2023年11月24日星期五
16. Golden mean—perfect proportion
2023年11月20日星期一
15. Symmetry in nature—mysterious and great power
by Xuefeng
Look into the mirror. You step forward, the person in the mirror steps forward; you move backward, he does the same. You smile so does he. You raise your leg and so does he. Take the mirror as tangent, you and your image in the mirror have formed symmetry.
If an object is cut in halves vertically from the midpoint and the left and right sides completely overlap each other, then this object is a symmetrical object.
Let’s look at the microscopic and macroscopic world, and we will discover that the galaxies, the solar system, the earth, man, birds, tigers, fish, frogs, roundworms, flies, crickets, leaves, fresh flowers, butterflies, shells, eggs, seeds, cells and so on are all symmetrical objects.
Tornadoes, vortexes, diamonds, crystals, apyrite, pearls, hairs, water droplets, the orbits of celestial movements, and helixes and others are all symmetrical.
Among the Arabic numerals of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and ten, the odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are symmetrical with the even numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. The number of men is symmetrical with the number of women when considered in a larger time scale.
Symmetry is omnipresent in the universe. Without symmetry, there would be no universe.
Why does the protruding rafter rot first? For the protruding rafter destroys the symmetry. Why the Leaning Tower of Pisa looks uncomfortable? For it has lost its symmetry. Why some people are called the handicapped? For they lack symmetry. Why was the World Trade Center of America got bombed? For America has become exposed rafter that unsymmetrical with other countries. Why was Falun Gong suppressed? For it was not symmetrical with the Chinese culture then. Why have many ancient civilizations in human history have declined? For they have lost symmetry. Why monsters and demons are frightening? It is because they are unsymmetrical. Why the works of some artists look disgusting? It is because their works lack symmetry. Why some buildings appear unsafe? It is because these buildings are not symmetrical. Why are some people irascible? It is because they are psychologically unsymmetrical. Why are corrupt officials punished in the end? It is because their mentality is not symmetrical with those of the common people. Why are meteorites frequently seen in the sky? It is because these celestial bodies have lost their symmetry. Why did the emperor hang himself? It is because his existence was unsymmetrical with the situation of the time. Why does tranquility make one feel comfortable, while turbulence makes one feel nervous and upset? It is because tranquility is symmetrical but turbulence is unsymmetrical.
Symmetry is a kind of harmony, perfection, aesthetics, and order.
Why beauties are intoxicating? Why fresh flowers are pleasing to the eye? Why the music of Moonlight of Spring River is so soothing? Why do the sculptures of great masters make appealing to us? Because they are harmonious and perfect, providing people with enjoyment of beauty. Try to think. If a girl’s left eye is larger than her right eye, her mouth is a bit oblique, only four fingers on her left hand, eight toes on her right foot and her left leg is shorter than her right leg, how would you feel?
Man is inclined to symmetry. Outstanding artists (painters, sculptors, musicians, and so on), architects, and political leaders are all experts on symmetry. Whoever understands symmetry understands the mystery of nature; whoever has mastered symmetry will do things with ease and skill.
A mature man is a psychologically symmetrical person, while a whimsical, eccentric, irascible, testy, and tempestuous person is no doubt psychologically unsymmetrical.
Symmetry is perfect, asymmetry is defective; symmetry is long lasting, asymmetry is transitory.
The reason for me to discuss symmetry here is to find out what power has made all things in nature symmetrical and why people are innately inclined to symmetry.
Symmetry is a surface phenomenon, behind which is a mysterious and great power. The power controls in the form of symmetry to any over development and inharmonious kinetic energy and potential energy.
Why does man have only two eyes instead of three? Why is the earth round? Why does the dog’ tail grow on its rear body? Why are the wings of butterflies and the wings of birds identical? Why do people dislike ugly things?
Scientists will certainly seek answers from the characteristics and structures of particles like atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons, and photons which were proved in vain. For they could not explain the balance and symmetry for both sexes and why man does not grow a tail.
So far, can we feel deep within our subconscious selves that a super wisdom is in control of all beings? If so, who is this super wisdom but The Greatest Creator?
2023年11月15日星期三
14. Photosynthesis—the source of food for life
by Xuefeng
To survive, man needs not only air, water, and salt, but also needs to absorb nutrition, mainly carbohydrate.
Where does carbohydrate come from?
It comes from photosynthesis.
What is photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is a process of converting sunlight energy to chemical energy through carbon dioxide and water to produce the nutrition needed by animals and plants—carbohydrates.
Human body itself cannot conduct photosynthesis, neither can any other animals. Photosynthesis mainly occurs within green plants. Therefore man must live on green plants.
