How a physics concept relates to life
by shiningsunnyday, Apr 29, 2017, 5:02 PM
Just a random thought that popped up as I was on my around school just now:
In physics, mechanical energy includes two types - potential and kinetic. Before learning this - I've always assumed the ball at the faster speed has more energy - makes sense, right? How could a ball sitting on top of a mountain have more energy than a ball darting down the mountain?
In life, we use our time in two ways - increasing our potential energy or benefitting from kinetic energy. I used to assume the life with more kinetic energy is better - i.e. the popular kid at school who everyone likes, who's happier in the present; the nerd programming an app in the library by contrast has a pretty sad life.
But is the ball A darting around at 100 miles per hour at the bottom of the mountain truly better than ball B, which is slowly working its way up the mountain?
In 40 years, ball B would be traveling at a much faster speed than A ever did due to the higher ground it started off at.
Now, I don't claim everyone who's ball A should reconsider their life choices. How do we determine which ball has had a more fruitful journey? Well, that's where work comes in, defined as force times distance.
In reality, both balls probably do an equal amount of work - we all have 24 hours a day, after all. Ball A would probably rationalize and say, see, my life choices are perfectly fine - enjoying the present, YOLO! The catch is this. Ball A does all its work at the foot of the mountain - climb 100 m, roll down, repeat. It's like the kid roller coaster at Disney, in the same location doing the same thing? Ball B, on the other hand, starts on top of the mountain - it can reach heights A can only dream of and much more freedom in picking the sights and trails as it speeds its way down the mountain. Anyone who has been to Disneyland has heck more fun on Snow Mountain than a kid roller coaster.
I'm starting to think of time as an investment - it may be lonely and the light at the end of the tunnel faint as you keep climbing, but the biggest regret is to stop midway, be complacent about the view you have, and climb back down.
Let us all keep climbing for now.
In physics, mechanical energy includes two types - potential and kinetic. Before learning this - I've always assumed the ball at the faster speed has more energy - makes sense, right? How could a ball sitting on top of a mountain have more energy than a ball darting down the mountain?
In life, we use our time in two ways - increasing our potential energy or benefitting from kinetic energy. I used to assume the life with more kinetic energy is better - i.e. the popular kid at school who everyone likes, who's happier in the present; the nerd programming an app in the library by contrast has a pretty sad life.
But is the ball A darting around at 100 miles per hour at the bottom of the mountain truly better than ball B, which is slowly working its way up the mountain?
In 40 years, ball B would be traveling at a much faster speed than A ever did due to the higher ground it started off at.
Now, I don't claim everyone who's ball A should reconsider their life choices. How do we determine which ball has had a more fruitful journey? Well, that's where work comes in, defined as force times distance.
In reality, both balls probably do an equal amount of work - we all have 24 hours a day, after all. Ball A would probably rationalize and say, see, my life choices are perfectly fine - enjoying the present, YOLO! The catch is this. Ball A does all its work at the foot of the mountain - climb 100 m, roll down, repeat. It's like the kid roller coaster at Disney, in the same location doing the same thing? Ball B, on the other hand, starts on top of the mountain - it can reach heights A can only dream of and much more freedom in picking the sights and trails as it speeds its way down the mountain. Anyone who has been to Disneyland has heck more fun on Snow Mountain than a kid roller coaster.
I'm starting to think of time as an investment - it may be lonely and the light at the end of the tunnel faint as you keep climbing, but the biggest regret is to stop midway, be complacent about the view you have, and climb back down.
Let us all keep climbing for now.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by shiningsunnyday, Apr 30, 2017, 2:43 AM
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