Week 4: Energy, Matter, and the Four Forces

How has e=mc squared affected me?

In Einstein's equation, mass is energy. I know that I am made up of mass, a body weight, I, therefore, according to Einstein, am energy. Of corse I comply with the notion that I am energy and accept that I am mass as well. Matter and energy are interchangable, always changing. I, therefore am always converting, transforming, evolving hopefully. In order to travel at the speed of light you need to have no mass. I, therefore, in my physical body can not travel the speed of light, not today anyway. But who's to say whether I travel the speed of light in my dreams. Maybe my subconscious takes me away, light years away, in every slumber. I sometimes wake feeling as though I have travelled far distances, meeting new people, experiencing other life. Maybe my energy is travelling the speed of light on its own, or with others. How can one explain how much mass is in energy? I don't know, but then again if i did I would probably receive some notoriety. What a miracle energy is, a mystery.

How would you compare the four "forces?"

I will start with defining them.
Strong nuclear force: What binds atoms together to make molecules. What ionic or covalent bonds are.
Electromagnetic force: electricity and magnetism together. positive and negative attraction or repulsion is an examlpe of this. Electromagnetic force = light.
Weak nuclear force: the attraction of subatomic particles or what could be referred to as quantum particles
Gravity: the pull on all body's in the earth's sphere toward the earth's center. It is the weakest force we know.

Maybe there are more forces, or maybe, as suggested in the article, they all are "maifestations of a single, more fundamental, interaction." Again, there is reference to something larger, the whole, "an unbroken wholeness." I already believe that there exists something that connects all of us to everything, and everyone, linking,then, of corse, all the forces in the universe. No separation, just connection.

What is the function of gravity?

The function of gravity is to keep us rooted here on earth so that we don't just float away. Maybe it it a force that exists purely to help ground us. We have these physical bodies in order to experience life here on earth. Our lighter body, or spirit, is free to roam in dream state or during moments of higher consciousness, or, like we discussed in class, maybe in the course of great stress. There are examples of great yogis who have projected their physical body elsewhere while resting in one place. They are subject to the same forces that I know and understand, just not always affected in the same way. Gravity seems to be adaptable for them. I have seen pictures of people literally flying in the air during deep meditation. So these "forces" that affect us regularly maybe don't have as much power as we think they do.