Photosynthesis can be briefly described as follows:
When sunlight shines upon the leaves of plants, it will be captured by chlorophyll in the cells of leaves. The light energy captured by chlorophyll will decompose the water entering the leaves via roots into hydrogen and oxygen. Oxygen will be released through the pores on the leaves, while hydrogen will be kept within leaves and will react with carbon dioxide entering the leaves via pores on the leaves to form carbohydrates. The vigorous carbohydrates will spread in the plant cells through veins and enable the absorption and growth of plants.
The most common type of carbohydrate is glucose, which will combine with nitrogen to form amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids needed by life. Nitrogen is carried inside plants mainly through the water absorbed by the root systems of plants.
Because of photosynthesis, part of carbohydrates formed inside the plants will be supplied to plant itself, and the rest will be stored in the leaves and fruits. Man and animals absorb carbohydrates by consuming the leaves and fruits of plants.
Carbohydrates are compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Sugar, glucose, and fructose are simple carbohydrates, while starch and cellulose are more complex carbohydrates. The molecules of simple carbohydrates have only a few carbon and hydrogen atoms, while the molecules of complex carbohydrates have many carbon and hydrogen atoms.
In terms of sources, all the food we eat originates from photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, there would be no humans. Some people argue, “I do not rely on plants, and can survive only on poultry and domesticated animals, so I don't need the photosynthesis of plants.” The problem is without the photosynthesis of plants, there would be no poultry and domesticated animals, because they rely on plants for survival. Of course we can survive by eating fish, but fish also live on the photosynthesis of algae and some indigenous microorganism.
From the point of nature, the only living things capable of making food are plants. Animals and men are not capable of making food themselves, because animal body and human body do not have the element for photosynthesis.
In addition to providing food for itself, animals, and man, the photosynthesis of plant has a tremendous function—the absorption of carbon dioxide and the release of oxygen.
If plants do not make oxygen, animals and plants would have died out long before. If the plants do not absorb the carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will exceed the constant, and greenhouse effect will aggravate, and the temperature of the earth would be too high for man and animals to survive.
Do you think that the photosynthesis of plants begins and happens incidentally?
2023年11月5日星期日
13. Cheap and good daily necessity—salt
by Xuefeng
When I was a child, I used to see a woman with an extremely large neck in our village. Each time I saw her, I would involuntarily throw more glances to her. Later I asked my grandma, “why is her neck so big?” Grandma replied, “according to doctors, because she did not have enough iodized salt."
When I was young, there were a fairly large number of imbeciles in the two neighboring villages. I asked my father, “Why are there so many retarded people in those two villages?” My father responded, “Possibly because they have had too much salt from Bayan Gully”.
Allow me to have a few words about my hometown here.
I spent my early childhood in my hometown where the Yellow River and Daxia River met. My family had a garden and orchard, where I could look westward at the spectacular view of “Yellow River falling from the sky”, which glittered in the sunshine. Northward, across the river there were the beautiful scenes of Wangjia Mountain and Wangjia Plain, and the flocks of horses, cattle, and goats on the shoals. In the south, the wire-pulled boats and the sheepskin rafts were ferrying passengers across Daxia River. In the east, cascades of houses were shaded and embraced by green trees. The two springs near the village were warm in winter and cool in summer. All through the year, clear and sweet water flows from these springs, and I grew up drinking the water from them.
“Everyone thinks that his hometown is the best”. But my hometown was extremely beautiful.
Unfortunately, my hometown has now become the territory of dragon king. The building of Liujiaxia Reservoir has created tremendous wealth for the five provinces and autonomous regions in northwest China, but at the same time sacrificed my hometown.
The building of the motherland needs everyone’s sacrifice, and this is very reasonable.
But what remains to be depressing is, dear motherland, you have forgotten the people who have dedicated their homeland.
I was barely a teenager when I left my beloved hometown and migrated to a new place, which was intersected with ravines. There was barren soil, endless desolation and no more beautiful sceneries. What remained were the primordial scenes of struggling for survival. My uncle had to leave for other places with my cousins and beg for food. These scenes are still vivid and fresh in mind, and each timeI I recall, my tears will run on my face.
Motherland, can’t you make some compensation for your faithful children who have sacrificed for you?
Yes, you can and you did. Every time you only gave us a set of Selected Works of Mao Zedong for consolation. Your representatives came five times, so our family got five sets of Selected Works of Mao Zedong.
The spiritual power is infinite, and the force of example is immense. But you have overlooked the fact that we are merely ordinary people. Even if you have piled my house and courtyard with Selected Works of Mao Zedong, we still need food and clothes, need to get marry!
Motherland! Have you ever thought of the life of those poor people who have sacrificed their homeland for you when you spent hundreds of millions RMB decorating the Chang’an Avenue?
