Topic: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

You want the physicist to talk to your grieving family about the conservation of energy, so they will understand that your energy has not died. You want the physicist to remind your sobbing mother about the first law of thermodynamics; that no energy gets created in the universe, and none is destroyed. You want your mother to know that all your energy, every vibration, every Btu of heat, every wave of every particle that was her beloved child remains with her in this world. You want the physicist to tell your weeping father that amid energies of the cosmos, you gave as good as you got.

And at one point you'd hope that the physicist would step down from the pulpit and walk to your brokenhearted spouse there in the pew and tell him that all the photons that ever bounced off your face, all the particles whose paths were interrupted by your smile, by the touch of your hair, hundreds of trillions of particles, have raced off like children, their ways forever changed by you. And as your widow rocks in the arms of a loving family, may the physicist let her know that all the photons that bounced from you were gathered in the particle detectors that are her eyes, that those photons created within her constellations of electromagnetically charged neurons whose energy will go on forever.

And the physicist will remind the congregation of how much of all our energy is given off as heat. There may be a few fanning themselves with their programs as he says it. And he will tell them that the warmth that flowed through you in life is still here, still part of all that we are, even as we who mourn continue the heat of our own lives.
And you'll want the physicist to explain to those who loved you that they need not have faith; indeed, they should not have faith. Let them know that they can measure, that scientists have measured precisely the conservation of energy and found it accurate, verifiable and consistent across space and time. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they'll be comforted to know your energy's still around.

According to the law of the conservation of energy, not a bit of you is gone; you're just less orderly.

-Aaron Freeman

Re: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

When I die I want my body to be dumped in the ocean so at least the fish gain something from my death.

Re: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

nathanm wrote:

When I die I want my body to be dumped in the ocean so at least the fish gain something from my death.

There you go, conservation of energy!

Re: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

I want the doctors to part me out (organ donor). I am not sure at this point if anyone would want any of my parts though.

Tar, feathers, congress. Some assembly required.

Re: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

Your body will turn back to dust when you die but you also have an eternal spirit breathed into you by God. I am more concerned with what cannot die. I have no control over what happens to my body after I die. I can determine what will happen to my spirit by handing the keys/control over to God. Since He made me, I can trust Him to be my Ruler.

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.

Re: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

"I plan to live forever... or die trying" -- Vila Restal; Blakes 7.

7 (edited by demarks51 2016-03-18 11:29:48)

Re: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

"I plan on living forever but not with this body." --dennis marks

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.

Re: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

"I am ready to meet my Maker.
Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter." --Winston Churchill

Re: You want a physicist to speak at your funeral.

"My Maker is fully aware of me and what I am capable of. Since He created me, and knows me, He will not be surprised one bit."--dennis marks

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.