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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10616
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 01:55 am: | 
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I am currently reading the new 550-page biography of Albert Einstein, a fascinating book about a fascinating man who, contrary to popular belief, was not a inept nerd as a child, but was instead a very introspective person, an eccentric yet passionate individiual who became obsessed with the idea of "relativity" which, in this context, can be defined as: "the state of being that is dependent for its existence on, or determined in its nature, value, or quality, by its relation to something else". Once Einstein duped out his "theory of relativity" he revolutionized the scientific world by proving, among other things, that the speed of light is constant regardess of where it comes from or who is watching it, and also that the laws of mathematics and the laws of physics are different interpretations of the same thing, thereby proving that matter and movement and time are all the same thing acting differently in relation to each other - simplified explanations of some of the complicated conclusions which made Einstein's name synonymous with the word "genius".
During the end of the 1800s and all through the 1900s Einstein and his contemporaries, using laws previously established by Isaac Newton, and the geometric theorums of Ptolemy and the calculations of ancient star gazers, discovered the solutions to some of the most profound mysteries ever known to man. These scientists were physicists, chemists, mathmeticians, engineers, and astronomers, all seeking to bring order to the chaos of the quantum world, a ubiquitous world of infintesimal particles invisible to the human eye, but whose existence is manifested through the effect their presence has on the behavior of visible matter.
All of these men were Caucasian Europeans, and they were driven in their need to know about time and space and movement and molecules and atoms and how all of these quantums impacted upon the universe and the planet Earth.
The deeper I get into this book, the more I keep wondering where were the black scientists during this period? Did these brilliant white men have counterparts on the African continent, men who were successors to the pyramid builders and ancient alchemists? And if no such black scientists were around, then why not? Studies have indicated that the caucasoid and the negroid brains are wired differently, with black people being more right-brained, more spontaneous, more imaginative. This would suggest that blacks relate more to their immediate surroundings, discovering things in the course of doing things, and are people who are at peace with the natural world visible to their eyes rather than the kind who are anxious to learn about the abstract unseen powers that hold it all together. (Of course these are generalities.)
I am also finding it interesting that what distinguished Einstein from so many of his colleagues was that he was an empirical thinker who preferred to postulate theories first from experience and observation before accepting the certainty of forumlas and equations. He utilized visualization to devise his theories. He would illustrate mathmatical forumlas by transforming them into scenarios, replacing numbers and letters with people and objects in situations that were comparable to the problem he was analyzing. And many times the answers to questions he pondered, appeared to him spontaneously while he was engaged in other activity.
So it would seem that black people and Einstein have a lot in common. But their circumstances made the difference... |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2440
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 11:31 am: |
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Great review, Cynique. I am glad that you took this book on--You will not be disappointed. Re: your question: "where were the black scientists during this period?"
I think the recent documentary on Percy Julian points out part of this. The key to these kinds of dicoveries involves being on a certain professional pathway in academic (that is, university-based) science. Of course, AE was somewhat of an aberration in that his most groundbreaking work was done when he was a patent clerk because he could not get such a position. But for the most part, you need to be working in this "club."
Julian's life points out how rare it was for Blacks during previous times to get tracked into research careers. The few that made it to higher education and graduate work were expected to take on teaching careers--and that at small agricultural and technical schools that trained Blacks--or in some (some) industries that were bold enough to overcome their prejudice and hire them.
In these types of environments you simply cannot easily do the kind of theoretical work required to produce such groundbreaking scientific advances.
I would say that Black tradition also plays a part, in that more "practical" helping careers have been more highly valued than more theoretical areas. We are expected to gain education and skills that can be translated pretty directly to helping our families and communities.
But I think it is intriguing that you hint that AE might have had more of a...soulful...thinking process. LOL And of course we have talked here about his dedication to anti-racism, and that is another facet that the bio brings out. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10618
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 12:17 pm: |
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I agree with your assement, Yvette, when it came to the continent of North of America. There was no way that people recently liberated from the shackles of slavery would be doing sophisticated scientific research. Or, for that matter, during that era was there much research going on among the white scientific community in this country who were more into the practical science of inventing things. But I was just curious as to why what was going on in the continent of Europe wasn't going on the continent of Africa.
I also thought it was amusing that ol Albert was a "playa" when it came to women, and also believed in "keeping it real", as demonstrated by his distase for the superficial trappings of the bourgeoise. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5715
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 12:22 pm: |
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But I was just curious as to why what was going on in the continent of Europe wasn't going on the continent of Africa.
(How do you know it wasn't) |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10619
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 12:29 pm: |
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Was it? |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5716
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 12:38 pm: |
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(How do YOU know it wasn't? They used to teach me--and you--in schools that The Negro never invented anything. Didn't even tell you about what the Negro invented over here.
They acted like everybody was over there heathen, when you had a country--Ethiopia--that was Christian longer than lots of European nations. When you had Muslims.
They said there was nothing--they are finding evidence everyday.
You can walk into the desert in Mesopotamia, in Egypt and North Africa. See nothing. Dig it up. Find cities where people were studying astronomy. Where there are nothing but ignorant goatherds.