Now let me return to the topic.
There is a deep gully called Bayan Gulley near the two villages just mentioned. In the gully there flows a gurgling stream, not of clear spring water, but of salty and turbid water. In order to save a few coppers earned from selling eggs while having salt, the people there made salt from the water of Bayan Gully. The question whether the people in the two villages got retarded from eating the salt from Bayan Gully can be left to scientists. .
We can infer from the two examples that salt is extremely important to man.
In human history, the salt business was very profitable. Salt merchants were the symbol of wealth. Countless fights and wars have broken out between men for the control of salt origin and the channel of salt business. In ancient times, the soldiers were offered salt as a prize, and the laborers were also paid by salt. When salt became a rarity, it was more valuable than gold.
Just as water and air, none of us can live without salt. Our daily food can dispense with any other seasoning, but not salt. Apart from water and air, salt is the most important necessity for life among natural resources.
The main component of salt is sodium chloride. Rock salt, lake salt, salt bed salt, and sea salt may differ in their respective structures and composition. For example, the refined salt we usually purchase from stores is cubic crystal in structure, while the lake salt is polygonal crystal. The best salt should be sea salt made through the sunlight-caused evaporation of sea water. Such salt contains over 80 minerals needed by human body, including iodine, calcium, potassium, magnesium, aluminum, barium, chromium, iron, manganese, fluorin, zinc, nickel, copper, phosphor, and the like.
Salt is not only a superior seasoning and preservative, but also the key substance to keep us healthy and vigorous. Salt can help the digestion of food, and transfer the nerve impulses to muscle tissues. But consumption of too much salt will do damage to the heart, and cause high blood pressure and over weight as well as the decline of kidney function, the disorder of menstruation, and edema.
The most important thing for life is air. Without air man will die immediately, so there must be adequate supply of air to guarantee the viability of life. The second most vital thing is water. Without water man cannot survive for long, so there must be a great reserve of water to keep life going. The third most important thing for life is salt. Without salt man can survive for a longer time, but will die eventually of weak limbs and frail body. Therefore it is also necessary to have a certain amount of salt in store of which can be obtained with little effort. When we shop for salt, we will find that salt is lower priced in comparison with other goods. As for gold, pearls, and diamonds, they are only ornamentals for life and are not necessities, so they are scarce in amount and are not easily obtained.
If the sea water is not salty, there will not be salt on earth. Since sea water is inexhaustible, so we will never be short of salt.
Now let’s see. For life in nature, the more important things are, the greater are their supply; the less important thing are, the smaller are their supply—is this simply a matter of unconscious coincidence of nature? Or is a purposefully arrangement by some mysterious power?
2023年11月2日星期四
12.The blood of the earth—water
by Xuefeng
Can we perceive the existence of The Greatest Creator through water?
To answer this question, first we will have a look at the property of water, the functions of water, and the circulation of water.
Water is composed of numberless water molecules which are made up of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. One side of water molecule (the side with hydrogen atoms) is the anode, and the other side is the cathode. Since like charges repel each other, but opposite ones attract, then anode of a water molecule is linked to the cathode of another water molecule. As a result, as long as they exist in the same place (container), all the water molecules will be linked together and form the water that we commonly refer to, because all the molecules have anodes and cathodes.
Pure water is colorless, tasteless and odorless. Its PH value is 7, neither acidity nor alkalinity. Water is the only substance in nature that can exist in three forms: solid, liquid, and gas. It has greater solubility than any other liquids. So water can transport the valuable chemical elements, minerals, and nutrition to plants, animals, and human body very easily.
Water freezes and changes into solid state at zero degrees Celsius, and becomes boiling water at 100 degrees Celsius. When the surface of water is irradiated by heat, the water molecules on the surface can become vapor and changes into gas state. Water can absorb and disperse heat. Water has very strong surface tension.
When the sun shines on the water surface, the heated water will evaporate and become vapor, which can continuously rise in the troposphere until the strong wind brings it to the distant sky over the land, where the rising warm air current from the heated land surface will force it to continue the ascension until it meets the cold air current. (The temperature and the vapor content decreased dramatically in the troposphere with the increase of altitude). When vapor meets cold air current, it will revert to the state of liquid. When the temperature is cold enough, the vapor will change into minute crystals particles and form clouds when combined with dust, soot, and salt crystals. When these minute water granules combine to form larger water drops, they will fall to the ground in the form of rain as a result of the gravitation of the earth. Some of the falling rain returns to the oceans through the brooks and rivers, while some infiltrates underground to become groundwater. The ground water can flow out to become surface water after hundreds of years and finally returns to the oceans. Some of the rain immediately changes into vapor after falling to the ground.
