lunes, 25 de noviembre de 2024

Quantumay



Quantumay.

(Presentation of Rainer Hauser, SDG 0: Peace. ICSD-24 sept. 19th. Poster session 6-C.)

Good day to all. Happy to talk with you from the South. I am in Chile.

"Each phrase must embrace sky and earth, stop the flow of the ten thousand ravines and riding the waves follow the tide". (The blue cliff records. Shambala ed. NY, 1984).

It won´t be inappropriate to quote this Zen teaching at the beginning of my intervention, because it responds well to the magnitude of our aim to awake the collective unconscious of all, in magnetic resonance with the quantum nature of our times, giving each one of us the meaning to resolve the polycrisis, that notwithstanding the detached, objective and scientific behavior we assume in circumstances like the present one, we are on, and for a still a moment we will continue to be. We hope…

And if it could be a complex matter, to be aware of the quantic nature of our exposé, not to mention the material aspect of its realizations, let me give you some ideas:

1.          To be and not to be at the same time.

2.          To be here and there (and nowhere).

3.          To be right and wrong (which means to be left and right…).

4.          To which we must add, wildfires that are very civilized, natural disasters caused by industry and wars made in the name of peace.

5.          And last but not least, the call of UN general secretary, A. Guterrez: “we have to give a quantum leap in our forms to think and to do things”.

So let us play, this game, with no rules others than the rhetoric effort to talk with who is not present with words nourished in education, who whatever could be said , can't go astray of the saying of the old sage Democritus, when he stated with an endurance of some 2.500 years now, that "all that exist in the universe, is the fruit of hazard and necessity".

One is all.

And I say this, because the same exercise that I'm doing, is in itself a product of this entanglement of particles or vibrations, as you could say of the use values, or exchange values, that make us and our productions, merchandises, that hide very consciously its history in the immediacy of its image, as well as the enormous negative effects of its production on the planet.

Nearer to us in time, -and if we consider the very strong noise of the bombs, as some couldn't impeach to feel in space-, in the twelfth century, Al Rumi from the gardens and water ways of Bagdad, said with insuperable reason, as anyone could subscribe: "we are not a drop in the ocean, we are the ocean in a drop".

Of course, having not the humanity of vision at this moment, fully mediated by all kinds of non-human technologies, I couldn't be sure that as an expression of living humanity, you are listening to my words, not to say of realizing the metonymy of its meaning, or that once riding the wave of science, are we still able to follow the current of our dreams. That's why, imagining once that a gentle spark could be light in the middle of the night, is on the emotional field that we've to place the first stone of universal conscience... peace, Ahimsa, detached of meaning, simply non opposition, by itself, neither this nor that: peace.

There's not however an intellectual difficulty which make the non-acceptance of peace. The existence of alienation, the loss of ourselves, as we lose the others, in the losing of nature. And in this era of technology, we have reached a point and a moment, in which all things are transformed, change, mutate. For this moment that claims for meaning, in an apology and a call for synthesis between our ancient and actual, authentic and unauthentic cultures, with a resounding echo of quantum theory and the tongue of Mapudungun, I called Quantumay.

Anyway, some references to the usual way of classical, or linear understanding, should be stated in regard to the factual development of our proposal. And if we chose not to consider quantitative data to make our experience comprehensible to the usual understanding of objectivity, let´s remind that this could not necessarily be so, because as the French psychanalyst Jacques Lacan, remind us: “For accuracy is distinguished from truth, and conjecture does not exclude rigor. And if experimental science takes its relationship with nature from mathematics, this is still problematic (…) Because experimental science is not defined so much by the quantity to which it is applied, but by the measurement it introduces into reality”. 

The French poet Paul Valery, wrote in 1948, (which the UNFCCC, SR 1,5° IPCC, 2018 quotes at its exergue): “If we consider the future, the most important is not to make it better, but to make it possible”.

