This section offers possibilities to some of the classic philosophical questions perplexing mankind.  Wandering into this section of the site is for the open-minded, and those wishing to push logic to its furthest extreme. Click to explore THIS PAGE ----------------------------------- One Reality Everything is Relative Earth Before the Human Human Being: A Being of Meaning Click to explore ENTIRE SITE ----------------------------------- FLASH INTRO ----------------------------------- HOME PAGE ----------------------------------- INTRODUCTION    * Why Expand Your Mind    * How to Expand Your Mind    * Definition of Logic    * How to Navigate this Site    * Content Listing / Description ----------------------------------- LOGIC PROBLEMS    * Introduction    * Classic Logic Problems    * Visual Logic Puzzles    * Lateral Thinking    * Bonus Section ----------------------------------- SCIENCE AND FACTS    * Introduction    * One Billion    * Sound vs. Light Speed    * Overpopulation    * The Scoop on the Internet    * Understanding Y2K    * Interesting Facts ----------------------------------- PHILOSOPHY    * Introduction    * One Reality    * Everything is Relative    * The Earth and the Human Being    * Human Being: A Being of Meaning ----------------------------------- MYTHS    * Introduction    * Chain Letters    * Horoscope    * Year 2000 ----------------------------------- FEEDBACK ----------------------------------- CREDITS    * History / Information    * Technical Information    * See our BANNER!    * Disclaimer -----------------------------------   ONE REALITY: Each of us perceives the world through our own unique senses, or filters. Images, colors, textures, scents, and emotions are all unique to our own interpretation. As a consequence to this uniqueness, however, it is impossible to compare our own perceptions to others, as there is no medium to weigh the relative discernment. For example, how can you be sure that what one person sees as red is the same hue value that another sees as red. Even if both people are looking at the same red fire engine, the hue may be interpreted differently. A fire engine is only a single color, in reality, even though it may be perceived to vary in color from person to person. When do you know that a dream is a dream? -- when you wake up from it, right? But right up until that point, you have no way of knowing that you are in a dream state. It’s the relative reality of "consciousness" that makes one conclude that they have just experienced a dream. How do we know that what we perceive as human beings is an accurate representation of what really exists at all? Since certain animals have more acute hearing, sight, and touch than the human being, our limited perception restricts our ability to decode what is real. This makes it very difficult for us to decipher what is reality and what is not. The only thing we can be sure of is how we define our own reality. Reality, according to the Webster’s Dictionary, is "the state or quality of being real; actual being or existence of anything, in distinction from mere appearance; fact."  Therefore, reality is the actual state of an object or event, irrespective of the perceiver’s subjective interpretations. On the night of June 12th, 1994, a certain reality took place, possibly involving O.J. Simpson. Although various investigators and lawyers gave conflicting "stories," there is without debate one true reality of how the events unfolded that fateful night. Maybe only a single individual knows exactly what happened, but there is none-the-less only a single reality. This concept is analogous to practically every aspect of life. Anything can be perceived or assumed to have taken place in infinite ways, while all along, there is only one true reality. It seems that the most confusing and debated concept of a single reality, is how the universe and the human came into existence. There are numerous scientific and religions explanations for these questions, yet most of the accounts are direct contradictions to the other explanations. So, how then, do we know what is reality? (this essay is not yet completed) (back to top)   THE EARTH AND THE HUMAN BEING: Imagine the earth prior to the human being. The green and blue planet we call earth had been floating in orbit around the sun without man as a passenger for millions of years. Absent the human, there were no such thing as airplanes, computers, telephones, or even a pencil and paper. Imagine the entire world as it existed in its natural form: running hills, mountains, fresh water, vast oceans, plant life, wild animals, giant forests, and mineral rich soil. That is all that existed prior to the human’s intervention and destructive ability to "create." The impact of the human being on planet earth is immeasurable. Multiplying to nearly 6,000,000,000 beings in size, we have made a fascinating as well as devastating impact on this planet. Looking out the window of an airplane flying over a dense city, such as New York or Los Angeles, is truly mind-boggling. Every street, house, skyscraper, landscaped park, football stadium, and automobile that you see was produced from the resources of planet earth! Even more impressive, the flying machine that carries you at over 1/2 the speed of sound, was also produced from the minerals of this big round planet. In fact, every material that we use to "create" is earth-grown. Nuts and bolts, compact discs, and 2 x 4’s don’t come from the local hardware store, a music outlet, or the lumberyard, as we have come to take for granted. Instead, all of these items actually come from the same place -- they are all