantum states means that both information and computation are part of the quantum reality, even though the quantum states themselves are not directly measurable. Information is proto-physical, which describe as how information can exist without energy or matter encoding it.
The current information age consists of classical information in bits. The future information age represents quantum encoded information using qubits and ebits (EPR; quantum entanglement bits) which do not have classical energy nor classical spacetime properties. Artificial intelligence generated on the principles of quantum computation would match human consciousness, since artificial intelligence based on classical computation/information processing is less compatible with human consciousness/intelligence. With the advent of quantum computers and quantum information processing systems, one can simulate many testable predictions. Technology will also allow experiments that shore up or shore down theoretical predictions. It is certain that Consciousness in biological is a result of quantum information processing. When consciousness is mapped into a nonclassical and non-energy domain of quantum information, many of the paradoxical problems of energy dominated solutions dissolve.
In this book, the author describes human consciousness in terms of quantum information processing. The first half of the book is largely introductory. In the rest of the book, we learn that information processing in the brain microtubule proteins is the center of emerging consciousness. The quantum information is converted into specific protein tubulin tail conformational states, and long-range collective coherent behavior of the tubulin tails runs as solitary waves that propagate along the microtubules, which is at the roots of the origins of consciousness.
In one of his papers, the author criticizes Penrose-Hameroff model of quantum information processing as false. One of the shortcomings in this paper is that numerous testable predictions have been made and this may be tested with modern technology. Potential features of quantum computation could explain enigmatic aspects of consciousness. The Penrose-Hameroff model known as orchestrated objective reduction (Orch OR) suggests that quantum superposition and a form of quantum computation occur in microtubule cylindrical protein lattices of the cell cytoskeleton within the brain's neurons. Microtubules couple to and regulate neural-level synaptic functions, and they become mini quantum computers because of dynamical lattice structure, quantum-level subunit states and intermittent isolation from environmental interactions. In this biological setting, this proposal differs from quantum computers in which quantum state collapse is caused by environmental decoherence, which has an element of randomness, but reduction of microtubule quantum superposition to classical output states occurs by an objective factor, perhaps quantum gravity threshold stemming from instability in Planck-scale separations (superpositions) in spacetime.
Consciousness is a universal phenomenon in all living systems and intelligent machines. In biological systems that include plants and microbial systems have microtubule proteins and perhaps use this as the base on which various levels of consciousness may emerge from quantum information and information processing. Even the simplest living organism possess consciousness at a rudimentary level. Plants do not have brain or any form of central nervous system is known to have equivalent neurobiological experiences. Plant neurobiology is an evolved field and plant philosophy is starting to generate interest among some biologists. And so is the existence of quantum physics in biological process like photosynthesis and migratory behavior among some avian species. Bees have been shown to understand the concept of zero. So, any mechanism proposed should have some common features in all living systems.
Reading this book is somewhat difficult and requires knowledge of undergraduate level physics and neurobiology. But the ideas presented in this book is not tested and remains a theoretical view.
The concept of matter and energy has dominated physics, and this has made it difficult to fit consciousness into the laws of physics. Recent studies in quantum gravity and thermodynamics of black holes has demonstrated that information is primary to the structure of quantum and relativistic physics. This "It from Bit" perspective has more relevance for consciousness than originally thought. In fact, quantum information is as fundamental as energy/matter in spacetime. Physical reality requires energy/information duality and consciousness for quantum states collapse. The connection of consciousness and energy-information duality is like that of wave-particle duality in early 20th century.
Consciousness is primarily an informational system. By understanding quantum states as an information system, the energy/information duality and the corresponding nature of quantum spacetime and non-local behavior of quantum reality may be placed in proper context. Quantum information laws leads to a network that creates fields, particles, matter, spacetime, dimensions, quantum gravity, and consciousness; some of these are emergent phenomenon. They are not derivable from the laws or organizing principles or knowledge about their constituents. In fact, emergent properties like quantum gravity and consciousness are not identical with, reducible to, or deducible from properties of matter. The quantum computing with quantum states means that both information and computation are part of the quantum reality, even though the quantum states themselves are not directly measurable. Information is proto-physical, which describe as how information can exist without energy or matter encoding it.
The current information age consists of classical information in bits. The future information age represents quantum encoded information using qubits and ebits (EPR; quantum entanglement bits) which do not have classical energy nor classical spacetime properties. Artificial intelligence generated on the principles of quantum computation would match human consciousness, since artificial intelligence based on classical computation/information processing is less compatible with human consciousness/intelligence. With the advent of quantum computers and quantum information processing systems, one can simulate many testable predictions. Technology will also allow experiments that shore up or shore down theoretical predictions. It is certain that Consciousness in biological is a result of quantum information processing. When consciousness is mapped into a nonclassical and non-energy domain of quantum information, many of the paradoxical problems of energy dominated solutions dissolve.
In this book, the author describes human consciousness in terms of quantum information processing. The first half of the book is largely introductory. In the rest of the book, we learn that information processing in the brain microtubule proteins is the center of emerging consciousness. The quantum information is converted into specific protein tubulin tail conformational states, and long-range collective coherent behavior of the tubulin tails runs as solitary waves that propagate along the microtubules, which is at the roots of the origins of consciousness.
