(There’s an incredible amount going on these days. I don’t want to be another example. I’ve double-checked the sources and hyperlinked them. References Precautions. )
Google made a groundbreaking announcement last Monday: a new quantum chip, willowsolved a complex benchmark problem in less than 5 minutes. One of today’s fastest supercomputers costs 10 septillion It would take (10²⁵) years to achieve the same result. Researchers have designed an advanced computational problem to demonstrate the clear benefits of quantum computing, demonstrating its power to transform fields ranging from medical breakthroughs to astrobiology. . Hartmut Neven, founder of Google Quantum AI, was shocked by the chip’s incredible capabilities and jokingly suggested that it must have harnessed computing power from another universe.
For other scientists, such feelings are beside the point. The universe as we know it may be on the brink of extinction due to an apocalyptic event called the Big Slurp. It begins with quantum fluctuations that create a bubble of altered reality. This bubble quickly spreads throughout the universe, obliterating everything in its path. John Ellis, a leading physicist at King’s College London, says this is not just a theoretical possibility, but an immediate threat. “It’s not so much a question of if this apocalypse will happen, but when,” he warns. Some unusual physics related to the Higgs boson may be protecting us. This particle, also known as the “God Particle,” may play an important role in stabilizing the structure of the universe itself. But if it fails, the universe as we know it could suddenly disappear.
Mathematicians, not to be outdone, report that they have known for more than a century that infinity is plural. “There is an infinite tower that goes on forever.” The history of science is full of examples of abstract mathematical concepts that eventually found practical applications. These include advances in the mathematics of satellite navigation, non-Euclidean geometry for understanding space-time, virtual reality and quantum mechanics.
Closer to home, extreme sweepstakes is gaining momentum. The global crisis grows exponentially. Bill Gates, an inveterate optimist and billionaire, believes the world is currently at a dangerous tipping point – as precarious as the Gates Foundation and its tens of billions of dollars. The incoming administration views these foundations as “a cancer on American society, the defenders of the privileged left.” (J.D. Vance) Despite hostile politics and deep concerns about climate change, bioterrorism, nuclear threats, and advances in AI, Gates remains optimistic regardless of the benefits.
Wallace Stevens foresaw our predicament. His poetry is visionary. In “The Idea of Order in Key West,” he writes about humanity’s relationship to chaos. Our “blessed anger against order” can lead to dissolution. “Great disorder is order.” Almost as if to prove the point, this is a line from T.S. It transcends and resonates unexpectedly. Primeval forest. The seemingly chaotic place of twisted trunks and gnarled branches follows the laws of nature and is part of its beauty.
The real challenge lies not in Gates’ tipping point or quantum annihilation, but in understanding how order and chaos intertwine and work together. No wonder some scientists and intellectuals turned to Taoism. Wu Wei, The art of effortless action is a great alternative to the illusions of control and prediction that often dominate scientific endeavors.
in Confusion: National Mythology and America’s BattleVeteran American studies scholar Richard Slotkin argues that “the loss of a common national narrative is at the heart of the modern crisis.” Myths once helped unite the nation by explaining America’s history and charting a path to its future. Today, the culture wars absorb these stories and reflect different understandings of the past.
There is an undeniable dark side to our history, and today’s populist agitators fit a particular version of their actions. They remind us how to fail. Do we want to be defined by the worst thing that happens to us? The left is hardly immune: What about “woke” victimhood?
Throughout American history, we have seen the splintering of the Revolution, Lincoln’s “A New Birth of Liberty,” Reconstruction’s “Second Founding,” the xenophobic flare-up of the Know Nothings, the New Deal era during the Great Depression, and the McCarthy era. purge of communists. These stories and others offer valuable lessons for today’s chaos and disorder, about religious freedom and diversity, the practical urgency of humane immigration policies, and health care reform to address the dire state of the insurance industry. informs the discussion.
