Human Cold

The following is speculative reasoning about general 'colds' experienced around early winter periods. This can also apply when exiting a warm environment and suddenly entering a much colder one.

Homeostasis is the human body's continuous attempt to maintain a stable core temperature: 37°C (98.4°F). The human 'cold' is not necessarily what it seems to be. Rapid temperature change between autumn and early winter places an extra burden on the system to maintain body temperature. The 'symptoms' of a cold manifest. The clammy, shivering, general aching and discomfort. It's not a cold, but body adaptation to rapidly changing conditions. Such 'feelings' can be confused and misinterpreted like excitement and anticipation or thirst and hunger. A glass of water might quell that feeling of hunger! Awareness of an alternative can be beneficial.

• The distinction between the one and the other is not always possible unless a conscious appraisal can make a valid determination

When the temperature is too hot, body overheating is the problem. Hyperthermia.

Hypothermia - too cold. The body is unable to adapt to changing conditions.

An infection is a different concept.

• Metabolism changes are not rapid, but adjustments do occur.

In a similar way, decompression sickness (the bends) is a result of a rapid reduction in external pressure between deep water and rising too fast to shallower water. Dissolved nitrogen in the blood bubbles out of solution causing extensive damage to the system. The slow dissolution of gas as the pressure increases with increasing depth is not in itself a problem, but the reverse must be controlled and is a slow process. Gradual decompression from depth to surface allows the body to release nitrogen slowly without consequence.

When at a high altitude, the rarity of oxygen in the atmosphere is dangerous. The human system has a finite range of conditions within which survival can be maintained. The combination of low oxygen levels (and pressure) and temperature has a serious effect on the human system. Too extreme and death will supervene. At moderate altitudes, acclimatisation is necessary for adaptation to the environment.

Even a moderate change in atmospheric temperature (up or down) has consequences.

Small Bites: 300 - 330

300. What is awareness? An animal may not be self-aware (of itself), but it is certainly aware. It's a survival reflex.


301. There is a major difference between 'needing to know' in order to further and develop a career and 'wanting to know' for personal development. The 'need' will possibly terminate with the end of a career. The want continues throughout the entire life. The 'want' results in becoming the individual rather than the individual developing selflessly.


302. Sexual affaires must surely be perceived as a minor (short-term) gain followed by an actual long-term major loss. The imagined euphoria of lust (the dis-ease or the fulfillment of sexual desire) is not the same as stability with cautious ease. Perhaps those that are 'away players' become addicted to the adrenaline rush caused by their enforced secrecy. The illicit liaison. Or, perhaps, it is simply a matter of change, but returning to the 'stable' family unit. Doubtless, causes can originate in some being together in an unhappy relationship and there are other reasons for 'straying'. Many do find future contentment elsewhere though 'working at saving a marriage' does appear contrived. If the reason for staying together is truly reconcilable (love) and not because of any marital status achieved (wealth, position) then there should be little to do to 'save' the relationship. If it is more difficult then trust will have gone and no-end of 'working at it' is likely to achieve a result. The unhappy relationship simply becomes more strained and fragile.


303. Colour vision/resolution.


304. Holding hands suggests ownership.


305. People cannot be 'changed' by others. They can only change themselves by personal choices.


306. How does 'making' money advance the sum of human knowledge?


307. Being unable to discuss issues enables an ultimately better comprehension by preventing potential distortion by others. A full understanding is forced since queries must be answered by self. Reference to (consistent) texts keeps thoughts 'on track'. This is not celebrating the end of a successful career, but the ultimate end of a failed one, sunk by regrouping and attack.


308. The 'goal' itself is undefinable, but resides in the general heading of where thoughts guide and the direction may suddenly change under the influence of a new thought. The destination is not random, just unknowable. Consistent logic remains the guide.


309. Creativity does not operate within boundaries. A 'creative' advance can be made by exploiting knowledge and skills learned. This uses second-hand knowledge. True creativity uses new ideas and concepts and original thought. True innovation.


310. Given any scenario (emotional or physical) the mental state is natural, but do people respond and behave naturally or from what has been learned through fiction and drama?


311. Continue fatalism: balance of good with bad, the up with the down. Hedonist attitude denies balance and ends with selfishness and no appreciation of value. The wealthy cannot understand poverty any more than the truly poor could not understand wealth. A rich man does not need money if he has values.


312. Matter and antimatter cancel each other out so before this moment nothing is theoretically required. The issue is: nothing can be the result of something, but can something come from nothing in the first place. Or can it? Purely philosophical argument.


313. If there is a purpose to existence, it must involve learning and developing knowledge. Kepler, Da Vinci, Newton, Galileo, Einstein... The list has only a few real intellects that transformed human development. There are many more, but still relatively few in number. To have a pseudo-hedonistic existence is to waste life. Money is a man-made concept and the acquisition of more and more that is continuously worth less and less is absurd. An entire life supported by nothing more than a concept. To live out existence learning nothing is a dreadful abuse of potential. Waiting for years to die and doing nothing worthwhile. Purgatory.

