Monthly Archives: August 2014

Extreme physical information

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In a theory developed by B. Roy Frieden, “physical information” is defined as the loss of Fisher information that is incurred during the observation of a physical effect. Thus, if the effect has an intrinsic information level J but is observed at information level I, the physical information is defined to be the difference I − J. This defines an information Lagrangian. Frieden’s principle of extreme physical information or EPI states that extremalizing I − J by varying the system probability amplitudes gives the correct amplitudes for most or even all physical theories. The EPI principle was recently proven. It follows from a system of mathematical axioms of L. Hardy defining all known physics.

— Wikipedia on Physical information

2014.08.31 Sunday ACHK

Prayer 5

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The uses of prayers:

1. Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view. It is the soliloquy of a beholding and jubilant soul. It is the spirit of God pronouncing his works good. But prayer as a means to effect a private end is meanness and theft. It supposes dualism and not unity in nature and consciousness. As soon as the man is at one with God, he will not beg. He will then see prayer in all action. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. Align yourself to reality, help you to accept reality, so that you can take actions based on objective reality, rather than expected reality.

3. Slow down your conscious thoughts, so that your unconscious minds (higher-selves) can be released.

— Me@2011.07.14

2014.08.29 Friday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

二百萬 2.2

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夢幻組合 1.2 C

這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

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發現「質量守恆定律」的，是一位化學家，名叫拉瓦節（Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier）。他的正識是一位稅務官。因為高薪厚職，他有充足的金錢，去購買很多高級精準的化學儀器，以作化學研究之用。他的其中一個科學功績是，透過他的一些實驗，印證了「質量守恆定律」。

拉瓦節的太太 Marie-Anne Pierette Paulze，同時是他的助手 —— 為拉瓦節把文章翻譯成外語，從而把拉瓦節的化學研究成果，發揚光大。

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

拉瓦節夫婦的合作，正正是我上次所講，「機械人比喻」的一個例子：

「

另一個方法是，嘗試找一個程度比你低，但可以成為你人生夢幻拍檔的人。正如一些機械人卡通的劇情：有時有一隻大機械人不懂飛。但是有一隻小機械人可以變成一對翼，和大機械人合體。他們整體就可以飛起來。

大機械戰鬥力再高，本身也不懂飛。小機械人戰鬥力不足，飛來也沒有什麼用。但是，兩機合體就變成了夢幻組合。

」

拉瓦節太太的化學造詣，不及丈夫；而拉瓦節的文字功力，亦不及太太。但是，他們卻是夢幻組合，合力發表了，很多改變歷史的作品。

— Me@2014.08.27

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2014.08.29 Friday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Integrating factor

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In mathematics, an integrating factor is a function that is chosen to facilitate the solving of a given equation involving differentials. It is commonly used to solve ordinary differential equations, but is also used within multivariable calculus when multiplying through by an integrating factor allows an inexact differential to be made into an exact differential (which can then be integrated to give a scalar field). This is especially useful in thermodynamics where temperature becomes the integrating factor that makes entropy an exact differential.

— Wikipedia on Integrating factor

2014.08.26 Tuesday ACHK

Empathy

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themodelplumber 25 days ago

I used to live near the Tojimbo cliffs and have been thinking about the place (and what happens there) on and off since my first visit. I also really liked this NYT article, about a retired cop who made it his mission to stop suicide attempts at the cliffs. 222 lives had been saved as of late 2009.

scott_s 25 days ago

“Mr. Shige says his approach to stopping suicides is quite simple: when he finds a likely person, he walks up and gently begins a conversation. The person, usually a man, quickly breaks down in tears, happy to find someone to listen to his problems.”

Genuine empathy can be both powerful and shocking.

—–

bradleysmith 25 days ago

[Unexpected] empathy is always particularly moving, especially for the hopeless. It’s a STRONG pattern interrupt to a negative view of the world around you, and really makes people question themselves.