In one of his papers, the author criticizes Penrose-Hameroff model of quantum information processing as false. One of the shortcomings in this paper is that numerous testable predictions have been made and this may be tested with modern technology. Potential features of quantum computation could explain enigmatic aspects of consciousness. The Penrose-Hameroff model known as orchestrated objective reduction (Orch OR) suggests that quantum superposition and a form of quantum computation occur in microtubule cylindrical protein lattices of the cell cytoskeleton within the brain's neurons. Microtubules couple to and regulate neural-level synaptic functions, and they become mini quantum computers because of dynamical lattice structure, quantum-level subunit states and intermittent isolation from environmental interactions. In this biological setting, this proposal differs from quantum computers in which quantum state collapse is caused by environmental decoherence, which has an element of randomness, but reduction of microtubule quantum superposition to classical output states occurs by an objective factor, perhaps quantum gravity threshold stemming from instability in Planck-scale separations (superpositions) in spacetime.
Consciousness is a universal phenomenon in all living systems and intelligent machines. In biological systems that include plants and microbial systems have microtubule proteins and perhaps use this as the base on which various levels of consciousness may emerge from quantum information and information processing. Even the simplest living organism possess consciousness at a rudimentary level. Plants do not have brain or any form of central nervous system is known to have equivalent neurobiological experiences. Plant neurobiology is an evolved field and plant philosophy is starting to generate interest among some biologists. And so is the existence of quantum physics in biological process like photosynthesis and migratory behavior among some avian species. Bees have been shown to understand the concept of zero. So, any mechanism proposed should have some common features in all living systems.
Reading this book is somewhat difficult and requires knowledge of undergraduate level physics and neurobiology. But the ideas presented in this book is not tested and remains a theoretical view.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Book Reviewed: Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution's Lost Hero, By: Christian Di Spigna
Joseph Warren, the forgotten American revolutionary
During American bicentennial celebration, patriotic zeal and nostalgia swept the country and President Ronald Reagan delivered his first inaugural address calling Joseph Warren as “the greatest among the founding fathers.” The Broadway musical Hamilton in 2015 captured the thoughts of American revolutionaries. Warren is remembered on the Bunker Hill Day but for most Americans he remains in the shadow of his revolutionary brothers. His work prior to 1776 laid a foundation for the declaration of independence. The role he played in the decade prior to Bunker Hill battle illuminates a human story in a political and military landscape. Warren’s life was an inspiration for American revolutionaries and he had chosen his life to the virtues of honor and liberty. Although Warren’s fate was sealed in 1775, the values and principles he championed has endured
In this book the author has chronicled the life and times of a true American champion. The book reads effortlessly and the chapters leading to number 13 that describes the brutalities of English army against brave freedom fighters. Even after the fighting ended, horrific acts of violence were committed upon Warren’s body. It was desecrated and butchered by the British colonial army under General Gage before his remains was handed over to his family. Chapter 10-12 sets the tone for American revolutionaries against the corrupt British colony. On June 17, 1775, early in the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts was lost, but their loss was minimal since the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. Subsequently, the battle discouraged the British from any further frontal attacks against well defended front lines. American casualties were comparatively much fewer, although their losses included General Joseph Warren and Major Andrew McClary.
This detailed biography of Warren rescues the figure from obscurity and reveals a remarkable revolutionary who dispatched Paul Revere on his famous ride and was the hero of the battle of Bunker Hill. Warren comes to life in this comprehensive biography meticulously grounded in original scholarship. Warren's insistence on the strict separation of representative government from a subordinate military is an enduring contribution to the American experience. He advocated for a military accountable only to elected government.
During American bicentennial celebration, patriotic zeal and nostalgia swept the country and President Ronald Reagan delivered his first inaugural address calling Joseph Warren as “the greatest among the founding fathers.” The Broadway musical Hamilton in 2015 captured the thoughts of American revolutionaries. Warren is remembered on the Bunker Hill Day but for most Americans he remains in the shadow of his revolutionary brothers. His work prior to 1776 laid a foundation for the declaration of independence. The role he played in the decade prior to Bunker Hill battle illuminates a human story in a political and military landscape. Warren’s life was an inspiration for American revolutionaries and he had chosen his life to the virtues of honor and liberty. Although Warren’s fate was sealed in 1775, the values and principles he championed has endured
In this book the author has chronicled the life and times of a true American champion. The book reads effortlessly and the chapters leading to number 13 that describes the brutalities of English army against brave freedom fighters. Even after the fighting ended, horrific acts of violence were committed upon Warren’s body. It was desecrated and butchered by the British colonial army under General Gage before his remains was handed over to his family. Chapter 10-12 sets the tone for American revolutionaries against the corrupt British colony. On June 17, 1775, early in the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts was lost, but their loss was minimal since the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. Subsequently, the battle discouraged the British from any further frontal attacks against well defended front lines. American casualties were comparatively much fewer, although their losses included General Joseph Warren and Major Andrew McClary.
This detailed biography of Warren rescues the figure from obscurity and reveals a remarkable revolutionary who dispatched Paul Revere on his famous ride and was the hero of the battle of Bunker Hill. Warren comes to life in this comprehensive biography meticulously grounded in original scholarship. Warren's insistence on the strict separation of representative government from a subordinate military is an enduring contribution to the American experience. He advocated for a military accountable only to elected government.
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