Anyway, as we have already said, in the DCYA/FAE/USACH, we are in a process to implement and develop our principles of considering ethics at the core of our educational process, and as we have already stated too in the abstract who stands for our presence, we have realized that no ethics is even thinkable, whatever our conception of good and bad were, if we are not alive. If in listen to this statement you are moved to laugh, for its obvious evidence, we´ll feel that a first step has been accomplished. And yes, we are in a dynamic that is far from a result by the one we could be prized. Unless we deserve it for continuing our simple and total effort, to attain this point of synthesis of theory and practice, in which we are trying to be…

We continue to just sit in Zazen (Shikantaza) every week. We have made some videos trying to foment the idea of practicing peace of mind through no-thinking, as something education of all needs.

A text, who tells the history, development and evolution of Talanoa Dialogues that we made last year is in the process to be published. A special realization of Talanoa Dialogues has been programmed too, to take place in October the 19th. In One more month from now.

We have discussed in the DCYA and approved initially as a plan to teach, the principles of a diagnose on Climate Crisis, (Campo Klima), as a program of exposition, dialogue and transformation, that is in course of realization.

The academic dialogue in the department has chosen to introduce the model of the Scientific Atomic Society (thebulletin.org), because it shows as well the three dimensions of militarism, climate crisis and disruptive technologies, are a correct and comprehensible classification, of the main three areas of human activity in which are concentrated the different ways in which the economic powers that rules us, manifests in the politic and judiciary superstructure of society, putting all existence of life on earth, nearer than ever to the point of extinction, as the Doomsday Clock, of theirs, shows.

We can find a certain comparative relief, in seeing how the world has been going in many ways, far more astray that we have, but is still preferable to take note of the value of the little accomplishments, we could make to nourish hope.

And if from long ago we know that all our devices are being monitored and we have to be very polite in which we say, not to indispose the chosen corporations that graciously finance our universities, and make possible our academic institutions, as war has become a much more interesting business, we should be more and more careful, because the Artificial Stupidity Systems (ASS), could automatically send us a drone to kill us by mistake.

And if I approach the end of these words with irony, let us remind that it could be not the most far from rendering the reality. Yesterday we assisted to a new step in terror and a significant one in the global war that no one of us can even imagine, and we all try to ignore, with the explosion of 3.000 personal pagers in Lebanon, who will made impossible nothing but more wars.

As far as we could arrive, we will continue to renew with ourselves in the space where the collective history of humanity builds its dreams without having the notion of opposition, as Freud taught us, finding relief in what has always been.

There will be, nothing new in what I´ve said. And as psychoanalyses said clearly, it will all depend in your already openness emotionality to accept it. Let´s finish then by where we start, with a reference to the other. Time, places, forms of exchange, cultures. The well-known sacred syllable of the Hindus AUM, who stands for the three divinities of Vishnu, Shiva y Brahma, or the three times of future, past and present, or still, the three stages of awake, sleeping and dreaming, is said to be followed by Turiya, which is the silence who follows its emission. As this silence who follows.

Muchas gracias.

Santiago/New York 19/9/2024. 

Del estímulo del colectivo en la creación de síntesis.

 

15/02/24. Thank you for the opening session of the course on SDG´s.

I would like to signal a couple of things, related not exactly to the session, but to the global context in which it is placed. And excuse me if my contribution to your reflection, seems too “philosophical” not to say political to an early note, but is my honest perception, that even if we try hard to behave as we were used to do it, all levels in which our existences occur, are changing deeper and faster than our personal and collective ways to cope with it are made for. Recognizing reality, in which it is -as well in which it is not-, it is a well-known principle of science and as we convened, of building trust.

And if I take the floor of the text (…), with these introduction to my words, it´s because, as you know, last year was the hottest year in 125.000 years, or as we can always differ on scientific studies, since records are kept, in 200 years, or at least, as the general secretary of UN, Antonio Guterrez said in presenting to the assembly the results of the IPCC 6TH  SR, in March 20, last year: “Carbon dioxide concentrations are the highest they have been for at least two million years”. But even if it is certain, that this is the product of the burning of fossil fuels, last year was also the one whit recall most inversions in projects to extract fossil hydrocarbons (HCF). Not hearing the least his proposition of a Climate Solidarity Pact through an Acceleration Agenda, presented to the countries of the G20, which could be (or may I say “could have been”?...) the way to accomplish the Paris Agreements, and not to surpass 1,5°C, which is considered as a tipping point, that as the temperature continue to rise, it is accepted that we´ll attain in 2024. In Santiago de Chile, where I am, we are experiencing 16 continued years of drought, very large fires, melting of Andean glaciers, as well of enormous parts of the Antarctica, and quite unusual temperatures of more than 40°, with devastating impacts on health and the general wellbeing of the population.

