Though, just like with other famous and eccentric personalities, there are real facts mixed with myths that survive to this day. Is he another Ashkenazi Jew guilty of incest? Or was he a crossdresser who married himself?
Having married his manly looking cousin, who grew to look more and more exactly like him, does not bolster his case for good judgment. But she may have been instrumental in his fame and his math.
In this gallery let's debunk some of the myths and bring a number of surprising facts about Al that most have probably never heard. Browse through and learn more about the supposed genius that was Dr. Einstein (who had no doctoral degree of any kind). More: msn.com
There are two Einsteins, aren't there? Not Mr. and Mrs., but rather like Jesus (Yeshua) the real person and the pop icon (Christ). Reza Aslan was emphatic about this distinction. Everyone knows about the popular fantasy, and very few bother to learn about a possible historical figure in the context of his cultural milieu.
During the historic dialogue between rabbis and the Dalai Lama, as told in his international bestseller The Jew in the Lotus, Rodger Kamenetz heard a penetrating question to the rabbis: "How does your spiritual practice purify afflictive emotions?"
To Kamenetz, this seemed the most fundamental question to ask of any religion or philosophy of life. How do your practices help you with negative emotions like anxiety, envy, resentment, and shame?
You support our cause, right Mr. Lama?
Taking the listener with him on an exhilarating intellectual and emotional journey, he finds a natural spiritual path in the imagination. Kamenetz connects daily life to spiritual longing, from the musical rhythms of his beloved New Orleans to his tender bond with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, visionary founder of Jewish Renewal and a central figure in the Dharamsala, India (where the Dalai Lama lives in exile), dialogue.
(Julia McCoy) Jan. 19, 2026: Scientists (physicists) just made time run BACKWARD (and this changes everything about reality). Their experiments are presumably objective because they are repeatable and scalable, as published in Nature Physics.
Big deal! - What do you mean? This is the most tremendous scientific advancement of our lives! - I could do the same thing. - You're crazy! You couldn't even get your hands on the meta materials to try! - Sure I could, just borrow them from my brother. - You're brother's a scientist? - No, just a music fan with lots of vinyl. Is that meta enough for ya? - How's that going to help you? - Pink Floyd just hit a world record with more than like 1,000 nonconsecutive weeks on the Billboard charts for Dark Side of the Moon. - So what?
Does it play Pink Floyd? - No, Gilligan, why?
D'uh, that album has "Time" on it. I could make it run backward; in fact, I have made it run backward lots of times, looking for backward masking to explain its enduring popularity. - That's not the same thing! - It may not be, but I did it, and it was no big deal. - Well this is a BIG deal because it goes to prove, time is not real. At least, it's not what we think it is. All time is NOW. We can play it front or back or revisit it or change it through retrocausation, but it is definitely NOT what it seems to be. - Oh, that is a big deal. - D'uh, I told you!
: Parity–time symmetry has revolutionized wave and energy transport control in non-Hermitian systems, yet has so far been mostly explored in static phases, where a system’s behaviour is locked into a fixed-symmetric or broken-symmetry phase. The vast potential of time-domain dynamics has remained largely untapped. Here we introduce the concept of temporal anti-parity–time symmetry, a principle that allows the transport dynamics of a system to be actively shaped in real time. Rather than designing static phases, we influence the timing of non-Hermitian phase transitions, making the system’s temporal evolution itself a programmable degree of freedom. Through the dynamic control of material properties and convective flow, we dictate the exact moments these transitions occur, thereby controlling the entire transport history of the system. This temporal control achieves highly tunable field localization and realizes counterintuitive thermal transport, enabling temperature profiles to move forwards with convection, backwards against it or remain trapped at arbitrary locations. Our findings extend non-Hermitian physics into the time domain and establish a framework for on-demand wave and energy transport. Source
Nature Physics, published Dec. 10, 2025, by Peng Jin, Chengmeng Wang, Yuhong Zhou, Shuihua Yang, Fubao Yang, Jinrong Liu, Ya Sun, Pengfei Zhuang, Yiyang Zhang, Liujun Xu, Yi Zhou, Ghim Wei Ho, Cheng-Wei Qiu & Jiping Huang.
Roshi Philip Kapleau | Zen Bow | Winter 2018, Vol. XL, No. 4, rzc.org
Shōkei (Andreas Praefcke/Wiki)
Here is a vintage koan ("public case") commentary by the Rochester Zen Center’s founder, the late American Roshi Philip Kapleau.
Mumonkan, Number 14. [Itpresages countless college discussions about Schrodinger's cat below.]
The Case
Once the monks of the Western and Eastern Halls were arguing about a cat. Nansen, holding up the cat, said: “You monks! If you can say a word of Zen, I will spare the cat. Otherwise, I will kill it!”
No one could answer, so Nansen cut the cat in two. That evening, when Joshu returned, Nansen told him of the incident. Joshu thereupon took off his sandal, put it on his head, and walked off.
Nansen said, “If you had been there, the cat would have been saved!”
The Commentary
Just say, what is the real meaning of Joshu’s putting his sandal on his head? If you can give a turning word on this point, you will see that Nansen’s action was not in vain. But if not, beware!