— Hacker News

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2014.08.26 Tuesday ACHK

二百萬 2

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這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

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我覺得，「談戀愛」主要是令到兩個人快樂。但是，「認真工作」卻可以令到無數人快樂。例如，我的工作是學術、教學、寫作等。任何一樣我只要認真經營，都可以大大改善，很多人的一生。

但是，那不代表「談戀愛」和「認真工作」不可共存，因為，還有一個可能性，就是我的戀愛對象，和我有共同的人生目標，都想改善這個世界。那樣，我和她就可以互為助手。

如果沒有共同或相近的人生目標，拍拖（談戀愛）的過程中，就很可能會充滿，很多無意義的活動和劇情。那就大大浪費了我，很多原本可以用來，轉捩其他人的時間。（「轉捩」在此作動詞用。）

相反，如果可以互為助手，那就相當於二人合力，去創造一個嶄新的世界。共同創作，可能是拍拖過程的，最美滿版本。

— Me@2014.08.24

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2014.08.25 Monday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

轉捩點現象

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點石成金 7

這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

如果可以做到別人的轉捩點，我就會見到一個現象，就是凡是遇到我的人，都會遇到一個轉捩點，而大大提升了才智。

換句話說，我遇到的人，都將會是超凡的人。

— Me@2014.08.21

2014.08.22 Friday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

氣功

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氣功有真有假。

健康的氣功，應不含宗教成份，應符合科學。

「真氣功」中的「氣」，是指「呼吸」。

健康的氣功，是透過呼吸的訓練，去促進血液循環。

如需查詢，請以電郵聯絡本人。

— Me@2014-08-20 01:42:40 PM

2014.08.20 Wednesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

兩不合理取其輕 1.2

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這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

接著，我跟她（的顯意識）解釋：

「

你的潛意識雖然沒有錯，化學科需要背誦的東西之中，真的有一半是『不合理』的東西；但是，如果你因為不肯背誦『不合理』的東西，而導致入不到大學，那就更加『不合理』。

兩害取其輕，兩利取其大。入大學前，在化學科之中，你要用你的『顯意識』，凌駕你的『潛意識』。

可以避免的東西，就盡量避免。但是，對於一些考試必須、不能避免的『原材料』，無論『有意義』還是『不合理』，你也要背誦。

」

那就是為什麼我會話，我當年有部分科目，A 不到的主要原因是，我當年不肯做，不合理的事情。當年的我以為，數學和物理，是思考的科目，不應背誦，所有東西也應該是，自己想出來的。那想法近乎完全錯誤。

正確的版本應該是，數學和物理，是思考的科目，所以大部分的東西也可以「生背」，只有小部分要「死背」。而「生背」的意思是，先明白道理，後背誦結果。可以「生背」的東西，就不要「死背」，因為有明顯道理的東西，就即是有上文下理，你背誦以後，就不易遺忘或記錯。

企圖選擇「生背」，盡量避免「死背」之後，仍然殘留下來，必須「死背」的東西，就唯有「死背」，不宜再作無謂的盤算。

總括而言，無論是為了學問還是成績，背誦（生背和死背）不單是必須的，而且要大量地進行。

— Me@2014.08.18

2014.08.19 Tuesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Entropy (arrow of time)

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Why did the universe have such low entropy in the past, resulting in the distinction between past and future and the second law of thermodynamics? Why are CP violations observed in certain weak force decays, but not elsewhere? Are CP violations somehow a product of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, or are they a separate arrow of time? Are there exceptions to the principle of causality? Is there a single possible past? Is the present moment physically distinct from the past and future or is it merely an emergent property of consciousness? Why does time have a direction?

— Wikipedia on List of unsolved problems in physics

2014.08.17 Sunday ACHK

兩不合理取其輕

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這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

我現在知道，我當年有部分科目，A 不到的原因。其中一個原因是，我不夠聰明。但是，更重要的原因是，我當年不肯做，不合理的事情。

有時，我會有靈感，導致我會講到一些，其他人講不到的東西。例如，我有次講得到某個學生，一個讀書方法上的重大缺點。我猜想，只我才會準確指出，她那個缺點的詳情，令到她可以改正。

去年有一位學生，她說有很多次，在閱讀化學考試卷題目時，都有一頭霧水的感覺，連答案的第一步，都未必寫得出來。然後，我告訴她，如果沒有足夠資料，一個人多聰明也沒有用。正如，即使你是烹飪天才，如果沒有足夠的食物材料，也沒有辦法煮到美味的菜色。所以，我估計她「一頭霧水」的原因是，在化學科之中，沒有作足夠的背誦，導致作答題目時，「原材料」不足。

她不會知道，她不肯背誦化學的真正原因，所以我告訴她。她的性格是，從來不肯做「不合理」的事。雖然她的顯意識不知道，但是潛意識感覺到，化學科需要背誦的東西之中，有一半是無謂的東西。「無謂」的意思是，沒有道理、不能合體的零碎資料。所以她的潛意識會自動反抗：「即使我用功背誦，長遠來說，那堆無謂的資料，一來不是有趣，二來沒有用處，三來會高速忘記。那我背來有什麼意義呢？」

