• About

Ghada's SoapBox

~ A socio-political critic's variety show

Category Archives: Science

Electric Cosmology And Shifting Paradigms

14 Saturday Oct 2017

Posted by Ghada Chehade in Electric Universe, Science

≈ 4 Comments

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This article is based on the breakout room talk I gave at the EU 2017 Conference in Phoenix. It is a summary of my previous EU work, and there is some overlap with earlier EU articles here.

electric sky

Like many interested in the electric universe theory, I am not a scientist. Yet, like many, the Electric Universe speaks to me and appeals to me. In this article I raise three points that may be interesting to non-scientists, such as myself, with respect to the electric universe theory. First: That cosmology is the biggest and most definitive paradigm there is. Secondly: As a meta-paradigm, cosmology influences other subsidiary paradigms, even if indirectly. Finally: Given the first two points, if and when cosmology changes, then other paradigms will also necessarily change.

Cosmology is the Mother of all Science and Philosophy

Starting with the first point, think for a moment about what a significant and defining paradigm cosmology is. Historically speaking, cosmology can be seen as the mother of all science and philosophy. Cosmology tells the “big story” of our universe and deals with the big questions. Fundamentally, cosmology tells the story of what is.

What is this thing we call the universe? What is the structure of the universe? What is its driving force? How and why did it develop the way it has? Also, is it isolated or is it connected, is it finite or is it infinite, does it have an origin, does it have an end..?

These questions are as much philosophical as they are scientific, and therefore have impact far beyond the sciences. To put it simply, just thinking about the universe will eventually lead to contemplating everything within it. Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Electric Universe Theory… And The Coming Paradigm Shift

27 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by Ghada Chehade in Electric Universe, Philosophy, Science

≈ Leave a comment

electric-sun

This is the final article in my series on the appeal of the electric universe theory (EUT) to non-scientists, such as myself. In previous posts I discussed the historical appeal and the structural appeal of the EUT. In this post, I explore the final category—discourse. For me, one of the main draws of the EUT is that it has the potential to change and redefine certain existing paradigms, thereby possibly altering our meta-discourse or meta-narrative about the universe, our world, and our place in it.

As I have stated elsewhere, cosmology is the mother of all science and philosophy. It tells the “big story” of our universe and deals with the big questions. It addresses our concept of life, the world, and our place in it—past, present and future. Fundamentally, cosmology tells the story of what is. What is this thing we call the universe? What is the structure of the universe? What is its driving force? How and why did it develop the way it has? Is it isolated or connected, is it finite or infinite, does it have an origin, does it have an end, etc?

The answers to these questions ultimately permeate our understanding of our own being, existence and nature, even if on a subconscious level. Given that cosmology is the definitive discourse and narrative, if cosmology changes then, conceptually, everything can also change. This is because cosmology is an overarching discourse that, traditionally, directly or indirectly affected and shaped everything from philosophy and religion– to art, culture and even pop culture. So a change in the way we perceive and understand the universe has the potential to change and affect the broader culture. Simply put, a change in our cosmology will not only affect our understanding of the material world, but may ultimately affect anything to do with culture, humankind’s place in the world, and the cosmos. Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Structural Appeal of the EUT: Connectivity and the Electric Universe

29 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by Ghada Chehade in Electric Universe, Science

≈ 2 Comments

andromedagalex_2048

This is the second article in my series on the appeal of the electric universe theory (EUT) to non-scientists, like myself. I want to note that what I mean by “non-scientist” is someone who is interested in subjects related to the sciences but does not have formal scientific training and is not particularly comfortable with mathematics and scientific jargon. This is how I approach the EUT and what follows are my personal interpretations and observations. My approach to the electric universe reflects my own background and interests as a researcher in the Humanities, a sociopolitical critic, a discourse analyst, and a performance poet. My approach may not reflect that of others but could open certain doors and pathways for further exploration and discussion of the electric universe theory for some.

In a piece I first wrote on the subject, I state that, for me, the “non-scientific” appeal of the EUT can be broken down into the three categories: historical, structural, and discursive. I explored the historical category in my previous post. In today’s post I explore the structural (or systemic) category at greater length.

The structural/systemic component of the EUT comprises a vast area of research within the scientific realm, in that it deals with cosmology and astrophysics, among other things. At the same time, what it posits about the nature and structure of the universe opens up avenues of interest and investigation for both scientists and non-scientists alike. So what exactly does the electric universe theory say about the structure of the universe and why should it be of interest to someone such as myself? Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

Why the Electric Universe Matters to Non-Scientists: Part Two

05 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by Ghada Chehade in Electric Universe, Philosophy, Science

≈ 2 Comments

electric sky

This is part two of my follow up article on the 2016 Electric Universe Conference. In the previous post I gave my general impression of the conference and began to discuss the possible appeal of the electric universe theory (EUT) to non-scientists. This post is a continuation of that discussion. Before I proceed, I want to stress that I am not a scientist and am not qualified to speak about the EUT scientifically. As a scholar in the social sciences and humanities, I’m interested in the philosophical and socio-historical implications of the electric universe theory. My perspective deals with the broader, non-technical appeal of the EUT, as I understand it.

