Giant hologram

We in a sense are in a possible double life there is in a way a top layer to what we do and an identical action happening out of our sight almost like a parallel universe. That is what Greene was saying and if true it could mean that we as people may not be the real thing we can be images of another us. even though we know this we should go about our lives the same don't change anything because we could be the reality or we may not because of this thought it can cause bewilderment and give us a different insight into our lives. for Edward he had bewilderment in his life he didn't look at things the usual way we as people do he saw the mice as harmless and the snakes as misunderstood creatures that he was in a way able to connect with them and live with them through out his day, he in a way was able to do what we usually can't. his understanding of the unknown is amazing his outlook on life shows that we never look at the little things. In each essay bewilderment is a key factor at looking at our lives differently and to focus on the little things. it helps me to see that this life we live is not as it seems if we take the time to look and see things differently it opens up endless possibilities.

The Inevitability of Bewilderment

Physicist Brian Greene introduces the notion of the universe being a giant hologram. Greene suggests that every thing is controlled by an opposite, sort of parallel universe pre determining these actions. This easily affects my sense of reality due to the idea of free will. This brings question to if free will is actually “free will” or if it is simply predetermined will. Knowing that the perception of things isn’t the actual reality of those things should not determine how one lives his or her life, the concept that everything is pre determined forces one to believe that there is simply one way to live life, the predetermined way.

            Edward Abbey accepts all creatures around him as visitors, although some more threatening than others, he proceeds to search for alternatives to killing the less welcome. Abbey’s connection with creatures and the environment around him is extremely rare; his thirst to learn more and quench his curiosity with experience is inspiring. Although Abbey feels so connected to all living things surrounding him, he acknowledges nature’s original motive for each individual species. This being said, Abbey is aware of boundaries and attempts to stay within the unwritten laws of nature. As he explains, “I follow them for a short distance, still plagued by curiosity, before remembering my place and the requirements of common courtesy.” He then scolds himself for invading the snake’s space, acknowledging that more than just the human species is subject to privacy. I believe there are many instances I could easily relate to Edward Abbey as I am extremely adventurous, curious, and constantly crave the outdoors. If I come across an instance of which I find similarities with Abbey, I will continue to remind myself of the necessary boundaries to be considered. I can instantly relate to Abbey and his drive to discover the unknown, nature and its creatures are beyond interesting, humans were originally meant to live alongside these creatures not disclosed and distant from nature. Abbey recognizes this, thus striving to live in the environment of which he can be one with nature the most.

As Fanny Howe emphasizes in her piece titled “Bewilderment,” many things continue to be unknown to even those most intelligent in different areas of study. Just as Brian Greene illustrates, scientists and philosophers easily view the universe in different ways, just as a poet and a politician may view the economy in a completely different way. Edward Abbey practices man vs nature, this illustrates the inevitable uncertainty of bewilderment referenced by Fanny Howe. While with bewilderment comes uncertainty, as does certainty. Uncertainty and certainty are visible in both pieces, may it be the confusion with the universe or discovery of what is within it, and bewilderment once again proves inevitable.

The Curiosity Towards Bewilderment

In “Our Universe Might Be a Giant Hologram”, Brian Greene mentions how our universe can be a mere reflection, or hologram, of another universe way out of our reach. Our reactions could be triggered by another parallel universe’s actions, and in that case we are to that universe as a puppet is to a puppeteer. Greene states that the word universe has lost its meaning because it used to mean “everything that is” and now we know that we are not the only universe out there, so it’s sort of a paradox to say that there are many of everything. Knowing that there might be a parallel universe out there somewhere make me more aware of my surroundings and actions, because everything I do could be for a reason, and maybe is being done in a complete opposite way in another universe. I believe that by being more aware of your actions changes the whole way we live our lives because then we over-think everything we do instead of just doing it naturally.

In “The Serpents of Paradise”, Edward Abbey has a really close-knit relationship with the environment and his surroundings. He is able to describe in great detail everything he sees and feels, whether it be in the nice mornings or harsh, hot afternoons, or freezing cold nights. He says he likes to have his “bare feet planted on the bare ground”, meaning he likes to be one with Mother Nature, and feel its beauty on his skin. Personally, I would get the same feelings as Abbey when I lived with my parents. Every morning before school, I would go outside barefoot and just watch the sun rise, and ponder about life. This sort of “meditation” would put my mind at ease and make my day just that much better. Abbey seeks to learn more about the unknown, but only to a certain extent. For example, when the two snakes are performing their little dance, he watches them for a while, but then realizes that they too need their own privacy.