314. Maturity and wisdom grow like a tree by branching out. However, if stuck within one concept it is more linear.

315. The overwhelming desire to find open space for the sufferer of claustrophobia can result in the attempts to open the doors on a plane. Sedation would benefit more than 'securing' as that would make matters much worse.

316. What is awareness? An animal may not be aware of itself, but...

317. There is a major difference between 'needing to know' in order to further and develop a career and 'wanting to know' for personal development. The 'need' to know will possibly terminate with the end of a career. The want continues throughout the entire life. The 'want' becomes the individual rather than the individual developing selflessly.

318. Affaires must surely be perceived as a minor (short-term) gain followed by a long-term actual major loss. The imagined euphoria of lust (the dis-ease or the fulfillment of sexual desire) is not the same as stability and cautious ease. Perhaps those that are 'away players' become addicted to the adrenaline rush caused by their enforced secrecy. Doubtless, some are together in an unhappy relationship and there are other reasons for 'straying' and many do find future contentment elsewhere. The 'working at saving a marriage' does appear contrived. If the reason for staying together is truly reconcilable (love) and not because of any marital status achieved (wealth, position, child responsibility) then there should be little to do. If it is more difficult then trust will have gone and no-end of 'working at it' is likely to achieve a result.

319. I do think I don't need... this is positive by thinking about something needed

I don't think I do need... this defines a failure to think

320. Whatever someone may become tomorrow, they are already someone today.

321. Sometimes destiny paths intersect briefly. Or over longer periods. But there is always a learning. Like picking up a book and flicking through the pages. A random snippet can be read that may be extremely profound and meaningful. Total chance? When the student is ready to learn the 'teacher' will appear. This can happen in many ways and being instructed can even pass unnoticed, especially if a brief meeting.

322. "I can now understand completely what I've been told, but I am not simple enough to believe any of it".

323. When the student is ready to learn, the 'teacher' will appear. The teacher may not realise what they are or what they will do, but the learning imparted is still critical for personal development.

324. That an end-point cannot be explained is not in itself enough to reject a theory. Similar to a calculation where the start and end are accepted, but where there is no intermediate workings-out. The start is known, but the method to achieve the end is unknown. This does not overturn the validity of the calculation.

325. Survival of the most ruthless.

326. Ancient beliefs can arise out of wonder. Later knowledge should explain and remove 'belief'. It doesn't always and delusion can deny the new knowledge.

327. Confusion between 'love' and 'sex'. Love involves a more emotional state than purely physical sex. Mental orgasm against physical orgasm and the potential initiation (conception) of a life-form isn't a requirement for either.

328. Lack of personal knowledge is not sufficient reason to disqualify an opinion, but obviously, an intimate awareness does better support an opinion. Even then personal knowledge does not mean that a clear and undistorted picture is described. Accuracy and delusion both play their part. Two individuals will each probably have their own descriptions as personal experience will doubtless be different. Perhaps not much, but enough to create a difference.

329. When the brain no longer needs the body it will wither and die. It's end. If intelligence does not support the body and it goes into disrepair the pairing will not survive. Feeds a need or needs to feed?

330. The lifelong activity of just 'making money' is a supreme paradox. The production of money is so unproductive. What a waste. Just to 'making money' and nothing else. Quite sad really.

Purpose For Life

If humankind were of the same level of intelligence as other species then certainly the only purpose in life can be to simply exist and survive through procreation. The paradox of the human species is to view itself as of a higher level of intelligence, yet behave at a much lower level. The furthering of human development is through knowledge and the acquisition of greater intelligence. Not the reverse.

The pursuance of sex (hedonism) and money (Wealth Creation) together make an absurd alliance. The human species cannot survive in the long term with this as a sole mind-set. The global population is too large to have any true purpose. Life must have purpose or there can be no future. Too many people seeking too little work for more and more financial return: the man-made concept of money. This is completely unsustainable. Mankind is seriously threatened with self-imposed extinction. Mankind will destroy itself and the lower levels of animal will ultimately survive. It's an apparent contradiction. A paradox.

The rate of population growth is claimed to be slowing as the death rate rises. The birth rate concomitantly declines. This is the right direction. Removing the confused ideology to acquire simply financial ‘wealth’ (artificial and illusory) rather than fostering intellectual growth may provide a future for the human species. But in order to survive, humans exploit animals for free (slave) labour and consumption. Eating the animals.

Humans eat to live and not live to eat. Doubtless this would be debated by some, but as it is, there can be only no hope, unless attitudes change and this has to be by re-education, though is already probably impossible as mankind has travelled too far along the road towards the dead-end.

A large part of the so-called advanced world has demonstrated the failure of the human species. Another (apparent) paradox: the advanced human species is completely backward going forward.

True wealth and advancement can only be through knowledge and not material symbolism.

