Atelier
sources & Links

This exhibit is a reflection of my thoughts and analysis regarding the nature of reality and existence. It unites the realms of math, physics, neuroscience, and spirituality filtered through my critical thinking over a lifetime of contemplation, and bolstered by current research from leaders in these respective fields. Over the past year I have spent a great deal of time culling through online papers, journals, and video presentations from researchers on the cutting-edge of thought on these topics. The names below represent the individuals who have been instrumental in helping me coalesce my art exhibit, Call Me Ishmael. The short annotations are my notes indicating those concepts and ideas of interest to me that these individuals are pursuing through their research. The Youtube video links are provided as a jumping off point for those of you who might be interested in learning more about some of the main ideas I present in my art exhibit and my views on the nature of reality and existence.

Physics/Math

Benoit Mandelbrot: fractal mathematics, chaos theory, and the relevance to the evolution of the universe
Link: The Mandelbrot Set - The only video you need to see! - YouTube

Carlo Rovelli: a universe of events unfolding, not a collection of things; events and the nature of time
Link: Carlo Rovelli - Events and the Nature of Time - YouTube

Roger Penrose: Aeons and cyclic universe; Big Bang only a beginning of this cycle
Link: Roger Penrose - Did the Universe Begin? - YouTube

Paul Steinhardt: cyclic universe with bounce (no crunch)
Link: Filling the Big Gap in Einstein’s Theory | Paul Steinhardt | TEDxCLESalon - YouTube

Leonard Susskind: for the physical world, the “landscape of possibilities” is all the diversity inherent in string theory; inflationary theory provides a countless set of universes that are the products of the unique combinations of the components of string theory (of which our universe is but one).
Link: Leonard Susskind - What's Fundamental in the Cosmos? (Part 1) - YouTube

Nima Arkani-Hamed: holographic universe, string theory, emergent space & time
Link: Nima Arkani-Hamed - How Can Space and Time be the Same Thing? - YouTube

Lee Smolin: complexity and emergence to create the cosmos; a coupling of gravity with the nature of the quantum realm; search for a concept to unite the ideas of Einstein with Darwin
Link: Lee Smolin - Why is the Quantum so Strange? - YouTube

Jeff Tollaksen: the observer; importance of the inner realm of conscious agents
Link: Jeff Tollaksen - Physics of the Observer - YouTube

Sabine Hossenfelder: mathematics = reality
Link: Sabine Hossenfelder - Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics? - YouTube

David Bohm: implicate and explicate order
Link: The Best Dr. David Bohm Interview (1979) - YouTube

Neuroscience

Donald Hoffman: consciousness is fundamental in the universe, not derivative of time and space; it does not arise from brain activity; no good explanation of why neural correlates should directly correspond to conscious experience; he wants to develop a mathematical model of consciousness that is foundational and empirical and see if he can derive quantum field theory from it. Consciousness is fundamental and the physical world is the contents of the experiences of conscious agents; different species have different awarenesses and experiences of the world; his approach combined with quantum Bayesian approach to say that only consciousness of the observer are fundamental and brings in the physical universe into being – the theory of conscious agents. We create our physical world. Have we really evolved to “see” the truth of the objective reality of the world “out there”? Our minds evolved by natural selection to solve problems that were life-and-death matters to our ancestors, not commune with correctness. Fitness is distinct from truth and fitness wins over truth in evolution. Space and time is our desktop interface, physical objects are our icons. Neurons are not the starting point for consciousness because there is no fundamental physical world. The world consists of conscious agents. Reality is conscious agents in interaction. Scientific spirituality. Space-time is not fundamental. Network of conscious agents is a deeper theory where current scientific understanding is a boundary constraint.
Link: Donald Hoffman - What is Consciousness? - YouTube

Anil Seth: conscious reality is subjective to the individual
Link: Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality | Anil Seth - YouTube

Mark Solms & Kurt Friston: Free Energy Model as the physical source for consciousness; entropy/evolution, decay/organization, randomness (static)/information. Feedback loop (fractal nature). Markov blanket.
Link: Free Energy Principle — Karl Friston - YouTube

Thalia Wheatley: self-awareness is a kind of meta-consciousness; self/other boundary;
Link: Thalia Wheatley - What is Self-Awareness? - YouTube

Spirituality

Ron Wakegijig: friend and teacher to me about Ojibwa spiritual beliefs, practices, and ceremonies

Alan Wallace: nature of consciousness (Buddhist tradition) is knowing (cognizance) and qualia or luminosity (manifestation of appearance) (which are both elements of the cognizant aspect of consciousness dealing with reality or what is), the other aspect is imagining what could be; reality is the realm of both the actual and the possible; composite phenomena arise as dependently related events (pair of glasses example) – therefore we create subjective conceptual designation of what exists and has parallels in quantum cosmology, bring neuroscience and Buddhism together to more effectively understand the inner mind realm (intention & perception). Buddhism deals with intention (and not free will), your choices are up to you and not pre-determined; responsible for your choices and the consequences that follow.
Link: Alan Wallace on the Nature of Consciousness - YouTube

Subash Kak: (computer scientist) yogic experience/tradition; outer physical sky & inner sky of our memories which we construct; distributed consciousness; climb ladder above the grasses and see the landscape which allows you to leap and fly into the true consciousness, dissolve the separation between the observer and the observed, transcend the separation to be one with the unfolding of reality itself; oceanic feeling of higher knowledge of self about self; consciousness is non-physical and pervades the world
Link: Subash Kak - Is Consciousness Ultimate Reality? - YouTube