接著，我跟她（的顯意識）解釋：

「

你的潛意識雖然沒有錯，化學科需要背誦的東西之中，真的有一半是『不合理』的東西；但是，如果你因為不肯背誦『不合理』的東西，而導致入不到大學，那就更加『不合理』。

兩害取其輕，兩利取其大。入大學前，在化學科之中，你要用你的『顯意識』，凌駕你的『潛意識』。

可以避免的東西，就盡量避免。但是，對於一些考試必須、不能避免的『原材料』，無論『有意義』還是『不合理』，你也要背誦。 

」

那就是為什麼我會話，我當年有部分科目，A 不到的主要原因是，我當年不肯做，不合理的事情。

— Me@2014.08.14

2014.08.14 Thursday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Self-replication

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Von Neumann’s crucial insight is that part of the replicator has a double use; being both an active component of the construction mechanism, and being the target of a passive copying process. This part is played by the tape of instructions in Von Neumann’s combination of universal constructor plus instruction tape.

The combination of a universal constructor and a tape of instructions would i) allow self-replication, and also ii) guarantee that the open-ended complexity growth observed in biological organisms was possible. The image below illustrates this possibility.

This insight is all the more remarkable because it preceded the discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule by Watson and Crick, though it followed the Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiment which identified DNA as the molecular carrier of genetic information in living organisms. The DNA molecule is processed by separate mechanisms that carry out its instructions and copy the DNA for insertion for the newly constructed cell. The ability to achieve open-ended evolution lies in the fact that, just as in nature, errors (mutations) in the copying of the genetic tape can lead to viable variants of the automaton, which can then evolve via natural selection.

— Wikipedia on Von Neumann universal constructor

2014.08.11 Monday ACHK

Deliberate practice

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zvrba 1 day ago | link

I think the key is “deliberate practice” …

But before learning about ‘deliberate practice’, I had first heard a saying that “practice makes permanent”. You have to practice with the actual intention of getting better and perfecting your technique, otherwise you’re just strengthening the old habits.

Some context for the rest of the text: my hobbies are aikido and an old Japanese sword art, so I practice sword cuts a lot (wooden sword, no target — yet).

Deliberate practice is hard, it’s taxing, both physically but also mentally. It requires not only that you focus on what you’re doing but also consciously focusing on how you’re doing it. By focusing on what and how simultaneously, you can draw a causal connection between the result (what) and how you achieved it. If you’re not satisfied with the result, then you try to modify the “how” in a variety of ways until you feel the result has gotten better.

This is mentally taxing and absolutely not fun. You’re watching yourself making mistakes in real time, the mind wants but the body cannot (yet). Sometimes you even need to get a fundamentally new idea about “what” or “how” in order to break the (current) barrier. Suddenly an advice that you got from a teacher a year ago, and which didn’t make sense then, makes sense NOW.

And after having practiced for a while (usually up to 50 min; different exercises), I notice that I have reverted to “blind” practice, that I can no longer focus on “how”, regardless how much I try. That’s when I stop, regardless of how much “real time” has elapsed.

—

Trying to write ten thousand different sentences will make you a better writer than writing the same sentence ten thousand times.

— Hacker News

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2014.08.10 Sunday ACHK

點石成金轉捩點

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這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

…

你等一等，我需要寫低一些意念。我發覺「點石成金」和「轉捩點」這兩個概念，十分相關。

…

我網誌的原材料，很多都是這樣收集而來的 —— 每逢靈感來時，就立刻記下。

寫網誌的主要目的，未必是寫文章給別人看。寫網誌的主要目的，亦可以是寫文章給自己看。網誌會令到未來的自己，可以翻查到，自己在哪年哪月哪日，想到了哪些東西、搞錯了哪些東西、改正了哪些東西。文章會紀錄了自己思考的歷程、思想的進化。

— Me@2014.08.09

2014.08.10 Sunday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Change

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By the definition of “time”, anything in time must be changing. Anything not in time, such as the dead, cannot change.

If you do not keep changing for better (improve, grow), you are effectively dead.

— Me@2011.10.10

Although this paragraph is not 100% accurate, its spirit is useful.

— Me@2014.08.09

2014.08.09 Saturday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Permission marketing

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Permission marketing is a term popularized by Seth Godin (but found earlier) used in marketing in general and e-marketing specifically. The undesirable opposite of permission marketing is interruption marketing. Marketers obtain permission before advancing to the next step in the purchasing process. For example, they ask permission to send email newsletters to prospective customers.

— Wikipedia on Permission marketing

You need to make cold calls because you do not know how to make warm calls.

— Me@2011.07.05

2014.08.08 Friday ACHK