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Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 12:01 am
by EarlJam
I'm having one of those moments. One of those moments where I'm completely blown away at how anything exists. I will never understand, while on this Earth, how something came of nothing. "In the beginning...." Yes, I am of the Christian belief, but when I think of creation, it just blows my mind. I mean, what does "nothing" look like? And how can "nothing" even exist? If I think of nothing, I see empty black space; or empty white space.....or perhaps clear space. Either way, it is space....a void....and that void white space, black space, is "something" that had to be created!

Even if you say, "Golly Earljam, it's really quite simple. The universe started with a speck so small that electron microscopes a million times powerful than what we have now couldn't pick it up....."

Well, still, it was a "speck." It HAD to have a day one. It HAD to be created. But HOW? I believe in God. And I know it's a bit cliche' to inquire, "Where did God come from," but it's a quite legitimate question.

I know this is all mostly rhetorical, but I'm just having a moment. Humor me.

Who, or what, created the very first "thing," and who created the "thing" that created the very first "thing?"....and so on.

Nothing should exist. Nothing should have ever been. How is all of this possible? Ponder that. What did the very first "first" come from?

I titled this "Round and Round.." when I was thinking about how so much of our existence revolves (pardon the pun) around circling around things. Orbits. Electrons circle around an atom's nucleous. The world turns. The moon cirlcles around the Earth. The Earth circles around the sun. The Milky Way churns in circles across the universe and I suppose the universe must be circling around something. Round and round and round and round it all goes. Even in the circle of life itself. "Nothing new under the sun" and so on and so on and round and round and round.

Oh well, speaking of round and round, here comes the roach clip again. I need some Skittles and a large pizza.

-EarlJam

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 12:06 am
by EarlJam
Seriously, if any of you know of a good, legitimate book that speaks to this subject, please feel free to recommend it. If the source is solid, I would love to read it.

-JamEarl

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 12:14 am
by EarlJam
I also plan to have this all figured out by April 8, 2038...............exactly one day after Duke wins its ninth National Championship and its first under relatively new head coach Jon Scheyer in the Coach-K Center.

-EarlJam

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 7:19 am
by Very Duke Blue
You might want to get in touch with Wes Akin, one of our lake neighbors. He was the head Chaplin at Duke, now retired. Wes is a very smart man and has many thoughts about our world. I feel sure he would be happy to share them with you. PM me if you would like to get in touch with him.

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 8:28 am
by OZZIE4DUKE
I too have often wondered what came before the first thing/person/God?

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Should it scare me that EarlJam and I think alike? =)) =)) =))

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 8:35 am
by windsor
We think we live in a three (well really 4) dimensional world and consider time to be linear. Neither is true. Time and and space are not seperate...and when there was no space, there was no time.

I would argue that as always, god exists to explain what we can't (yet)

head hurt yet?

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 11:52 am
by EarlJam
It's funny to me (funny in an odd way) how simple the initial notion is (i.e., "What came befoe God? Or what was there before there was anything, and how is that even possible?)

Initially, it may draw a snicker or a "Yeah dude, far out." But as simple as the question is, if you just sit for a few minutes, or longer, and ponder the depth of it, it really can blow your mind (and yes, make your head hurt).

The paradox, to me, is that there is no such thing as "nothing" (except for in my bank account); because "nothing," is itself, "something." There has to be a word deeper than "nothingness." Because, at least to me, "nothing" implies the absence of things and for there to be an absence of things, there must be emptiness and emptiness implies space and space takes up area and therefore said area is..........something.

It is incomprehensible for me to imagine an absense of even space (not outer space but space in general). How is that even possible? What are you left with then? What's left when you remove not only all the material objects, but the very space they occupy as well? How do you remove "all space from everywhere?" Again, incomprehensible.

I'm off to get a keg of Hemlock, and perhaps a Percocet or three.