Right out there with those inbred Sicilian and Italian and Greek peasants--artifacts.
Cynique, I can see it was a mistake to go easy on you. You get lazy. Trifling. Shiftless. Your mind begins to lay around by the fishing hole all day guzzling shine and snoring and stealing chickens and watermelon from your neighbors' fields.
I got a job to do. And by God, I'm going to do it. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10620
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 12:44 pm: |
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Oh shut up, chrishayden.I am not talking about this country. Didn't I say that? Relevancy continues to be a mystery to you.
If scientists from the countries on African continent were doing scientific research at the same time that Europe was, then my curiosity would be satisfied if someone has evidence of this. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5719
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 01:08 pm: |
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If scientists from the countries on African continent were doing scientific research at the same time that Europe was, then my curiosity would be satisfied if someone has evidence of this.
(Iif you think white folks are so smart why don't you sign up to go over to Iraq? I'm sure they can find you a job--like "bait" or "hostage" or "casualty"
You old zigaboo, if they did, it was likely that Mr. Charlie slapped his name on it just like he did the traffic light and the blood transfusion.
Do you get it now, chump?) |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10621
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 01:25 pm: |
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Still can't deal with questions that don't align themselves with your subjectivness, can you crissyboy? Still making false accusations in an attempt to make your point. All you're doing is bitching and going off on tangents because you can't come up with a rational answer. And as usual you are trembling in your boots, afraid to death of the idea that because blacks are different from whites, this makes whites better. watta jerk. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5720
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 01:30 pm: |
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the idea that because blacks are different from whites, this makes whites better
(So you admit you believe this?
That's all you need to do is admit you believe this and then we can move on) |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10622
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 01:45 pm: |
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No, I don't believe that, which is why I can bring questions out in the open, unlike you who cringes at the thought of a black person actually saying things that might make blacks look bad. In your mind such things should be left unsaid. Wooo. Don't play into white people's hands and give them ideas - (that they don't already have.) Puleeze. Once again your lack of periphral vision prevents you from seeing the big picture, chrissy. Obviously, the ancients in Africa laid the ground work for the European scientific commmunity to build on, and the fact that the African continent went into another direction is not about superiority or inferioirty. An idea you and your weak-kneed insecurity can't absorb. |
Libralind2
Veteran Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 969
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2007 - 03:12 pm: |
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She tole you....
LiLi |
Nels
Veteran Poster
Username: Nels
Post Number: 984
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 01:37 am: |
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(E=mc²)? The (square) root (2) is not a subscript. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10629
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 12:34 pm: |
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Yes, I know the formula is "e equals mc squared", but, as you can see, it doesn't work when you try to write it correctly in numerals - as your attempt shows. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10633
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 04:41 pm: |
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OK, I finally figured out how to correctly display the theory of relativity:
e=mc2
And while looking for it I found a whole list of ways to display clip art!  |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2453
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 02:40 pm: |
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LOL--Cynique has got a new toy! Mzuri lives! |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10662
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 03:35 pm: |
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Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 2836
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 09:04 pm: |
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Thanks for the opine about the Einstein book Ms. Cynique. I have had my eyes on this particular book for some time since I love biographies. Speaking of which, I finally ordered the John Hope Franklin bio today. I know it was discussed here in the forum a while back. I was somewhat reticent because of the luke warm reviews it got here and elsewhere. But after sitting down with a cup of java and reviewing it at Barnes and Nobles last night, there were a number of things he talked about in his life that I am very interested in.
I read a fascinating article about Mr. Franklin before I moved to Japan in 1996. The article was written by Nat Hentoff, the constitutional law and civil liberties guru and music critic (he used to write for Down Beat back in the sixties, he was a fierce defender and champion of the music of Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp and the later Impulse recordings of John Coltrane) . He wrote a lively and informative article about Mr. Franklin in the Village Voice. Ever since then, I have always had an interest in him. Mr. Franklin was on CSPAN’s Book TV earlier this year. It was a two hour question and answer period that was riveting. I loved it. So, I went to Amazon and ordered a used HC copy for $4.00.
Oh yeah, and contrary to the extraneous chaff, your questions merit serious thinking and discussion. I’ve often times asked the same questions.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10683
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 10:09 pm: |
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Nice to have NTFS, our Renaissance Man checking in with us.  .
Incidentally, I am just about finished with this long biography of Einstein, and the further I get into this book, the more the personality of Einstein morphs. As he aged, he became less of a maverik and more conventional, less empirical and spontaneous in his thinking, relying more on proven formulas, as he even started to doubt some of his own postulations.
In regard to the autobiographys of John Hope Franklin, I was one of the ones luke warm about this dry book, mostly because it was like a glorified resume of the author. IMO. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 2841
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 12:03 pm: |
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"In regard to the autobiographys of John Hope Franklin, I was one of the ones luke warm about this dry book, mostly because it was like a glorified resume of the author."
Oh, I remember that very well. Others made similar comments (Amazon's open book reviews). That was one of the reasons I initially backed off. But as I said, there were some interesting stories in his bio that I do want to read. For four bucks, it's the price of a cold brew. What else can I say? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
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