I started thinking about this idea of everything being circular instead of linear and started thinking of examples to try and decide which one seemed more logical. The conclusion I have drawn is circular seems more logical as it seems to appear more often. Also anything that seems to be linear could be viewed as simply a small segment of a circle where the curve cannot be seen (as mentioned at the end of class). Examples of this circular motion I have come up with include: life and death, day and night, the seasons, and the rotation of Earth (obviously) just to name a few. Larger circles are also present and without the presence of a lot of research would appear linear such as global warming and freezing. If it wasn’t for the fact scientists have concluded the Earth has gone through several ice ages followed by periods of warming, the warming of Earth now would appear linear. The Earth’s magnetic poles also seem to follow a circular pattern as evidence indicates the poles have switched several times through the course of time (some believe this switch may once again occur in 2012). If this circular pattern is the ultimate truth does this mean the entire universe is following this pattern and will ultimately result in its destruction and reformation? I view this as a stretch since my perception would put the universe on a linear path but this is mostly because we don’t have any information to support such a theory, or do we. Black holes viewed in high power telescopes are simply the end of the life cycle of a star, this indicates to me that this circular motion applies to any and everything no matter the size. Instead it’s just a matter of whether or not we can see the curve of a circle or only see a small segment that appears linear.
This circular motion also has me questioning the statement "those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it". If circular motion applies isn't it simply we're doomed to repeat history? This seems to make sense as over the course of history the same type events seem to occur.
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I have to agree that circular patterns are visible in almost anything. Planets orbit around the sun, moons orbit the planets, even galaxies orbit around the universe and collide. There’s also the common phrase (and song from the Lion King) “the circle of life,” which proposes that life (and death) continues in a circular pattern. For example, a tree grows in the soil; sprouts leaves; the leaves die; the wind blows the dead leaves to the ground; the dead leaves decompose into the soil, making it richer to grow more plants. Circles are everywhere, and so are patterns. I would agree that it is a possibility that history repeats itself, whether or not it occurs with specific events or just general trends that happen naturally over time. As for the future of our earth, the Sun is approximated to enlarge into a Red Giant star, and engulf Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, but this will not happen for a few billion years (according to my Astronomy professor). I think the universe offers prime examples of history repeating itself and continuing the cycle of life and death.
ReplyDeleteI think the main problem with seeing everything in terms of circular cycles of motion is how short of a time we have to live. It's so hard for most to even see the big picture of carbon emissions and global warming affecting the lives of our future children and planet. Nobody can fully understand the concept of long-term consequences or cycles because we simply won't be around long enough to see it.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned that though some things appear to be linear, it may just be that we haven't discovered or do not have the ability to view the larger circle yet. So many examples of the cyclical nature of things allows us to see the importance of the circle, which then allows us to make these projections that things that seem linear are really just part of a bigger circle. When Josh talked about this concept in class, it made me think of drawing a circle in calculus class, where you draw a thousand lines which eventually become the outside of a circle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea that there is a circular pattern to just about every process. Regardless of whether it is obvious, further investigation proves that they could still exist. Kevin's response regarding the growth and demise of a tree is a good example of this. Although the linear pattern is evident to observers, the growth of new vegetation due to the tree's decay supports this circular idea.
ReplyDeleteI agree that that circular seems to be more logical and overall a more solid idea, that is if it is only one or the other. If we look at history, it seems that we, the human race, always seems to simplify the truth, tend to think it is linear instead of circular. Linear is a little easier of a concept to grasp. However, then it begs the question, what happens after that linear process ends, does another one start, or is it really one small segment of a circular process. One of the biggest transitions that human kind has made from starting with a circular approach and deeming it wrong, was the shape of planet earth. It was believed that it was a flat plane, which seems silly to us now, but as stated in class this past week, the concept of gravity did not exist, which helps us understand how a large sphere can feel as though it is a flat plane.
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