In Brian Greene’s essay, he writes that when he was a child he would daydream during class about all of the different “hims” that he would she in his two mirrors in his room, and he showed confusion and curiosity as to how all of that worked, and whether or not there was actually a reflection of him that didn't really reflect his movements. This curiosity led him to him to come up with the holographic universe idea. Similarly to Greene, Abbey shares this curiosity about the environment around him and how some things affect others in different ways. I also share this curiosity, and by understanding that everything happens for a reason, I am able to think about things differently and more thoroughly than before.

Bewildered In A Holographic Nature

It appears to me that Brian Greene`s argument in “Our Universe May Be A Hologram” is that our universe is a parallel or reflection of anther universe that may be out there.  I actually find it very interesting that there could be another universe out there. I have always had a mystical outlook on reality and believe in the fact that we aren’t the only life in Galaxy and the existence of a parallel universe is a concept that has crossed my mind before. I don’t think that we should let Greene`s argument get in the way of the way we are living our lives currently. The way I think of it is the decisions we make are our decisions alone, yes there may be a parallel universe and yes maybe our decisions are dictated by those versions of ourselves or vice versa, but if we let a possibility rule our lives then we aren’t really living. This concept relates to Bewilderment in the sense that it forces us to live in the moment and not think about things that aren’t in our control. It is healthy to have a sense of the unknown in our lives, in my opinion it is that sort of spontaneity that makes life worth living.

In Edward Abbey`s “The Serpent of Paradise” Abbey illustrates his love for nature through his descriptive language and tone. He mentions the “bright, clear and calm” sky and the feel of the breeze as he sits outside and watches the animals. Abbey has a loving relationship with the animals full of the understanding that so long as neither one harms the other there will be a mutual acceptance of one another`s presence. I think this sort of world is an extremely beneficial way to live. An acceptance of the world around us is as close to euphoria that I think we would be able to get. This piece also has a connection to bewilderment in the sense that Abbey is so comfortable with just living in the moment and realizing that he doesn’t know everything the animals are thinking. He is okay with living in complete bewilderment. A fact that I find beautiful.

In Brian Greene's " Our Universe May Be a Giant Hologram" the argument being presented is that our universe is only a reflection of another like that of two mirrors facing each other. When reading this there was a certain level of understanding but I don't believe that there should be a change in how we handle things even if we are just a hologram of another. Edward Abbey's relationship with the animals that basically live with him is interesting it's like he is just a spectator of the animals. It is bizarre in a way because he lives by himself and watches animals around him as if he is in the the wilderness and is one of the animals himself. I have never had experiences like Abbey but I don't know if it would be beneficial to experience something like. Both of these texts have different views about life as we know it one were our universe is just a reflection of another and the other text talks as if the person is more in touch with animals then people, because of this I find both very interesting but bewildering at the same time.

Our Universe Might Be a Giant Hologram

At the beginning Brian Greene is talking about how mirrors give off reflections of light. Also about how reflected images are different to how others look at them. Briana Greene also mentions how the word universe can be used in different ways or concepts. It can be used for everything in the world, for things only you are considered in, or just for things you consider everything to you. People might see the world or universe as one, or as many different worlds. He says that two physicists named Jacob Bekenstein and Stephen Hawking found that a black hole measure's the surface area  of where the information is actually stored. And that there is no right answer for it, but by the way you view the black hole, either from the inside or the outside. The implications that Greene brought on me were that I agree that the universe can be viewed differently because not all people think the same. Also that it could viewed as one or many parts in one. Knowing our perception of things does change how we can live our lives because their isn't an actual reality change about anything.

Brian Greene and Edward Abbey

In Brian Greene's article "Our Universe May Be a Giant Hologram" his argument is that our universe is just a mere reflection of another universe. I find this ver confusing since I don't believe that there is any other universe. But IF there were to be another universe that in some way we reflected from then I would believe that our reality would no longer be up to us. This is something that I find scary because who would ever want to not be in control of their own life? Basically our realities would already be chosen. I honestly feel as if we would have no reality for ourselves since we would only be a reflection of something else that is making our choices, therefore we would not be living our own lives.
In Edward Abbey's reading "The Serpents of Paradise" he gets along with the creatures that live in his house because they don't cause him harm so he doesn't cause them harm. He lets these animals throughout his story do as they please since they too have a right to do what they want to. He seems to be connected with these creatures throughout the whole story even though he can't understand them fully.
Bewilderment shows up in both stories. In Greene's it is obviously when people do not have control of their own lives. Living a life that is actually yours would certainly cause some bewilderment. In Abbey's reading the bewilderment is him not knowing exactly what the creatures are thinking but still accepting them anyways. Just as Abbey accepts the creatures without knowing their full intentions, we should do the same. Bewilderment is in many cases a good thing because it causes us to get more involved and interested.