The Verse
Had Joshu only been there,
he would have taken charge.
He would have snatched away the sword,
and Nansen would have begged for his life.
Roshi Kapleau: The two protagonists of this koan, Nansen (748-835) and Joshu, are two of the great masters in Zen. Nansen (Chinese Nanchuan) was the teacher of Joshu (Chinese Zhaozhou). Nansen in turn was a disciple of the great Baso (Chinese Mazu). More: rzc.org
In this thought experiment, a hypothetical cat (and not the precious companion of Wisdom Quarterly's companion fish, Captain Shiny Sides, no relation to Hecklefish Moriarty of The Why Files) in a closed box may be considered to be simultaneously both alive and dead until it is observed, as a result of its fate being linked to a random subatomic event that may or may not occur. The thought experiment, viewed this way, is described as a paradox.
It is not alive but not quite dead?
It was devised by physicist Dr. Erwin Schrödinger in 1935 [1] in a discussion with Albert Einstein [2] to illustrate what Schrödinger saw as the problems (inconsistencies and contradictions) of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics.
In Schrödinger's original formulation, a cat, a flask of poison, and a radioactive source are placed in a sealed box.
If an internal radiation monitor, such as a Geiger counter, detects radioactivity (a single atom decaying), the flask is shattered, releasing the poison, which kills the cat.
But if no decaying atom triggers the monitor, the cat remains alive.
The Copenhagen interpretation implies that the cat is therefore simultaneously both alive and dead.
Yet, when one finally looks in the box, one sees that the cat is either alive or dead, not both alive and dead.
This poses the question of when exactly quantum superposition ends and reality resolves into one possibility or the other. More
Most people don't get Schrodinger's Cat (including you?)
Looking Glass Universe, Nov. 7, 2024; Roshi Kapleau, Rochester Zen Center (rzc.org); Brian Cox via Explainify; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
These words are attributed to Einstein: "A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty" (A surprisingly Buddhist quote by Albert Einstein. : r/Buddhism).
DMT opens phases of a liquid crystal in our minds?
Scientists just PROVED the past can change! (Be Inspired) "The future already happened."
What if the past isn’t fixed? Scientists have just proven that the future can influence the past (retro-causation), shattering everything we thought we knew about time and reality. From mind-bending quantum experiments to the shocking science of precognition, this video explores the hidden connections between time, consciousness (vijñāna), and the universe.
Theories of Everything (TOE). New Substack (personal writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com. Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE. Become a YouTube member (early access videos): @theoriesofeverything. Support TOE on Patreon: curtjaimungal. Twitter: toewithcurt. Discord Invite: discord. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe. #science.
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: There may be a few links in this description that, at no cost to viewers, will earn a commission if chosen and clicked on and a purchase is made. Don’t worry. Only products that are known and trusted are recommended.
Be Inspired, March 2, 2025; Curt Jaimungal, March 10, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Schrödinger's cat: A thought experiment in quantum mechanics
(TED-Ed) Oct. 14, 2014: View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/schrodinger... Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger, one of the founders of quantum mechanics, posed this famous question: "If you put a cat in a sealed box with a [radioactive] device that has a 50% chance of killing the cat in the next hour, what will be the state of the cat when that time is up? Chad Orzel investigates this thought experiment. Lesson by Chad Orzel. Animation by Agota Vegso.
I misunderstood Schrödinger's cat thought experiment for years (Now, I finally get it!)
When will cat lovers strike back?
(FloatHeadPhysics) Why is Schrödinger's cat both dead and alive? It's not! This video looks at what quantum superposition is (and is not). How many mental cats must be mutilated and die in these gruesome thought experiments, which lead to real-life desensitization, vivisection (painful experiments and mutilation of living animals, just as dissection is the cutting up of dead ones), and the "sacrificing" (a euphemism for execution of living subjects after an experiment is concluded and every participant must be murdered to clean up). Though scientists go home and pet their spouse's kitties, at work, dressed in white (lab coats) like a priestly class, they callously commit excruciating atrocities in the name of research and their religion, Science (Scientism).
This is not limited to science. There is a shocking Japanese Buddhist koan (riddle, paradox, lit. "case") about a cat.
Nansen Kills the Cat: a vintage koan
Roshi Philip Kapleau (Zen Bow | Winter 2018, Vol. XL, No. 4, a vintage koan commentary by the Rochester Zen Center’s late founder) edited by Wisdom Quarterly
(Shōkei Andreas Praefcke/Wiki)
Mumonkan Number 14: THE CASE: Once the monks of the Western and Eastern Halls were arguing about a cat. Nansen, holding up the cat, said, “You monks, if you can say a word of Zen, I will spare the cat. Otherwise, I will kill it!”
No one could answer, so Nansen sliced the cat in two.
That evening, when Joshu returned, Nansen told him of the incident. Joshu thereupon took off his sandal, put it on his head, and walked off.
Nansen said, “If you had been there, the cat would have been saved!”
Only riddles and koans. No answers anywhere!
