TOW #16 The Universe in a Single Atom (Dalai Llama)

The unification of religion and science. Well played, Your Holiness.

In The Universe in a Single Atom, His Holiness the Dalai Llama attempts to draw parallels between scientific and religious inquiry, a matter often regarded as taboo. As the spiritual and political leader of Tibet since the age of sixteen, the Dalai Llama has significant experience with spirituality. As a world leader fascinated by technology his nation lacks, His Holiness has met with leading scientists throughout the twentieth century in order to comprehend the nature of modern scientific discovery. His purpose in this novel is not to argue which approach is correct, instead the Dalai Llama writes to convey the merits of science and spirituality. In recent years, quantum and particle physics has made huge leaps in understanding the machinations of the Universe, while atheist populations are rapidly growing. He writes for an audience that has trouble with this split in the modern world, with a potential focus on those with a basic knowledge of Buddhism and an interest in physics, as these are the Dalai Llama's passions. To break up the tedium of a largely philosophical book, the Dalai Llama inserts many anecdotes and historical stories to create a storyline for the reader to effectively follow through the book. These follow a particular structure that subtly weaves in the philosophy. For example, when describing the Big Bang and creationism, the Dalai Llama explained a presentation at a Mind and Life conference in Dharamsala, where a noted astrophysicist presented a simulation of the development of the Universe after the Big Bang, according to modern quantum mechanics. The Dalai Llama concedes that "It was a fascinating sight, a real spectacle" (74). This conference then transitions into the Dalai Llama's own interpretation of the scientific Big Bang, and finally transitions into the Buddhist ideas regarding creation. Instead of personal anecdotes, he recounts the myth of creation and then presents the 14 "unanswered questions," such as "Are the self and the universe eternal?" Finally, he proposes a compromise of sorts, stating that "In the Buddhist world, there is an acknowledgement of the practical impossibility of gaining total knowledge of the origin of the universe," effectively meshing two theories that approach the unapproachable. Throughout the novel this same organization is approached with things like evolution (even though the Dalai Llama does present a slight modification of evolution, looking for "hidden complexities" that hint to intelligent design). Although I have not gotten through all of this book, it has really impressed me so far. I was really skeptical about how two seemingly different fundamental understandings can link is really cool. The Dalai Llama does a great job explaining jargon and history, a great example of argument that attempts to reach a mutually beneficial conclusion instead of disprove and disparage.

TOW #15 For That Zeus Bug in Your Life (Natalie Angier)

Zeus bug female giving her mate a lovely piggyback ride.

"For That Zeus Bug in Your Life" was published in the New York Times by Natalie Angier, a science journalist who has worked for Discover Magazine and TIME Magazine as a science writer. She has even won a Pulitzer Prize for her journalism. In this article she presents the idea of gifts exchanged between animals, appropriate for the winter holiday season where it is common practice to give gifts, as for Christmas or Hanukkah. Here she presents the idea tat "the drive to exchange presents is ancient, transcultural and by no means limited to Homo sapiens." The exchange of goods is most commonly seen for nuptial purposes, says Angier, but they may serve a wide variety of purposes and come in all shapes in sizes. Her purpose is to convince us that gifts are universal throughout the animal kingdom, and, I think, to show that some of our sophisticated practices are not always so human. The article is for those interested in science, but they do not need any experience in biology to understand her writing. Several pictures are included with the article to help visualize the gifts and animals that exchange them. The article begins with two examples of animal gifts: the female Zeus bug's waxy secretions meant to nourish her mate and the bonobo's food-sharing practices. Angier employs the second person, to engender a connection between her audience and these animals. She writes "For the bonobo you've just met: half your food, at least. Just shovel it over. Sharing is fun!" The "sharing is fun" comment is reminiscent of our kindergarten lessons in behavior, and Angier clearly connects it to wild animals. Angier continues with her examples for the rest of the article, and chooses organisms from throughout the spectrum of life. Beetles, snails, birds, primates, and spiders are all proven to display gift-giving behavior. When presenting her examples, Angier follows a particular pattern. She will present the behavior with narrative to garner interest, and then provide an explanation as to why this behavior is present and what benefits/costs it may have. She then transitions into present research on the subject, utilizing quotes from experts and researchers in this field. Overall, her varied examples and credibility from research certainly prove that animal gift-giving are present in many different animals, and that the procedure is not unique to humans around Christmas.