Do you know what quantum physics is? I don’t.
(I hope you weren’t expecting me to tell you.)
I even watched a whole movie/documentary about it and I still can’t claim to know exactly what it is.
From what I understand (which admittedly isn’t much) quantum physics is based on the theory that it takes two to tango. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a noise - that sort of thing. It’s interesting to ponder but not very easy to wrap your brain around.
This week I watched “What the BLEEP Do We Know?!?” because it showed up at my house from Netflix. I vaguely (very vaguely) remember adding it to my queue years ago and when it showed up this week I figured I must have been thinking something? (heck if I know what though). So I watched it anyway because I don’t like the feeling I get when I send something back to Netflix never having watched it.
“What the BLEEP Do We Know” isn’t quite a movie, yet not fully a documentary either. It stars Marlee Matlin as photographer with a bad attitude and the fictional storytelling parts of her moving through her disgruntled life are interwoven with commentary and illuminations from scientist and other experts and very detailed computer animations.
The concepts of action and interaction (i.e., quantum physics) co-mingled with the spiritual meaning of life are illustrated through the story scripted around Matlin and explained in scientific and mystical terms by the commentators and the graphics. What’s most interesting is how each of the commentators brings the concept of quantum physics to the meaning of life in their own unique ways and despite their collective decades of study, how they brought up just as many unanswered questions as they spoke.
The film isn’t new, it came out in 2004 and spawned a series of conferences, study groups, books, a CD, and multiple extended versions of the original movie. Watch it for yourself and you’ll see why.
If you’re looking for a mind-bending experience that will give you plenty to mull over (I hear we have a long, snowy winter on the way), put “What the BLEEP Do We Know” in your queue too (but unlike me, watch it before you forget why it’s there).
Or you can stream it for cheap here.
Or visit the What the BLEEP site and read more. But don’t blame me if you find yourself down the rabbit hole!
And if you happen figure this whole thing out while you’re down that rabbit hole, be sure to comment and let me know, OK?