Greek

Practicing greek has really improved my greek writing. 

OUR FATHER  -  πατερ ημον

Interesting Things

Reading chapter 2 of Taming the Infinite I came across many interesting things. 

The first very interesting thing I came across was the second paragraph. It starts talking about how pictures leave more room for differences of interpretation than symbols. It mentions this because mathematicians use various types of visual reasoning, and some are pictures. So it hit me, I started thinking about an essay we read called The Rhetoric of the Image by Roland Barthes. I wonder if this essay has anything to do with this. I guess I will find that out later on. 

The second very interesting thing was the Pythagoreans´ philosophy. I found it very interesting because the Pythagoreans understood that mathematics is about abstract concepts, and not about reality. They also believed that most of these abstract "things" were just a way to get to the ideal of an object. It is very true. For example, when we draw a circle we are actually trying to copy that abstract ideal in our heads  that a circle is perfectly round. Of course our circle isn't perfect, but most of the time we try to perfect it. (Since I am  not very good explaining things I did my best, trying to reach that ideal in my head. haha)

My third very interesting thing was kind of a big slap to my face. When I blogged about Euclid, I was complaining that people where mixing in three dimensions and two dimensions. I thought they hadn't been discovered yet. In page 33 it says that in Euclid's The Elements there a treatment to the geometry of two dimensions and of three dimensions (meaning space). I  guess he did know about dimensions. 

The fourth and last very interesting thing I found in the chapter was the initial statements. By initial statements I think it means the definitions. The book mentions that some of these initial statements can't themselves be proved (I mean, Euclid had to start somewhere). This makes me feel a whole lot better. I don't have to worry that much about understanding what a point is, since I guess even Euclid didn't have tha concept so clear. 

I found many other interesting things in this chapter but these are the ones that really stood out. 

Timelines and memories

Last week we did an activity. It consisted in writing down our timeline, from the day we were born to our present life. I had such a hard time remembering everything. By the  time we were supposed to be done I had written down my birthday and about 5 other major things that happened in my life, the rest was blank. 

The next part of the activity was exchanging our timeline with the person we knew the least. So I teamed up with Diego. He started telling me his timeline and I was impressed at how many things he remembered. While he was telling me about his life, I started remembering some more of mine.

After that, we got back together with the whole group and the person who listened to your timeline had to tell the highlights of your life to the rest of the group. Diego did a good job with my life, made a mistake or two but thats ok. It was very weird having someone else tell your story. I guess they see it in a very different perspective from yours. 

After everyone was done, one of my classmates realized that there are about 7-9 years that mostly no one remembers what happened (more or less from 3 to 12). This is so true. I mean, we all have some memories, but how do we know that they really happened the way we remember or that our parents or someone close to us told us the story and then we just imagined it all?

I guess we will never really know which memories are real and which are made up. 

Euclid's Elements

  It is difficult to read or understand Euclid without letting our current knowledge get in the way. For example, we started talking about points and planes and lines, and just as easily the conversation turned over to third dimensions and second dimensions etc (I don't even know if Euclid knew about dimensions). I think that to truly understand Euclid we have to think as if we are someone  who has no past knowledge of mathematics, geometry, algebra and all of the other kinds of math, someone who lived in the time when Euclid lived. Maybe then we will be able to comprehend it without our knowledge getting in the way. (isn't it ironic how we have to let go of our knowledge to comprehend something?) 

  I also find Euclid difficult to comprehend, maybe because of the same reasons I mentioned before,  because I also find Euclid to be vague about some ideas. Like his definition of a point, in which he says that a point is that which has no part. What is he talking about there? It has no part… It isn't until you read more ahead that you understand that the point is the extremity of a line, and that a line can't exist without points at its extremities. But is this actually saying that a line can't exist without the point or that the point can't exist without the line?

So you have to go back to the first definition of a point, it has no part.. still, I don't understand. some people were saying that it meant that the point was the origin of something (a line), but it doesn't quite convince me. 

  Reading the rest of Euclid's definitions, it became a little less confusing. I can grasp the idea of what a line is, of what a surface is and of what a circle is. I also understand each of these in their different types, like a straight line or just a regular line. But I always keep going back to what a point is. Can all of these mentioned before exist without a point? Well, I don't think so. Then again, What is a point? Im starting to think this is just one of those really abstract questions that can't be truly answered and that everyone has their own idea based on their perspective. 

  I am just hoping that the rest of Euclid's Elements is not as complicated as these definitions. Thank you Euclid! 