extracted and manufactured from the natural elements of this blue and green planet! The cement to build foundations, the paper to create books, and the glass to make light bulbs, are all from "natural" sources. Every chemical, every hi-fi stereo system, every piece of plastic, and every salt and pepper shaker in the world, have all been harvested from terra firma. Take a look at the computer monitor that you are reading from at this moment. There are literally thousands of man-made components inside to produce this illuminated screen. All of parts and materials were once inside the earth! Isn’t that astonishing! Even more amazing is the technology that imported this text you are reading on your monitor! This web page actually resides on a computer in New Jersey. Unbeknownst to you, this text has traveled through thousands of miles of wire at the speed of light reaching you at your request! Of course, all of the materials to make this happen were man-made and extracted from the ground. Think about everything that goes into making something that we are all familiar with; an automobile. Made of metal, plastic, glass, rubber, cloth, leather, electronic components, hundreds of feet of wiring, oil, and gasoline, it quickly becomes overwhelming how many resources of the earth came together to create a single piece of machinery. This list doesn’t even consider the technology and the construction of the factories that were required to bring to life a creation of such relative sophistication. The amazing part is that we extracted all of the basic elements from a single place, and over time, learned to assemble them in a useful manner that would allow us to create vehicles of personal travel. Using this logic of an automobile and all other "stuff" coming from the earth, we conclude that everything that exists on this planet both by natural means and by human creation, use earth as its only ingredient. In turn, we deduct that all life, too, is made from the same set of ingredients: running hills, mountains, fresh water, vast oceans, plant life, wild animals, giant forests, and mineral rich soil. In order for us as humans to survive, we must consume planet earth. We do this by harvesting its plant life, eating its fruit, drinking its water, and consuming the animals that share the land with us. It is, then, the earth itself that supports all life. Even when astronauts have traveled for days and even months away from this planet, they take with them the riches of this planet for survival. We have no present knowledge of any other obtainable resources elsewhere in our universe that could support life, as we know it. Taking this concept full circle, if earth is necessary for our vitality, then we are in fact part of the earth. When we die, the cycle completes, and we become part of the earth once again.  Since this cycle holds true for all earthly life forms, we can deduce that all life is part of planet earth.  Finally, if all life is made from the same ingredients, then humans are a part of all other life as well! We are, therefore, not only made from planet earth, but we are a part of everything around us: every plant, every animal, every mountain, and every stream. (this essay is not yet completed) (back to top)   THE HUMAN BEING'S FINITE UNDERSTANDING: Over the thousands of years of human existence, we as a species have discovered many fascinating things about the world that we live in.  We've discovered the makeup of our own being, the fact the we reside on a circular planet that orbits an ordinary star, and we've even found ways to predict the weather.  Though these accomplishments of the human are substantial on a relative level to those of other species, we still, as does any animal or machine, have its limits; in this case, a finite understanding. It's easy to conceive that a dog or a cat has a limited understanding, because it's limits are lesser than our own.  But because the human being's capabilities are great, again only in relative terms, we take for granted our own built-in limitations.  There are certain things that we simply can not do: for instance, fly, like a bird can.  However, a bird has limitations too: a bird can not figure out the answer to a simple mathematical problem.  If I had to choose, I'd give up my math skills to fly! Case in point, there may be much about the world that the human being will never understand.  One of the biggest and most complex questions, is where did we come from? The biggest irony of all could be the fact that we will never know, because the human mind can't comprehend the beginning of nothing. (look for more on this topic soon!) (back to top)   AGING and TIME: Did you realize that your appearance is changing every second of every day?  Photographs reveal incontrovertibly that, over time, our appearances change noticeably.  And when you reflect on how much a person grows from birth to adulthood, the changes are drastic.  Then, since we have decided that change does occur over time, how often then, can we conclude that a new change has occurred?  Well, the answer is every second of every day!  In order for a change to appear over a year, then a smaller change must occur every 6 months, then every month, so on and so forth.  When you break it down, you logically deduce that change does occur at specific times, it then becomes apparent that change is constant! (look for more on this topic soon!) (back to top)   DOES SANTA CLAUS EXIST?: Click here for a logical analysis of the question. This essay was not written by the author of Expand Your Mind, but the belief is shared. Enjoy! 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