Anyway, confronting in advance the general mood of despair, that these commentaries could provoke, in the sense of built partnerships based on trust, I´ll will quote this same UN General Secretary, Antonio Guterrez, saying then, that “we need a quantum leap” in the form we think and do things. As Albert Camus said, we have to imagine Sysiphus happy, pushing the rock of consciousness, to the top of the mountain of absurdity…

Indeed, I dare to write some words to all of you, after our first session, because in the previous day, confronting the call of the platform to participate in a dialogue, I realized that -maybe- the form to materialize that “quantum leap” could be to propose, as I deed, the consideration of a new SDG, that I called: “Peace on earth”, which not being considered, is really the one who transcends an determine all contemporary society, as two years of annihilation wars, which, as the extraction and production of fossil fuels, with which is inextricably mixed, indicates, it´s expanding its manifold horrors. Did you know, for example that de DoD of the US, is the single entity in the world who burns more HCF?... We should engage a serious reflection on the “entanglement” of economic and military powers, and our human wellbeing, and if this is could take us away, of our already fixed and established goals in the course, as the little bird in the Zen story, who when a great fire was burning all the forest and the animals run to escape, once and again, took a drop of water in a nearby source and threw it the nearest to the flames it could, and when a fox saw what was doing, asked to him sardonically: “come on, little bird, do you think that you are going to extinguish the fire?”… And the bird responded; “I don´t know if I´m going to extinguish the fire, but I am doing my part”.

Hope the seed will fall in fertile earth. Thanks for your lecture and peace be with you all.

Fraternalmente, Rainer María.

