The Physics of Life

An implication of superposition in quantum theory suggest that the observer, by the act of observing, can change the state of matter. Superposition describes how a single electron can occupy multiple points in space at one time. If an electron spins both clockwise (0) and counterclockwise (1) simultaneously, Heisenberg believed that the observation of that electron in route will fix a path such that it is, as observed, either 0 or 1. An emerging use of this principle is quantum cryptography.

I spent all of yesterday in an ICU waiting room. It is amazing and heart rending to witness the range of emotions that occur in such a place. There is levity and extreme sorrow, exhaustion, stoicism and resignation all mingled together in one tiny room. There is fear of the unknown and, perhaps worse at times, a fear of the known. A man dolorously stared into space, unnervingly, directly at me for at least 15 minutes. Did my presence as an observer change his contemplation in a small way? I know that his changed me. There were many people in that small crowded room; most seemed only cognizant of there own worries--but each changed everyone else in some small way.

Once inside the ICU, there was a professional clarinetist who volunteers at the hospital. He was sitting just outside my father's door playing (among other things, his favorite aria--"E lucevan le stella" from Tosca). Beauty intertwined with the struggle against loss. My world changed again.

As I left from the last allowed visitation of the day, I passed the dolorous man in the hallway, his grief still evident. This time our eyes met and we exchanged sympathy without resorting to words. And the world changed.

It doesn't really matter what it is that you do, the world changes. The mere fact that you are here changes things. So realize that you are changing the world whether or not you intend to do so. Live consciously and smile when you can.

Today was a good day. Happy Thanksgiving