The fatal irony is that oil and all its products as a ‘saviour’ has turned out to be the chain around the neck of humankind. The destroyer. But the oil itself has no meaning, only the human attitude. The exploitation attitude and 'making' money in the process. ‘Making’ money is nothing more than the removal of a limited concept from one towards another: Redistribution. Making money is absolute delusion.

Quantitative Easing

Fatal delusion

A significant part of the human species (not necessarily the consumer) has revealed itself as being rather stupid.

Terminally stupid

Memory: The Illusion Of Time

The 'past' has already happened. That's self-defining. This 'past' no longer exists and could only be transient. Even transience cannot adequately define 'past'. A raindrop that hits the ground is destroyed in a 'transient' 'past' moment. So brief. Capturing on film records the event that can only be replayed, but never actually happen again. A photograph of someone who has died only records the moment when the photograph was taken. That moment has instantly gone. The person remains dead and the 'past' has gone. Forever.

The 'past' can no longer exist, but the illusion that it does is enabled by memory and even that does not exist as a tangible entity. Memory is only the impression of a 'past' event. Not the event itself. The 'past' was always 'now', but that has gone as soon as it has happened. The 'now' is the nonsensical continuous moment. As soon as the 'now' happened it moves into the illusory 'past' that doesn't exist.

A rock that was originally 'created' (came into existence) millions of years ago can only be examined as it is. Not as it was. The concept of the living rock. The rock as it is 'now'. That a rock was identical in a 'now' that has gone can only be assumption. It can never be tested or verified.

Mathematics And Numbers

Mathematics is a human invention and uses the other concept of numbers to describe the environment and its apparent physical characteristics. The fact that most things appear to work and some predictive occurrences seem to be correct supports the concept of mathematics as being an absolute and 'written in stone'. The numbers produced do not lie.

There are, however, some anomalies that have no known solution. The unit square (1 x 1) has a corner-to-corner diagonal of √2. The irrational number has no solution and theoretically has an infinite number of decimal places that progressively makes the non-solution just more and more accurate. The irresolvable problem with this is that a potentially infinite number of 'points' is constrained within boundaries. The paradox is that the problem can be visualised and easily drawn, yet the numerical answer can never be calculated. It's a philosophical issue concerning the 'virtual world' of numbers and so has no meaning in reality.

The question raised is:

"What else fails to be quantified
by using the accepted principles
of all mathematics?"

Some solutions cannot be found even in the local environment, so what confidence can there be in places that cannot be examined and can only be assumed to exist? It's almost a certainty that much in the realms of mathematics has yet to be discovered. Relationships exist that are, as yet, unknown and, perhaps, unknowable. It cannot be known if mathematics fails to enable solutions to be found and (as a consequence) will never be discovered. The path that mathematics explores may even be a dead-end. It seems to work at the moment, but...

The pyramids are thought to be more than 5000 years old. The Fibonacci relationship that mathematics uses to describe a spiral exists very visibly in the pyramid geometry. The relationship that describes the circumference of a circle is also found in the pyramid dimensions. These 'recent' discoveries post-date their appearance by some 4000 years (Fibonacci). The retrospective knowledge of π (pi) does not provide evidence that such a relationship seen in a circle was then known. It is possible that some other undiscovered relationship exists that links the pyramid and the circle. The irrational number pi (π) is still unquantifiable.

It's an odd 'fact' that the exactness
and precision of mathematics
seems to be destroyed by the
simple unit square (1 x 1)

Infinity

The concept of infinity explores the limitations of human thinking. It’s a paradox. To explore infinity by introducing limits and boundaries. Mathematics and numbers are a human concept and is by definition trapped inside a box. The box can even be imagined to be of infinite size. As an example, between two boundaries defined as +1 and +2 there exists potentially an infinite number of positions, though logically the boundaries conflict against the concept of an infinite number. The unbroken circle creates the boundary for an area that contains an infinite number of points of infinitely small size within two dimensions. Wherever the starting point in the closed circle may be, this starting point could never be identified when passing through or past it. Knowing when returning to the starting point would never be possible. The sphere describes three dimensions and a larger infinity. Logically, there must be a finite number if contained within any boundary.

Infinity defines no boundary

The movement between positive and negative is deemed to pass through nothing (zero), a ‘number’ that defines nothingness. Positive moves toward negative, though passing through nothing. A non-powered object moving upwards vertically (against) gravity will slow to a stop. The object will then fall downwards under the influence of gravity (whatever may cause it). At the highest point, the velocity is zero for necessarily a finite time that is potentially measurable. That moment must be real since the direction of motion is reversed and the velocity must have reached zero.

This type of argument goes nowhere, but can appear to prove ‘something’, literally making ‘something’ out of ‘nothing’. Almost a Big Bang scenario.

Spirit

Is the spirit part of consciousness? After all, memory retains the qualities from the end of an individual's existence as their legacy to the living. This can affect behaviour and other personal characteristics. Such memories can be of animals as much or even more than of people. Animals are 'non-conditional' creatures, where the human can be judgemental and very conditional.