Brian Greene brings the unsettling idea in "Our Universe May Be a Giant Hologram," that our world as we know it may not actual be the real world, but instead a reflection of a distant universe that is parallel to us, and what is scary about this idea is that this other universe is said to be "fully linked" to our world. If Greene's assessment is true, and our reality is not really reality at all, for me, I feel as though that would change nothing about my persona. Although this concept exists and may be real, what can we do to change or become aware of such a universe? If this parallel universe does exist should we go out and search for it? Should we ditch our morals since it wouldn't matter considering we're not the original reality? I think its an interesting concept but our lives wouldn't change.
Edward Abbey's "The Serpents of Paradise" displays bewilderment with man and animal. We readers can observe from the text that the protagonist is no stranger to nature and the environment because he is a park ranger, but his interactions with the animals also gives away his relationship to the environment as being familiar. As for the creatures in the environment, the character seems to be fine with the idea of sharing his home with mice but at first is scared/confused about the rattle snake's presence so close to himself, and even plans to kill it. But we can see a change in his attitude towards snakes when he encounters a gopher snake. He feels both connected and isolated from the animals. Connected in a way that he shares house with the mice and the gopher snake at a point, isolated because when his curiosity arises to watch the two gopher snakes he retreats in order to give them their own space and says "For godsake let them go in peace." I think there's plenty of instances I have experienced that relate to Abbey's story because I have always been fascinated with animals and I know quite a lot about them but I could only observe them to a certain extent because they would leave my range of sight. Observing nature is bewildering in a way because animals are different from humans but in a way the same. Animals vary in fur, color, legs, snouts and many others that differentiate species but we're the same in the way we survive, hunt, compete, etc. I think Abbey is comfortable with the unknown because he does not try to understand the animals fully. He lets the rattle snake leave his sight and mind, as he does with the two gopher snakes he lets go in peace to do whatever they please without his supervision. In the reading of Brian Greene I think bewilderment lies in the total concept that our reality is such a parallel of a true reality, we are lost and without answers as to who are we, and what really is this world we are living in? As for Abbey's text bewilderment lies in the acts of nature, the relationships we can grow or the relationships that dwindle, the fact that emotionally we as humans can connect to animals and nature is amazing and bewildering! I think the two texts are common in a way that both question reality, the "Our Universe May Be a Giant Hologram" suggests another universe, while "The Serpents of Paradise" show a different world other than the one we're used to of technology and innovations but a world of nature events in the environment among animals we fail to notice. These readings make me want to take notice and make myself aware of the world, all the elements that make up our world and what is happening all around us everyday that we fail to notice because maybe; such stories are in their own way their own universes.
Writers Edward Abby and Brian Greene use bewilderment within their essays to create a strange understanding of the world around them. Abby use this method in “Nature and Environment” to better understand the relationship between humanity, nature and its creatures. The main character of his story is in touch with nature and lives harmoniously with its creatures. The way he shows this by telling a bewildering story of the character’s relationship with nature and its creatures to create the illusion that one should and did once live in piece with nature but then ruined it’s harmony, like the character did with the situation with the gopher snake. In Greene’s essay “Our Universe May Be A Giant Hologram” uses this method differently but to the same effect. Greene uses bewilderment to explain a bizarrely confusing theory that because of black holes, our universe is a mere shadow of another universe. To allow a better understanding to the audience he uses the analogy of how he used to have mirrors in his room as a child that were placed across from each other and how they’d simultaneously reflect each other infinitely. Astonishingly this confusing topic is made clearer by only making it more confusing. Each story successfully allows the reader to better understand puzzling theories or concepts by creating a bewildering story to entertain their mind. This confusion is what evokes people think harder and produce more mystifying questions to be answered. This process of question and unclear answers is what have allowed humanity to evolve and become more efficient because in reality there truly isn’t any certain answer to anything.
ReplyDelete