THE COMMENTARY: Just say, what is the real meaning of Joshu’s putting his sandal on his head? If you can give a turning word on this point, you will see that Nansen’s action was not in vain. But if not, beware!
THE VERSE: Had Joshu only been there, he would have taken charge. He would have snatched away the sword, and Nansen would have begged for his life. The two protagonists of this koan, Nansen and Joshu, are two of the great masters in Zen.
Nansen was the teacher of Joshu (Chinese Zhaozhou). Nansen (Chinese Nanchuan) in turn was a disciple of the great Baso (Chinese Mazu).
Nansen’s dates are 748 to 835. He had his head shaved at the age of 9, and at 30 took full ordination vows and devoted himself to Buddhist study for several years.
Finally, he knocked on the door of Zen Master Baso and “forgot all that he had previously learned.” At 47, in the year 795, Nansen built with his own hands a retreat hut on Mount Nansen, from which he took his name.
One of his disciples was the governor of the province, and there’s an intriguing mondo between the two. After the governor had had dokusan with Nansen, Nansen said to him, “When you return to your office in the city, how will you rule the people?”
The answer was, “I will use wisdom to govern them.”
Nansen said, “In that case, every last one of them will suffer.”
What we see here is a sense of self-intentionality which, on the face of it, seems to be a very fine thing: to endeavor to govern with wisdom, compassion. But once you talk about it, it’s already gone. You’re already assured that there won’t be any wisdom or compassion.
You don’t need to set about to govern with wisdom or compassion if you just govern fully, put yourself wholly into any activity: nothing held back, without any notions of being wise or being this or being that. The action will be a true action.
We all have this compassion and innate wisdom, this prajna wisdom, that will emerge once we remove the obstacles to its functioning. More: Rochester Zen Center (rzc.org)
CHAPTERS
00:00 The big misconception about Schrödinger's cat
02:24 A deep perspective on the electron double slit experiment
09:12 An inconceivable tool of the 21st century
10:48 What is quantum superposition (not)?
12:52 Are probability waves real?
14:14 Quantum superposition and measurement
16:42 Electron spin quantum superposition
17:37 The real meaning of Schrödinger's cat!
18:54 How quantum superposition gives us life [because the covalent bonds to form H20 are in superposition and not otherwise interacting]
SPONSOR: This video is sponsored by Squarespace. Head to squarespace.com/floatheadphysics to save 10% off first purchase of a website or domain using code FLOATHEADPHYSICS
Float Head (FloatHeadPhysics, YouTube, Aug. 23, 2024); Sheldon S., CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Over by the La Brea Tar Pits on Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles has a giant museum (temple) dedicated to the admiration (worship) of the automobile. Detroit may have built them, but they were built to be driven in LA, usually with the top down bathing in the sun, driving down Sunset Blvd. to the Santa Monica Bay. It's not very far, and if Sunset is too full of cruisers cruising American Graffiti style, it's east to jump on the Interstate 10 Freeway all the way down to the Pacific. The boulevard is called Sunset because this is where the sun sets, just as it rises on the Big Apple, a reference to forbidden carnal knowledge in the Garden of Eden. On the eve of Independence Day for Mexico, many Chicanos are having their cars on exhibit with a parade or caravan of vehicles to show off their slick rides near Little Ethiopia (Fairfax).
Cruise? It's time to peel out and get out!
(Petersen Automotive Museum) If you're lucky, you live in a town with a regular lowrider cruise, so you're familiar with the unexpected pleasure of seeing something glittering and striped in the next lane suddenly lift up like a stinkbug and drop low enough to drag sparks across the intersection.
Lowriding is a community activity like no other automotive subculture. The cars aren't built to be lightweight or quick in the canyons. They aren't for early morning drives or secret late-night meetups; they're designed to turn heads on the main street in town during prime time.
The goal is never to cross the line first, but to do it with the most style. At their most basic, lowriders are conversation starters; at their highest level, they are showstoppers.
All of this makes lowrider culture perfect for a museum exhibit, where those familiar with the art form can appreciate the chance to look more closely at cars they've only seen in motion, and those new to the scene can marvel, slack-jawed, at the incredible imagination, artistry, and history that goes into making the perfect lowrider.
The new exhibit, "Best in Low," at the Petersen Automotive Museum (petersen.org) in Los Angeles is not the museum's first look at lowriders, but it is its best.
Walking through the gallery is like visiting the gemstone section of a natural history museum. Everything is sparkling and glowing, and a person could spend a whole day on a single car and not see every magical detail. More: Best in Low exhibit
Who cares about lowrider cars and culture?
Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles (petersen.org); WAR; Cypress Hill; Korn; Pfc. Sandoval, Sheldon S., Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
All materials on this site are submitted by editors and readers. All images, unless otherwise noted, were taken from the Internet and are assumed to be in the public domain.
In the event that there is still a problem, issue, or error with copyrighted material, the break of the copyright is unintentional and noncommercial, and the material will be removed immediately upon presented proof.
Contact us by submitting a comment marked "private."
Do not follow this journal if you are under vinaya or parental restrictions. Secure protection by Sucuri.
Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at creativecommons.org/about/licenses.
%20dead%20cat.jpg)
