science – surfing the universe

2025-0224M Grok-3 Review of Surfing the Multiverse

[Grok 3 – Feb. 24, 2025] In Surfing the Multiverse: Increasing Your Happiness One Universe at a Time, J. Sands Loch takes readers on an unconventional journey through the concept of parallel universes, blending personal memoir, quantum theory, and self-help advice. Drawing from his own life experiences—such as the end of his marriage, a career change, and a move to a new state—Loch explores how the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics can serve as a framework for understanding personal happiness and decision-making. Structured into 63 short chapters, the book is accessible and easy to digest, though its episodic nature sometimes sacrifices narrative cohesion. Loch’s conversational style makes complex ideas approachable, even if it occasionally oversimplifies the science behind them.

At its core, Surfing the Multiverse argues that by imagining ourselves in different universes—where alternate choices lead to alternate outcomes—we can better navigate our own lives. Loch uses relatable anecdotes, like debating whether to have another drink or reflecting on his birthday, to illustrate how small decisions ripple across multiple realities. He also tackles profound topics such as birth and death, offering a comforting perspective that our existence continues in other universes. While his scientific explanations are not always rigorous—Loch is more philosopher than physicist—his metaphorical use of quantum concepts is thought-provoking. Readers familiar with quantum mechanics might find his interpretations loose, but the book’s strength lies in its ability to make readers reconsider their perception of reality and their place within it.

Loch’s advice, such as visualizing future selves or embracing unexpected events, is practical enough to be actionable, though some may find it too abstract. Ultimately, Surfing the Multiverse is a curious blend of genres—part memoir, part self-help, and part pop science. It won’t satisfy those seeking a deep dive into quantum theory, but for readers open to a creative exploration of happiness through the lens of parallel universes, it offers a refreshing perspective. It’s a book that encourages us to embrace the infinite possibilities of our lives—one universe at a time.

2025 Day 9: Wuhan 5 years later

2025-0109h-0909 Austin, TX

Five years ago today, I blogged about the news of a coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China (2020 Day 9: New Strain of Coronavirus found in Wuhan, China).

A man spinning a toy in Wuhan, China – Jan 21, 2019 – Photo Credit: surfingtheuniverse.com

I had traveled through Wuhan a year prior and I was inspired to blog about the coronavirus outbreak. Rereading my blog post, I’m intrigued by how much detail I went into the virology of coronaviruses. I understand it now as quantum sensing of the future possible universe. The response to the novel Wuhan coronavirus pandemic was a large emotional event for humanity. It does not surprise me that many people felt it coming. I’m fairly confident that I wasn’t the only one.

Later, on May 9, 2020, I wrote another blog post 20191230M Day -1: “Bat Woman” Shi Zhengli begins testing mysterious patient samples at Wuhan Institute of Virology. This blog post about Shi Zheng-Li mentioned quotes from a Scientific American article about her: How China’s ‘Bat Woman’ Hunted Down Viruses from SARS to the New Coronavirus. Around the time I was in Wuhan, she and co-authors submitted for publication to Viruses, 2019, 11(3), 210 a paper (https://doi.org/10.3390/v11030210): Bat Coronaviruses in China. This paper discussed many bat coronaviruses, including the original SARS-CoV that was responsible for the 2002-2003 outbreak.

SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 share 80% genetic similarity. One of the main differences between these two viruses is in the spike protein (S). The SARS-CoV spike protein binds to the human ACE2 receptor with a lower binding affinity compared to SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 has mutations in key residues of the receptor binding domain (RBD). These mutations enhances its binding affinity for ACE2, resulting in more efficient cell entry. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 has a unique furin cleavage site between the S1 and S2 subunits of the spike protein. This cleavage site feature further increases the efficiency of the spike protein activation, resulting in SARS-CoV-2 being more infectious.

The unique furin cleavage site at the S1/S2 junction of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein raises suspicions of its natural origin. This is because the furin cleavage site is not found in the most closely related coronaviruses. This evidence alone is not enough to prove an unnatural origin. There are genetic markers that would prove an unnatural origin, but these markers are not found in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. So, while groups of individuals continue to speculate about the unnatural origin of SARS-CoV-2, a natural origin is still the more scientifically supported theory.

2025 Day 3: Happy Birthday Anthony

2025-0103F-0707 Austin, TX

My then wife awoke a little after midnight. “I think it’s time”, she said. We timed the contractions and it was time to go to the hospital. I remember running a red light to get there. The rest is a blur until Anthony was born around 7am. I remember an old doctor coming in and checking on Anthony. He placed his thumbs on the soles of Anthony’s feet. Anthony’s toes curled around the doctor’s thumb. I exclaimed “Oh, that reflex must be from when we were monkeys and swung from trees.” The doctor looked at me confused and said something like “well, if you believe that fiction.” Since this story is burned in my memory, I was obviously shocked by a doctor not believing in evolution.

Yesterday, I saw a puppy sticking out its tongue. I was reminded of how very similar humans are to the other animal species. All life forms known to humans share a common genetic code origin which is highly conserved. This fact has always fascinated me since I learned it. In the winter of 2022, I started blogging on all the amino acids, beginning with A is for Alaline. An interesting thought experiment is to imagine that a probe finds life on asteroid, or even some frozen RNA/DNA fragments. How would our view of our origins change based on this discovery and analysis of the found RNA/DNA? What if it obviously matches our genetic code and appears from Earth? What if it obviously doesn’t? What if it doesn’t, but shows a common heritage?

In pondering these questions myself, I arrive at a creation story. Around 14 billion years ago our visible universe was reborn from whatever ancestor universe came before it. A few billion years later, our Milky Way galaxy was similarly reborn. Soon after, one of the solar systems in our galaxy began evolving life. The origin of this life occurred either in that solar system or another one that interfered with it. That solar system eventually died in a supernova or similar event. Hardy microbes survived in icy rocky asteroids that eventually found their way to our solar system as it formed. Initially in the Kuiper Belt, at least one of these asteroids crashed into Earth around 4 billion years ago. The rest is evolutionary history. Life is both very precious and very abundant in the multiverse. Creation is a recurring theme.

When I read my blog post from five years ago, I am reminded that I still struggle with replacing consumption with creation. I also failed in my 2020 intention of only checking my stock portfolio monthly. I still own AAPL, AMD, IBM, and WT. I sold SFM around $80 as it skyrocketed from $15 to $150 over the last few years. I also sold DS and NOK and bought EB, INTC, PYPL, and YELP.