[MD] sideways drifting

[Case]

It would be difficult to write an historical survey of the development of
modern physics that includes much from the orient. Modern physics is, after
all, a western phenomenon. It has, on the other hand, led many to examine
the eastern perspective. Interpreting modern physics from an eastern
perspective became something of a cottage industry in the 70s and 80s, with
Fritjof Capra's Tao of Physics and Gary Zukav's Dancing Wu Li Masters. Since
for me at least the MoQ is a westernization of Taoism I rather connect ZMM
to this genre.
As far as writers who have clearly been influenced by the change in
paradigm, Robert Anton Wilson has taken a sarcastic poke at modern life in
his Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy as well as nearly everything else he has
written. I see a bit of quantum weirdness in Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Heller
and Tom Robbins as well. My personal favorite would be Douglas Adams. The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was originally produced as a radio play and
has been transformed verbatim into a TV miniseries, video game, books and
most recently a movie. As an account of the universe in probabilistic terms
it is a work of sheer genius.
As an artist though wouldn't you say the Picasso, Dali and Escher are all
efforts to break with at Newtonian world view?

Case


-----Original Message-----
From: moq_discuss-bounces at moqtalk.org
[mailto:moq_discuss-bounces at moqtalk.org] On Behalf Of MarshaV
Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2006 6:49 AM
To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
Subject: Re: [MD] sideways drifting


Greetings,

A few weeks ago I heard an interview of Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams 
concerning their new book, 'The View from the Center of the 
Universe'.  The interview was presented as "A world-renowned 
cosmologist and an innovative writer of the history and philosophy of 
science present a new, scientifically supported understanding of the 
universe, one that profoundly changes our relationship to the cosmos."

I interpreted what they were saying as we humans are still living 
with a cosmology based on the Newtonian model of the Universe, and it 
is time for something better based on modern scientifically-tested 
discoveries.  Of course I ordered the book.  I ordered it because 
they also stated during the interview, and I also found it written in 
the book,  "To meet that challenge,... If this new picture can 
inspire the writers, artists, and open-minded thinkers who are the 
real meaning-makers and visionaries of our time, it is possible that 
the painful centuries-long hiatus in human connection with the 
universe will end."  As someone who paints, this is a subject I've 
thought about for many years in relationship to the MOQ.

But here's my question.  This book is based upon a history of Western 
cosmology (For example, I could find in the book no reference to 
Buddhism.) and it's relationship with science.  Does anyone know of a 
book relating the Buddhist philosophy specifically to modern 
scientific discoveries?  It seems to me that in a global world, to 
explore only Western thought is lacking. Or would all such discussion 
from a Buddhist point-of-view be meaningless because it could only be 
a discussion built on conventional truth?

Sometimes (not always) it seems that painting is the raft on which I 
do my sideways drifting.

Marsha



  

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