sábado, 10 de julio de 2021

La dilatación de las pupilas

Se ha dicho que "los ojos son la ventana del alma", pero nuevas investigaciones sugieren que también pueden ser una ventana al cerebro. Nuestras pupilas responden a algo más que a la luz. Indican excitación, interés o agotamiento mental. La dilatación de las pupilas es incluso utilizada por el FBI para detectar el engaño. Ahora, un trabajo realizado en nuestro laboratorio del Instituto de Tecnología de Georgia sugiere que el tamaño de las pupilas está estrechamente relacionado con las diferencias individuales de inteligencia. Cuanto más grandes son las pupilas, mayor es la inteligencia, medida por pruebas de razonamiento, atención y memoria. De hecho, en tres estudios, descubrimos que la diferencia en el tamaño inicial de las pupilas entre las personas que obtuvieron las puntuaciones más altas en las pruebas cognitivas y las que obtuvieron las más bajas era lo suficientemente grande como para ser detectada a simple vista. La primera vez que descubrimos esta sorprendente relación fue al estudiar las diferencias en la cantidad de esfuerzo mental que las personas utilizaban para completar las tareas de memoria. Utilizamos la dilatación de las pupilas como indicador del esfuerzo, una técnica que el psicólogo Daniel Kahneman popularizó en las décadas de 1960 y 1970. Cuando descubrimos una relación entre el tamaño de las pupilas y la inteligencia, no estábamos seguros de si era real o qué significaba. Intrigados, realizamos varios estudios a gran escala en los que reclutamos a más de 500 personas de entre 18 y 35 años de la comunidad de Atlanta. Medimos el tamaño de las pupilas de los participantes con un rastreador ocular, un dispositivo que capta el reflejo de la luz en la pupila y la córnea mediante una cámara de alta potencia y un ordenador. Medimos las pupilas de los participantes en reposo mientras miraban fijamente una pantalla de ordenador en blanco durante un máximo de cuatro minutos. Durante todo ese tiempo, el rastreador ocular estuvo grabando. Con el rastreador, calculamos el tamaño medio de las pupilas de cada participante. Para ser claros, el tamaño de la pupila se refiere al diámetro de la abertura circular negra en el centro del ojo. Puede oscilar entre dos y ocho milímetros. La pupila está rodeada por la zona de color conocida como iris, que es la responsable de controlar el tamaño de la pupila. Las pupilas se contraen en respuesta a la luz brillante, entre otras cosas, por lo que mantuvimos el laboratorio en penumbra para todos los participantes. En la siguiente parte del experimento, los participantes completaron una serie de pruebas cognitivas diseñadas para medir la "inteligencia fluida", la capacidad de razonar a través de nuevos problemas, la "capacidad de memoria de trabajo", la capacidad de recordar información durante un período de tiempo, y el "control de la atención", la capacidad de centrar la atención en medio de distracciones e interferencias. Como ejemplo de prueba de control de la atención, los participantes tenían que resistirse a mirar hacia un asterisco parpadeante en un lado de la pantalla del ordenador y, en su lugar, mirar rápidamente en la dirección opuesta para identificar una letra. La letra desaparecía en unos instantes, por lo que incluso un breve movimiento de los ojos hacia el asterisco parpadeante podía hacer que se perdiera. Los seres humanos están preparados para reaccionar a los objetos que pasan por su visión periférica -es lo que nos permitía detectar a un depredador o una presa-, pero esta tarea requería que los participantes redirigieran su atención del asterisco parpadeante a la letra. Descubrimos que un mayor tamaño de la pupila estaba relacionado con una mayor inteligencia fluida, control de la atención y, en menor medida, capacidad de memoria de trabajo, lo que indica una fascinante relación entre el cerebro y el ojo. Curiosamente, el tamaño de la pupila se correlacionaba negativamente con la edad: los participantes de más edad tendían a tener pupilas más pequeñas y constreñidas. Sin embargo, una vez estandarizada la edad, la relación entre el tamaño de la pupila y la capacidad cognitiva se mantuvo. Pero, ¿por qué el tamaño de la pupila está relacionado con la inteligencia? Para responder a esta pregunta, tenemos que entender lo que ocurre en el cerebro. El tamaño de las pupilas está relacionado con la actividad del locus coeruleus, un núcleo situado en El locus coeruleus es la parte superior del tronco encefálico y tiene conexiones neuronales de gran alcance con el resto del cerebro. El locus coeruleus libera norepinefrina, que funciona como neurotransmisor y hormona en el cerebro y el cuerpo, y regula procesos como la percepción, la atención, el aprendizaje y la memoria. También ayuda a mantener una organización saludable de la actividad cerebral, de modo que regiones cerebrales distantes puedan trabajar juntas para realizar tareas y objetivos difíciles. La disfunción del locus coeruleus, y la consiguiente interrupción de la actividad cerebral organizada, se ha relacionado con varias afecciones, como la enfermedad de Alzheimer y el trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad. De hecho, esta organización de la actividad es tan importante que el cerebro dedica la mayor parte de su energía a mantenerla, incluso cuando no estamos haciendo nada, como cuando miramos fijamente una pantalla de ordenador en blanco durante minutos. Una hipótesis es que las personas que tienen las pupilas más grandes en reposo tienen una mayor regulación de la actividad del locus coeruleus, lo que beneficia el rendimiento cognitivo y la función cerebral en estado de reposo. Se necesita más investigación para explorar esta posibilidad y determinar por qué las pupilas más grandes se asocian a una mayor inteligencia fluida y control de la atención. Pero está claro que ocurre más de lo que parece. Referencias: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/attitude-and-pupil-size/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010027721000627?via%3Dihub

sábado, 30 de septiembre de 2017



Lo simple y lo complejo.

q-gov y las transformaciones de la historia.

No hay azar en que esta realización se haya producido en el seno de la mas avanzada sección, de la mas avanzada dimensión de políticas de una institución del Estado

Sin embargo, ella es lo mas sencillo que se pueda uno imaginar: abolir las preferencias de la dirección para hacer un espacio de creación colectivo, generar un espacio de todos, para que desaparezcan las nociones de individuo, hacer operativo un espacio laboral abierto, para que se fomente el bien común.