The earth is a closed space of circulation for water. The total amount of water will neither increase nor decrease. Therefore, there will be no change in the total amount of water on earth no matter whether it is absorbed by plants, animals and humans, or it is used to wash the diapers, or has evaporated and risen up in the sky; whether it has flowed into the sewage pipes, or infiltrated underground. Perhaps, the water molecule you are drinking was the water once drunk by Jesus or Sakyamuni, or used to wash diapers by a mother.
The total amount of water on earth is 326,000,000 cubic miles, of which the ocean takes up 97.24%, glaciers and icebergs account for 2.14%, the ground water accounts for 0.61%, and rivers only accounts for 0.0001%.
Let’s see whether there is The Greatest Creator in water accordingly.
Without water, the earth is nothing but a desert with no life on. No matter how capable man is, he cannot create water. In addition, people would have long perished without water, let alone create water. That is to say, water on earth is created by “someone" who does not need water. Who can exist without water?
Someone “wise” may claim; “Water is not created; it is something existed on earth since time immemorial”.
If this opinion is correct, we can be sure that the earth has neither past nor future but is timeless in existence. Then astronomers’ and scientists' assertion that the earth was born 4.6 billion years ago is purely a travelers’ tale.
Further more, since the earth has existed since time immemorial and the earth is only a small component of the universe, there will be no question of the birth of the universe and the universe must also have existed since time immemorial. Since the universe has no beginning, then all the celestial bodies and galaxies in the universe must be timeless and eternal. So it is absolutely impossible for meteorites to fall on the earth. Otherwise, the meteorites may have fallen from no where. Now that meteorites have fallen on the earth, it means that changes have occurred in the space, or certain celestial body has encountered disaster. The disaster that befalls on one celestial body will in turn affect the surrounding celestial bodies and trigger changes in other related celestial bodies. Thus will some celestial bodies perish someday? Will some new celestial bodies come into being? If a celestial body comes and goes, then undoubtedly the earth can also come and go. If the earth has a beginning, it is impossible that the earth has possessed all the things now on earth from the very beginning; there must have been a process of generation and development. So, where does water come from?
If we say that the water on earth has come into being naturally, then the following questions need to be answered:
Why is water colorless, tasteless, and odorless?
What if water has color, for example, if water is red or black?
What if water has taste, for example, if water is spicy, sour, or astringent?
What if water has smell, for example, if water emanates a fragrant or fishy smell?
Why does water has a very powerful solubility?
What will happen if water cannot dissolve the food we have eaten and the drug we have taken, if water cannot dissolve the red blood cells and white blood cells growing in the marrows, and if water cannot dissolve minerals, chemicals, and other nutritional substances?
Why does the PH value of purified water stand at 7?
What will happen if the PH value is smaller or greater than 7?
Why does water have three states: gas, liquid, and solid?
What will happen if water is only in the state of liquid and no gaseous or solid state? Will there be changes of climate on earth if water cannot turn into vapor? Can we still see the blue sky, white clouds, morning or evening glows? If water cannot change into solid state at low temperatures and form a layer of ice on the lake surface to block the harsh cold, will the fish not be frozen to death? How much land will be left if the ice that accounts for 2.14% of the total water amount has melted into water?
Why does the solid state of water have a smaller density than the liquid state of water?
If the solid state of water has a greater density than the liquid state of water, the ice formed on the river surface will continuously sink to the bottom, and the rivers, lakes, and oceans will all be changed into solid ice. When will the heat of the sun melt the ice? Will there be life if all the fishes, shrimps and turtles have been frozen?
Why does water have a powerful function in absorbing and releasing heat?
If water cannot absorb heat, the temperature of the equatorial areas in summer will be too high for man and animals to survive, the heat of the engines in our automobiles will not be carried away by water, and the pistons will be stuck inside the cylinders because of the heat expansion. If water does not have powerful heat dissipation, the temperate zone, especially the coastal regions, will be terribly cold in winter, and the heat in the engine will not be released.
Why does water boil at 100 degrees Celsius?
If water does not boil at 100 degrees Celsius but at 20 degrees, many rivers, lakes and oceans will have become a steaming pot where we can get boiled fish directly from. If water does not boil until it reaches 150 degrees Celsius, it would be impossible to boil food with ordinary pots, and it would be impossible to have food cooked at altitudes higher than 3000 meters.
Why does water have very strong surface tension?
If water does not have very strong surface tension, how can it be absorbed by the root systems of plants and enter the venations of trees to bring nutrition to leaves and fruits? How can it move inside the capillary vessels of man and animals and transport nutrition to the surface layer of skins and the internal organs?
Well, so much for the water subject. Just imagine. If water is not created by The Greatest Creator through careful arrangement, is it possible for the nature to create water with the above special functions?