In the previous post I state that the non-scientific appeal of the EUT can be broken down into the three categories: historical, structural/systemic, and discursive. These are categories that anyone can access as analytical tools by which to explore the electric universe as a truer explanation for the cosmos. I describe each of these categories briefly in the subsequent paragraphs and will follow up with a separate post for each category in the coming weeks. Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

Follow Up on the Electric Universe Conference: Why the Electric Universe Matters to Non-Scientists

23 Saturday Jul 2016

Posted by Ghada Chehade in Electric Universe, Philosophy, Science

≈ 6 Comments

cosmic-electricity

This post is a long overdue follow-up on the Electric Universe conference I attended and presented at in Arizona in mid June. For a brief summary of what the electric universe theory (EUT) is about, see the previous electric universe post and or visit the Thunderbolts Projects website. This post is split into two parts. The first part gives my general feedback on the 2016 Electric Universe conference. The second part explores why the EUT matters to non-scientists, such as myself. As this is a long discussion, it will be presented over two separate posts.

Part I. EU 2016

When I was first invited to present EU-inspired spoken word poetry at the conference I had no idea what to expect. My first thought was that I might be out of my element because I do not have a background in science. One of the organizers, Jean Hafner, kindly assured me that the EUT is interdisciplinary and attracts people from all walks of life, and that is exactly what I found. While the EUT deals largely with cosmological science, I met people from all walks of life, from mechanical and electrical engineers and physicists to filmmakers, writers and people in the healing arts. As promised, the conference was “an interdisciplinary adventure.” Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Electric Universe Theory: A More Tenable Explanation of the Nature and Development of the Universe?

17 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by Ghada Chehade in Electric Universe, Philosophy, Science

≈ 4 Comments

thunderbolt

 

NOTE: To Read My EU 2016 Performance Poem Paradigm Shift click here

It is interesting how our childhood hobbies and passions sometimes accidentally find us in adulthood. When I was very young I was fascinated by cosmology. I wanted to know everything I could about the origin and development of the universe (though I probably did not call it the universe back then). Basically, I was interested in the big questions: What is this thing we all experience; how did it come about; what is the driving force, etc? These questions are as much philosophical as they are scientific. Indeed in the times of the ancient Greeks, philosophy and science were the same discipline. I retained my fascination with the nature of the universe into high school and university and also wondered if cosmology could explain some of the inexplicable phenomenon I had experienced over the years (precognitive dreaming, etc), but because I was not very good in math I focused on the social sciences instead.

Today I have a BA and MA in the Social Sciences and a PhD in the Humanities and center most of my writing and research on socio-political analysis. However, I’ve held onto my philosophical interest in cosmology throughout the years and reading about it has been kind of a side hobby for me. While I do not have a scientific background, the current mainstream cosmology, which is based on the Big Bang, gravity and Einsteinian relativity, always seemed lacking in some way. It does not seem to provide a very tenable explanation of the universe and many of its suppositions are still shrouded in mystery; things like black holes, wormholes, dark matter, and dark energy all seem to generate more questions than answers.

Mainstream science suggests that we cannot understand these things because, unlike Einstein, we are not geniuses. Black holes, dark matter, and all the other speculative elements of gravitational cosmology are simply too complex for non-genius minds to comprehend. Einstein has become synonymous with genius, and the cult of Einstein makes it almost impossible to question his theories of relativity and his mathematics. Yet Einstein never proved his theory of general relativity and, to this day, high school students are taught Newtonian gravity and mechanics (meaning classical gravity).

But gravity as the driving force of the universe has come to be challenged with the space age (and the advent of new technology) and the confirmation of a force billions of times stronger than gravity. That force is electricity. The space age has allowed us to directly observe and sense (with sensors that are actually out in space) the universe in a way that has led some scientists to argue that the key to understanding objects in deep space and the workings of the physical universe is electricity (and plasma), not gravity. Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories

  • Culture
  • Current Events
  • Electric Universe
  • Geopolitics
  • Philosophy
  • Poetry
  • Political Economy
  • Politics
  • Science
  • Society
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • October 2020
  • May 2020
  • November 2019
  • April 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014

©2014-2020

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: