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Theory of Everything

I remember pausing the first time I read those words. They were in an astronomy book or magazine or something, and it initially struck me as a bit conceited that a bit of cosmological discussion could suddenly lay claim to an word that literally referred to everything. Might not musicians or archaeologists or some other unfamiliar professional discipline have already taken the “everything” name and applied it to one of their own big ideas? Perhaps an idea that was pervasive through their own fields but hardly relevant in others? Before I got to understanding what a ToE really embodied or even attempting the cut-down version that the text presented, I conjectured my own theory of the phrase’s meaning and came up with something that I feel, to the non-physicist, applies to everything even more than the Theory of Everything does.

Watching a kid grow up is just baffling especially when you only see them in sporadic seasonal bursts. By the next birthday or Christmas, they may have learned to talk or walk or do algebra right behind your back, and it’s no wonder that there’s usually the question of how much does he or she really know? floating around during their development1. To the curious mind armed with high-speed Internet, inquiry goes hand-in-hand with learning because anything that we could possibly want to know is easily accessible to learn online, and if humankind doesn’t yet know the answer, most of modern research can is summarized instead. This is how children and teenagers of the modern age learn anything, because if you’re willing to look, there are lifetimes worth of knowledge to be learnt on the web.

The physicist’s Theory of Everything does indeed transcend physics in the sense that emergent properties of complex systems can be inferred from fundamental laws, so long as one theory acceptably explains a variety of phenomena that ostensibly can’t be resolved. What is most important about the idea is the fact that not only can everything be explained, but it can be explained in terms of other things no matter how you scale or restrict your questions. In the same sense, how does a person take what he knows of an ocean wave and infer the trickery of a microwave? To the layman, there appear to be all sorts of contradictions in the laymen theories that mom-and-pop pass off as common knowledge, but so long as Piper the Plumber doesn’t need to differentiate between radioactivity and electromagnetic radiation, she has a good working knowledge of the world around him.

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. —Robert A. Heinlein

So, what’s in the world that surrounds the next generation and what do we need to know of it? The Theory of Everything that I expected meant a working knowledge of everything that concerns us today. As you advance both your formal education and your degree at the University of TCP port 80, you join and mend branches on your tree of knowledge while occasionally growing into areas new to you altogether. But in the case of public education, everyone determines for themselves how best to structure their knowledge to grow in the environment of the modern world. It’s refreshing to talk to somebody who has no visible discontinuities in the realm of their mind, whether or not they find interesting the same things you do. It’s a rare thing ever in mankind’s history to have such ease of access to education, that we’d be hard pressed to find a reason not to take advantage of resources in science and culture. For me, this whole idea brings together the argument for why we go to college or learn at all.

56 CommentsAdd one

These comments were written by anonymous visitors. Roger’s comments are colored blue.

Freddy Mercury
Sun, 09 Jun 2024 20:19:43 GMT

awesome

Bill Joy
Mon, 13 May 2024 15:46:56 GMT

Your doing too much nobody reading allat

Noah Everett
Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:02:11 GMT

This is very cool. This is life changing and I wish I read it earlier. My grandma once said, "with great power comes great responsibility."

reader
Tue, 21 Dec 2021 08:49:38 GMT

taking a math final tomorrow, really enjoyed this! thank you!

FritoTheLay
Mon, 27 Sep 2021 00:47:26 GMT

Its a geometry dash level released in the 1.5 update and the 12 of the default levels available in the lite version of the game lmao

e.g. Bill Joy
Sat, 04 Apr 2020 00:22:48 GMT

Wow Roger. I read the last paragraph, must agree with you that education is paramount. It's popular to complain about school, at least at the lower levels like HS, but we all stand to benefit from learning for the sake of learning, as a conduit to a more enriched understanding of the world around us. Not only is it personally rewarding, but it also contributes to countless indirect benefits, like how being more educated lets you see other people's perspectives and can unite our divided nation. I could add in some political perspectives but I won't. The point is, many of us really undervalue knowledge. We need to appreciate what we truly have as 21st-century citizens.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Freshman
Thu, 30 Jan 2020 04:24:38 GMT

Hi Rodger,

As a way too stressed freshman you really helped me keep my calm during my midterms. thanks for all your help and i really hope you can continue to program and create websites <3<3 :)

Roger: You’re welcome!

hi
Fri, 20 Dec 2019 05:26:50 GMT

hi roger!!!!!!

Patrick WEEEE
Wed, 30 Oct 2019 00:08:55 GMT

Respond roger please

Roger: Sure

Anonymous
Wed, 22 May 2019 23:23:18 GMT

3

A quest
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 15:34:35 GMT

Sir roger. I do not know why my previous comment was deleted, but thanks for the reply. I will now enjoy my days of vacation, and cheat on every test given to me.

*heavy panting*
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 03:29:00 GMT

RODGER PLEASE HELP I HAVE 14 TOTAL DAYS OF SUSPENSION IN SCHOOL PLEASE HELP WHAT DO I DO

Roger: So... two weeks of vacation? Sounds awesome.

Tim
Wed, 23 May 2018 01:05:01 GMT

Tutor me in the subject of life pls

Roger: Lesson one—Taking advice from internet strangers.

Tim
Wed, 23 May 2018 01:04:08 GMT

Roger tutor me my dude

Roger: Which subject?

oscar
Tue, 22 May 2018 23:52:42 GMT

Im a goat

Camille Jachim
Tue, 22 May 2018 12:37:22 GMT

I love to climb trees too! Let's meet @ big tree in you

Bryce Smith
Thu, 17 May 2018 12:49:08 GMT

Roger you are truly breathtaking. Marry me.

Roger: Sure

Big clout, biggest trout
Wed, 16 May 2018 21:24:30 GMT

Roger, u actually look like a schnak

Big clout, biggest trout
Wed, 16 May 2018 21:23:05 GMT

Roger, you see John tryna pull Roya, right? By the way, you are actually the biggest celebrity at my school. Honestly, you take the stress out of exams for me. Also, how do you keep up with all of these comments?

Roger: I don’t read any comments. What are you talking about?

Mary
Thu, 08 Feb 2018 17:33:58 GMT

I’m angry

Computer Languages?
Wed, 31 Jan 2018 01:53:20 GMT

What are the best computer languages to learn currently? Thanks

Roger: Depends on your goals. For beginners, I recommend this online Python textbook.

Jay mohul Vakil (uschs)
Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:39:51 GMT

Hi Roger, I know I’m weird and stuff and I really really really really really really really really really really really really like math and stuff and I was wondering if you could teach me how to count to 10 in Spanish because I’m failing my French class and I really need a dentist like you to help me. Thank you so much!!
Uschs

Roger: Count like this—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

J K
Tue, 19 Dec 2017 05:04:28 GMT

From what I can garner,
you believe that having knowledge in various fields is more important than specialization in one area.

Technically, you could derive out all the information in the world just from having exceptional knowledge of one field, like in physics the fundamental laws can be used to explain everything.

But you believe that focusing solely on one area of learning is not needed for the layman; the layman does not need to know the difference between various forms of electromagnetic radiation, he only needs to know how to get his job done. For him, it is more important to have lots of general information than having one field of expertise.

And you say that while the internet is a great source of knowledge, public education is important because it gives everyone the same sort of education, and so people can communicate with each other without "discontinuities in the realm of their mind". You can use the internet to add to your knowledge, but it can leave what other people would think "common sense" empty.

Is that what you're trying to get at? Could you elaborate any further?

Thanks.

Roger: I wrote this five years ago, and looking at it now, it doesn’t make much sense to me. I think my point was that kids growing up today have access to far more accurate and complete information about the world than their ancestors did. Whereas before, people had to get by on the knowledge that was immediately available to them, people today can get lots of questions answered quickly and easily if they just take the time to look.

Jake
Tue, 19 Dec 2017 03:53:52 GMT

I thought this was a reference to the song always used in geometry dash by DJ-Nate

grace
Mon, 18 Dec 2017 11:59:07 GMT

grace grace grace
gunna fail stagecraft lol

hen lord
Fri, 15 Dec 2017 21:40:09 GMT

do you know that your a living meme?

Roger: Haha

Bill joy
Mon, 03 Jul 2017 06:50:20 GMT

Roger u r a legend

wow
Wed, 07 Jun 2017 20:24:16 GMT

wow!

Roger That
Mon, 05 Jun 2017 14:34:57 GMT

Who's That

Hi Roger
Mon, 05 Jun 2017 14:34:41 GMT

Hi

Jake
Mon, 05 Jun 2017 08:16:53 GMT

What's your opinion on the string theory

ROger Might be
Mon, 22 May 2017 17:08:46 GMT

ASIAN

Roger: Gee really?

Roger is
Fri, 19 May 2017 23:26:35 GMT

a Legend

Liz
Sun, 07 May 2017 02:06:30 GMT

You're cute date me

Date Master
Fri, 23 Dec 2016 18:01:44 GMT

I just love the date : JANUARY 19, 2013!!!!!
I love this time so much! This is equal to a calendraic equation called a relative equation.
Saturday, January 19, 2013= Saturday, January 16, 2010

This is sooooooo easy!!!
This is an example of a calendraic equation: Mon, April 22, 2013=Mon, April 23, 2012.

See the difference?!?!?

Choker Girl
Thu, 22 Dec 2016 14:40:53 GMT

Your website ruined my hopes and dreams but you seem really cool and smart good job with your site

Kristen
Thu, 22 Dec 2016 02:43:06 GMT

LEGANNNDDDD

hello
Fri, 16 Dec 2016 02:57:33 GMT

i didnt even read this shit but roger you are a legend

etak
Fri, 16 Dec 2016 00:32:41 GMT

amazing

bill
Sat, 19 Nov 2016 08:31:34 GMT

wow

Michael
Thu, 26 May 2016 03:16:37 GMT

Wow! Very nice! I wish you would have dove in a little deeper about the Theory of Everything, but I truly did enjoy reading about your opinion of it

Conner
Fri, 04 Mar 2016 01:01:08 GMT

Innovative and refreshing. Happy to know that not all millennials are the entitled kind and that some stop to think about the world around them.

YOur face on SterOids
Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:17:09 GMT

Im lovin it

Billy jO
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 05:04:02 GMT

i really enjoyed reading this Roger!!!
jk it sucked
jk i love you
jk
gtg

raghebsta
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 02:48:11 GMT

you're an international legend.

Twizzel
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:32:10 GMT

Roger is a god ??

Prof. Yvonne Chan
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 00:03:05 GMT

Wow! I've never read such an insightful answer on such a conceptual topic!

Derek Fisher
Sun, 13 Dec 2015 21:40:14 GMT

Roger ur a legend

Poop
Thu, 03 Dec 2015 08:55:43 GMT

wtf is dis bro, explain this like I'm 5

Jack
Fri, 22 May 2015 17:24:54 GMT

Strange that such a great article on a site with so much traffic only has 6 (now 7) comments. Small world.

Sue Perstar
Fri, 16 Jan 2015 05:00:16 GMT

Bravo. That was a very insightful and educated expression of your views. I can respect that.

Andrei
Fri, 24 Jan 2014 01:19:50 GMT

I wish you would actually explain what ToE is rather than provide me your own idea. You don't need to go deep into it but at least tell us the idea behind the connection between relativity and quantum mechanics (you probably don't want to start talking about any of these in detail). I would love to know this...I currently have little to no idea what these concepts are. Your blog post had some insightful information...

Durrell
Tue, 21 Jan 2014 03:41:10 GMT

You have some grammar issues

Nicole Finch
Tue, 12 Nov 2013 15:32:51 GMT

you are famous!

Roger: I am??

John
Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:06:21 GMT

I real feel what you're saying Roya. It's just so hard to actually find someone that's actually interested in this.

Roya
Wed, 15 May 2013 18:39:31 GMT

Fascinating. These are the kind of discussions I wish I could have with people my age, but that's probably not going to happen anytime soon.

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