3thingslearnttoday-blog

[3thingslearnttoday-blog]

The question of being

'This question of 'being' is not a complex, ontological question, 'the meaning of my life', the Cartesian type stuff- it's not all about me, Emmanuel Levinas believes that the whole question of 'being' is instantly informed, it only becomes a question, when faced with face of the 'other'. 'Being' is then not an existentialist question, but an ethical, a moral question. We as humanitarians, I think that's where we start, what we believe: that when we face the face of the other, this other, who is like us, it brings about what some would call this imperitive, to recognise the preciousness.'

- Dr Hugo Slim,  'Being Humanitarian: Personal Morality and Political Project in Today's Wars' lecture, Oxford Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (iTunes U)

[3thingslearnttoday-blog]

(Super)String Theory

General idea:

Superstring theory, aka String Theory, is the bridge of physics integrating Einstein's theory of general relativity and quantum mechanics.

(My understanding post reading relevant pages of The Elegant Universe)

Wiki extract (edited):

General relativity typically deals with situations involving large mass objects, whereas quantum mechanics is generally reserved for scenarios at the atomic scale. The two are very rarely used together. The major problem with their congruence is that general relativity predicts a smooth, flowing surface, while quantum mechanics predicts a random, warped surface, neither of which are compatible. Superstring theory resolves this issue, replacing the classical idea of point particles with loops.

See also:

http://superstringtheory.com/people/bgreene.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstring_theory