Coincidences

I don’t know if you guys believe in coincidences, I mean, I don’t even know if I believe in coincidences yet. But I’ll tell you my story and you can make out of it whatever you like.

Yesterday we were supposed to be doing our individual work, and I did do some but later I got distracted and started looking at National Geographic’s webpage. For the last couple of months this idea had been rolling around in my head, I want to go hiking (actually baby hiking) to some new place all by myself (to Iceland and Greenland actually).  And National Geographic offers trips to go hiking with a team to Iceland. I had been thinking that this would be a great experience: I wouldn’t be alone, I would meet new people, and since I have never actually hiked before this would be a great opportunity to learn.

That same afternoon we had a guest come over to talk about himself. He told us how he didn’t really believe in the schooling system and how life experiences were a great way to obtain education. He also told us that one of his dreams was to bike the US. The moment he started talking about this and how he actually made it happen, I started thinking on that hiking trip. I started to realize that it was more possible than I thought it was, and that if I really wanted it I could make it happen.

Written down here it may not sound like a big deal, but it kind of was a moment of “enlightenment” for me. So I decided that I am going to take that trip (maybe not with National Geographic), and I am going to set aside all of my fears of going into the unknown. 

Kant vs Mark Twain

One of our tasks this week was to write an essay comparing Kant´s Freedom to Reason and Mark Twains Corn-Pone Opinions. I found both of these lectures very interesting.

I agree both with Kant and Twain. Most people, if not all, base their opinions on what society thinks, most ideas are not original. People in this world are cowards, in the sense that they are afraid to express their opinions. People don’t want to share their own ideas because of fear that they are different or that society wont accept them. People are just seeking to please others, trying to express in their opinions what other people want to hear. Even I, who sometimes thinks that I am truly loyal to my inner self, am affected by society and by what others may think. No body wants to be an outcast.

So it is everybodys nature no conform. We conform to what people want us to think, we conform with the rules that are set, we conform with our teacher, we conform with our learning. Why conform?

The paragraph following is an extract of my essay: “I believe both essays are telling us that people want other people to think for them (such as Kant’s guardians), that they just want to conform and equal their opinion to that of society as long as they remain a part of that society, without the risk of becoming an outcast.”

The only difference I found in both lectures was that I believe that Kant thinks that anybody can be enlightened and Mark twain believes that no one, in tha majority has original ideas, and if they do they should be put in a museum.

So my dear readers do as Kant says in Freedom to Reason, Sapere Aude! –Dare to be wise. 

Movies seen so far

So, we have been watching movies. The fist one we saw wasn't exactly a movie but more of a documentary. We watched the life of Gene Kelly. I have to be honest, I didn't really know who he was before I saw this. I had heard of Singing in The Rain but that is about it. I actually enjoyed the film a lot, I liked the way in which he tried to realize his dreams and didn't  really give up. 

The next movie we saw was Shooting the Past. I have got to say it, I LOVED the movie. I usually don't like these kind of movies but, this one was great. I kind of didn't  like the ending but thats okay. While I was watching the movie I realized how the MPC is just like a puzzle, apart from it being confusing, you have to try to match the pieces together, figure out how they relate.

The last movie we saw was 84 Charing Cross Road. This is another movie that I wouldn't of had watched if it wasn't for the class, but nonetheless I liked it. It wasnt a great story but it kept me entertained. I loved the way the characters built a relationship without actually knowing each other.

MPC

Ok, so this is the first time I have actually blogged, or anything of that style. 6 days ago I decided to try out a new major. Ill try to explain this new major later, but it is kind of difficult to explain.  So, I will tell you what I know. It is called Micheal Polanyi College, and one is supposed to graduate with a bachelor in science or art. Some people just call it Liberal Arts. 

I have always thought that people just  use the university as a means to get a job and start making money. I understand that, people want to have security, they want to know that they will have money and will be able to support their future family and what not. Well, I have always admired schools or the education of the past, where you learned because it gave you a sense of culturization. Now a days, people dont really care about learning, and I consider myself one of the few who actually care about learning, not to get a degree but just because I want to know more about the world. I just really want to learn.

So yeah, that how I started this major. I actually left behing two and a half years of business administration, and I am starting from scratch. I guess that is what really made me doubt my decision the first couple of days. I was just scared of how diferent from regular education this new major is.

This new “program” is sometimes confusing. I am not really sure what it entirely consists of, but I know I am liking it. Yesterday we learned greek. We also talked about Kant and his definition of enlightenment. If knowledge come with understanding or without.

I have to start documenting this whole process, and I think I am going to start writing essays. I really enjoy that. So hopefully I will be writing one soon and posting it here.