-EarlJam

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 1:51 pm
by windsor
EarlJam wrote: The paradox, to me, is that there is no such thing as "nothing" (except for in my bank account); because "nothing," is itself, "something."
-EarlJam
That isn't all that unusual. I have had many a 'data' newbie bang their head on the desk over the concept of 'null' values. Null isn't true, or false, it isn't empty or blank it is...null

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 1:57 pm
by TillyGalore
OMG! You people are really screwed up. Let me spell it out for you

K-R-Z-Y-Z-E-W-S-K-I

Everything begins and ends with Coach K. He is the alpha and the omega.

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 1:58 pm
by TillyGalore
TillyGalore wrote:OMG! You people are really screwed up. Let me spell it out for you

K-R-Z-Y-Z-E-W-S-K-I

Everything begins and ends with Coach K. He is the alpha and the omega.
Oh, and the round and round you're feeling EarlJam. It's a basketball!

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 1:58 pm
by TillyGalore
TillyGalore wrote:
TillyGalore wrote:OMG! You people are really screwed up. Let me spell it out for you

K-R-Z-Y-Z-E-W-S-K-I

Everything begins and ends with Coach K. He is the alpha and the omega.
Oh, and the round and round you're feeling EarlJam. It's a basketball!
[/sarcasm]

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 1:59 pm
by DukeUsul
Windsor makes a very good point. Since space and time are inextricably combined, at a certain point there was nothing. But at that time there was no time either. So before that point in time is a meaningless concept. There was no before.

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 2:42 pm
by OZZIE4DUKE
DukeUsul wrote:Windsor makes a very good point. Since space and time are inextricably combined, at a certain point there was nothing. But at that time there was no time either. So before that point in time is a meaningless concept. There was no before.
Then what was there and when wasn't it?????

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 2:52 pm
by captmojo
Yeah, the joint was a'rockin'
Goin' round and round.
Yeah, reelin' and a'rockin'.
What a crazy sound.
And it never stopped rockin'
Till the Moon went down.

You may consider that your mind has too much idle time. Mine does, for sure. So...I cure it with the drummer in my head. Has to be a drummer to drown out the voices. :twitch:

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 3:01 pm
by windsor
OZZIE4DUKE wrote:
DukeUsul wrote:Windsor makes a very good point. Since space and time are inextricably combined, at a certain point there was nothing. But at that time there was no time either. So before that point in time is a meaningless concept. There was no before.
Then what was there and when wasn't it?????
There was no 'there' and there was no 'was'...at least not in the dimensions we inhabit....or if you subscribe to the anything that could happen, has happened...the question is which there and which when?

everybody go read 'Flatland'....there will be a quiz :D

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 3:35 pm
by EarlJam
DukeUsul wrote:Windsor makes a very good point. Since space and time are inextricably combined, at a certain point there was nothing. But at that time there was no time either. So before that point in time is a meaningless concept. There was no before.
I agree with this in theory, or fact. But still, it is incomprehensible for me. Call it "time," call it "fingledoong," call it whatever......., still, everything had to have a beginning, right? It may not have been called, "time" but still there was before and after, right? Either way, I just can't comprehend it.

-EarlJam

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 3:36 pm
by EarlJam
OZZIE4DUKE wrote:
DukeUsul wrote:Windsor makes a very good point. Since space and time are inextricably combined, at a certain point there was nothing. But at that time there was no time either. So before that point in time is a meaningless concept. There was no before.
Then what was there and when wasn't it?????
Bingo.

-EJ

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 3:37 pm
by CameronBornAndBred
I keep singing that damn Dead or Alive song. Thanks alot Earljam. :obscene-birdiered:

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 3:39 pm
by EarlJam
TillyGalore wrote:OMG! You people are really screwed up. Let me spell it out for you

K-R-Z-Y-Z-E-W-S-K-I

Everything begins and ends with Coach K. He is the alpha and the omega.
What do you mean by, "...you people...?"

Bad Tilly!

I would never have expected this from you! :)

-EJ

Re: Round and Round and Round and Round and Round....

Posted: April 16th, 2010, 3:44 pm
by captmojo
CameronBornAndBred wrote:I keep singing that damn Dead or Alive song. Thanks alot Earljam. :obscene-birdiered:
I tried to image the Rolling Stones... :twitch: