I watched a
documentary last night called The Story of Science (Episode 2. What is the
world made of?) Which, within the first 30 seconds completely blew my mind.
Apparently if you were to take every person on the planet and remove all the
empty space in us and push our matter together, we would take up the same
amount of space as one small sugar cube. That’s all 7 billion of us in that one
small sugar cube.
This is because
when you break down what IS matter, you find molecules of elements made of
atoms, but in each atom is a miniscule nucleus surrounded by a few whizzing
electrons that don’t really occupy any space. Quantum mechanics does its best
to offer a theory of where our electrons may pop into being at any one time,
but, the electrons are so far away from the nucleus that the massive majority
of what makes us (and all matter in the universe) is nothing. Void. Empty
space.
A brilliant
quote by physicist Niels Bohr offered in the program is, “If quantum mechanics hasn’t
profoundly shocked you, you haven’t understood it yet”. Really this is a mind
blowing concept if ever there was one. I feel solid, so does the ground, my
chair, this desk; actually it’s all just empty space with trillions of tiny
atoms moving around each other.
Although the
theory of quantum mechanics has raised more questions than it has answered, it
opens up the realm of possibility for human potential. As a Buddhist, it seems
to me that knowing quantum mechanics (particularly, knowing that we are void
empty space) is akin to enlightenment. Is it possible that Buddha had this
awakening under the bodhi tree, that we are just star dust and space?
Of course
knowing something with your head and knowing something with each atom of your
body are two separate things. The movie “What the Bleep Do We Know?” discusses
the possibilities that open up as we take charge of our infinite possibilities
and manage our internal mayhem. I had a eureka moment watching that movie years
ago as I realised that I had been choosing to be depressed for years because
that was the habit my body was in. Changing my mood was literally up to me to
change my mind. Once you have this knowledge you can change yourself in an
instant. I did.
I’m not saying
I’ve never been depressed since watching that movie, but when I’ve felt the old
habits of whinging and sulking begin, I’m aware I have the power to change
them, and I do. I no longer wallow in self-pity, and that’s a pretty amazing
skill to have learnt while watching a movie.
As a new
generation grow up with the knowledge of quantum physics, the possibilities of
a deeper understanding are apparent. If we KNOW in our vibrating physical being
that we are simply nuclei, electrons and space, what is stopping us from
separating our bodies into particles in space? Humankind has the potential for
a conscious evolution.
No, by the way,
I’m not tripping, although I understand your point. This can all sound very
hippy-dippy fast, which is why it is so amazing that scientific theory and
research are proving that fact is truly stranger than fiction.
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