Like all good stories, myths grow through conflict, shaping beliefs and values in ways that facts alone cannot. Unlike the impersonal nature of national broadcasts, good stories resonate during local elections and community gatherings because social capital, not rhetoric, builds trust through relationships.
Google willow It will show us more possibilities than we know what to do with. Mathematicians suggest that we are dealing with multiple infinities. One of the world’s most prominent charities is facing turmoil. Politics is crazy. In the meantime, a cosmic tsunami could wipe us out.
This is not the end of the story. I’m thinking of something else. A primeval forest with twisted trunks and gnarled branches, where order and chaos intertwine and work together.
notes and reading
“It is love, not science or politics, that changes hearts.” – Adapted from all the light we can’t see (2014). The novel also explores the transformative power of a love of nature, music, and literature to overcome division and inspire change.
“Introducing Willow, our cutting-edge quantum chip”- Hartmut Neven keyword (December 9, 2024). Neven is the founder and leader of Google Quantum AI.
>”Why Google’s quantum computer chip Willow is game-changing”- Tim Bajarin forbes (December 13, 2024). Bajarin is a leading consultant and analyst covering personal computers and consumer technology.
>”Google’s breakthrough Willow chip means we could have useful quantum computers sooner than some thought”- Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez luck (December 11, 2024). Quiros Gutierrez focuses on general business news. luck and wall street journal.
“Volatile Cosmology” – The universe as we know it could disappear. – Miriam Frankel new scientist (November 23-29, 2024) – not online. Frankel is science editor The Conversation UK.
>”big slurp”- Solid objects, including us, are solid because of the Higgs boson, the “god particle” that is the reason why matter has mass. The Higgs field can suddenly switch to a lower energy state. -”This is how our universe will (probably) end” – alastair gunn BBC Science Focus (September 12, 2024). Gunn is a radio astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester.
“Mathematicians have discovered a surprising new kind of infinity”- alex wilkins new scientist (December 6, 2024). Wilkins will report on artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and astronomy.
bill gates – “The Optimist’s Dilemma” new politician (December 5, 2024) – online.
wallace stevens – American poet, insurance executive, best known for his collection harmonium (1923). He was deeply interested in the philosophy of imagination. He explores themes that resonate with Taoist thought. His interest in modern physics is reflected in poems such as “The Snow Man,” which explores concepts of order, chaos, and the nature of the universe. – Hall Harmonium: The Life of Wallace Stevens, Paul Mariani (2016).
TS Elliot – “I’m a little upset.” four quartets. Stevens wrote a qualified “Homage to T.S. Eliot,” noting that “his prodigious reputation is a great difficulty,” and consequently arguing for the need to read Eliot “from the seat, as it were.” What “tradition” was to Eliot was “imagination” to Stevens (I think their differences have more to do with the writer than with the poetry, rather than them being dissimilar).
Confusion: National Mythology and America’s Battle – Richard Slotkin (2024). “The culmination of a prolific career and a new way to understand the culture wars of the past as well as the present.” – Nicole Hemmer new york times book review (March 4, 2024). Slotkin, now 82, is a cultural critic, historian, and professor emeritus of Anglo-American studies at Wesleyan University.
The Quiet Before: About the surprising origins of a radical idea – Gal Beckerman (2022). About the building of social movements from the 1600s to the present, and how today’s technology is undermining them. Beckerman is the editor New York Times book review.
How to cover Trump 2.0 – Less time to react to who Trump is. I’m saying Give us more time to analyze what he and his regime are all about doing it. – Damon Linker”Note from Nakamichi” Linker is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also written several books on politics and religion. Theocon and religious test.
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Awakening of Democracy: Notes on the American Situation – Heather Cox Richardson (2023). Richardson is an American historian and professor at Boston University. We encourage you to check out her popular and influential blog.letter from american” She provides a clear historical perspective on current events almost every day. Richardson is a “Lincoln Republican” and self-identifies as an independent. Her blog substantiates its claims with extensive citations.
Tip #163 – Strangely Familiar
Source: 2 + 2 = 5 – williamgreen.substack.com
