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.

Bewilderment

In "Our Universe May Be a Giant Hologram" Brian Greene is basically saying that the life we are living isn't actual reality. I didn't quite understand his theory because to me he's basically saying that our life is just a mere image of a life in another universe; "a shadow of the realm where real events take place." I'm not sure if I could say that I can relate to this because I feel as if each person is their own self and nobody has or will ever be anything like them or do anything the exact way another has done. Bewilderment comes out in this reading by basically saying that one does not have control over themselves or anything that they are doing. If I was to believe that I was a reflection of somebody else in another universe I know that I would be bewildered.
In "The Serpents of Paradise" by Edward Abbey, he has a very close relationship with the animals that he comes in contact with. He lets the mice live in his house and does not kill the rattlesnake when he sees it. This is all because he values nature enormously, so much that he even admits that he'd rather kill a human than an animal. Abbey creates a close relationship with the gopher snake that she catches and brings home but then one day she leaves it outside and it is gone when she arrives back home. Later on the gopher snake comes back, or so he thinks, with another companion. It seems as if he is delighted to see it again and is very curious about to learn more about it and its companion. When the gopher snakes began to leave, he is so interested that he begins to follow them but soon stops and realizes that he needs to let them be. Abbey is okay with the disappearance of these snakes because he knows that they have their own life. It also talks about how the noises dolphins and coyotes make and what they are actually meaning. This is where the bewilderment shows up. Abbey is okay with the bewilderment of not knowing what these creatures are thinking because they do not know exactly what we are thinking either.
Both text experience bewilderment in ways that I believe we all experience it too. When we don't have control over things in our lives then we feel as if we can not help ourselves or others the way we need to. We feel confused and lost when we aren't capable to have control of our own actions. Also when we can't connect with others it sometimes causes us to be bewildered. At times when people have different views, different ways of doing things, and etc then it can cause us to get confused.

A Bewildered Holographic Snake

In “Our Universe May Be a Giant Hologram”, Brian Greene brings up the argument that our universe is just a reflection of another universe. He gives the example of the mirrors reflecting one another and how there are looks to be like an endless line of reflections. This concept does effect my sense of reality because what was once real to me is now just a reflection, a fake. The idea is really confusing because like the mirror example there is an origin of the reflected images, so who is to say that we are not that origin. That if there are other universes then they are reflecting us, not the other way around. I would say that this would change our perception because our reality is no longer a reality. Everything we do is meaningless in a way. However it could also change our perception for the good, thinking more optimistically even though its not THE reality it is OUR reality so it is real to us reflection or not.
In “The Serpents Paradise”, Edward Abbey writes about a Park ranger that seems to be fascinated by the environment and the creatures living in it as well as enjoying it. The Park ranger feels somewhat connected and isolated from the animals. Connected to them in a way that he refers to the gopher snake as visitors, cousins, etc. when he says, “My visitor is still waiting beneath the doorstep, basking in the sun…”. Terms that refer to things such as friends and family rather than an enemy. He is isolated from them because he can’t see to understand the way they think, like their way of thinking is more complex as he states, “that many of the nonhuman undomesticated animals experience emotions unknown to us.” I have not personally experience what the Park Ranger has but if I were to, I believe that it would be beneficial for me because I would have the opportunity to be one with nature and appreciate all the things around me. I would consider Abbey to be comfortable with the unknown because he doesn't try to force his way into understanding, but instead he states, “we are obliged, therefore, to spread the news, painful and bitter though it may be for some to hear, all living things on hand are kindred…”.
There is bewilderment in both texts. “Our Universe May Be a Giant Hologram”, it is bewildering to hear the concept of there being a multiverse and that our universe is just a reflection of another. Just the idea of it makes it sound like a dream, like nothing around us is real and it is all a fake. Bewilderment is expressed in “Serpents of Paradise” because of the mysteries the Park Rangers is unable to discover. Being comfortable with nature and the animals doesn't give him all the answers to their behavior. Like why the coyote howls to the moon at night. These ideas relate to me because I am apart of this universe and knowing that it could be a reflection is an overwhelming idea to think about and really gets me thinking about the universe, world and the animals that live in it.