井中之居: 2013

2013年12月26日星期四

元朗太平清醮

原來太平清醮並非長洲獨有。

菲林之魅 ── TUDORCOLOR XLX 200 ── 南生圍

今天跟朋友去了南生圍。乘橫水渡過河再往右邊走，經過士多之後前面便是一條深入蘆葦林的小徑，其中一人說以前行過，我們便跟他進去。

路也不算難走，但沿途有不少倒了下來的樹幹橫檔著去路，必須在上面爬過或彎身從下面鑽過去。蘆葦長得比人還要高，一邊行一邊要用手將前面的蘆葦撥開才可前進。最嚇人的是烏糞，大片大片的蘆葦都被染成白色，通過之時無可避免地沾到滿身皆是。禽流感肆虐之時，真的有點兒憂心受感染。回家後將身上一切物品徹底消毒，待七日後沒有發病的徵狀心安。

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總覺得 TUDORCOLOR XLX 200 很有 FUJICOLOR SUPERIA 200 的影子，它們在日光之下同樣顯得偏紅，程度上亦好像差不多。很想找到兩者的技術資料作一比較，但在網上怎也找不到 TUDORCOLOR XLX 200 的。在 TUDOR 的網頁上，對 TUDORCOLOR XLX 200 就只有以下描述：

TUDOR XLX FILM is available in ISO/ASA 200. This emulsion delivers excellent results for general photography with enhanced colour reproduction and a very wide exposure latitude. XLX 200 has a very fine grain structure giving ultra sharp images that are capable of producing superb enlargements.

搜尋過程中卻無意中發現有人指 TUDORCOLOR XLX 200 其實是 FUJICOLOR SUPERIA 200 或 C200 的 "rebranded version"，可是他們均沒有提出客觀證據。

2013年11月23日星期六

雲裳集 ── 亂舞

雲裳集 ── 無定向波

2013年11月19日星期二

雲裳集 ── 大塊頭高積雲

2013年11月18日星期一

菲林之魅 ── 樂凱彩韻 200 ﹝卷三﹞

2013年11月5日星期二

PolyU Innovation Tower Close to Completion

The 76-metre high Innovation Tower of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was designed by Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi-British architect who, in 2004, became the first female winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize

"The fluid character of the Innovation Tower is generated through an intrinsic composition of its landscape, floor plates and louvers that dissolves the classic typology of the tower and the podium into an iconic seamless piece. These fluid internal and external courtyards create new public spaces of an intimate scale which complement the large open exhibition forums and outdoor recreational facilities to promote a diversity of civic spaces."
── Zaha Hadid

References:

2013年11月2日星期六

雲裳集 ── 火燒雲

今天的晚霞燒得很紅，是熱帶氣旋迫近時的傳統模樣。經已十一月，仍有熱帶氣旋迫近香港實屬少見，還要是颱風的級數，現在風眼位於香港東南偏南 280 公里。天文台預期該颱風會在今晚至明日早上於香港南面 250 至 300 公里處掠過。

熱帶氣旋迫近，黃昏時常現火燒雲，有說是因為熱帶氣旋外圍的下沈氣流令空氣中的污染物難以擴散，高濃度的懸浮粒子有效地將藍光散射所致。可是今天的風吹得相當盛，即使未普遍達致強風程度，在這等風勢下難道懸浮粒子空氣仍受困於下沈氣流沒被吹散？

2013年10月28日星期一

菲林之魅 ── KODAK EKTAR 100 ── 黃泥涌水塘、大坑道

逢星期六下午，我有如朝聖般往山上跑。以往跑步時見到美麗的景色或有趣的情景，身上沒有相機，只好舉起「手機」來拍，但受制於「手機」的照相功能先天不足，鮮有拍得令人稱心的照片。

上星期六，好一個風高物燥、嬌陽掛天的下午，身心皆爽。決定帶備相機乘巴士往黃泥涌水塘去，再沿平日經常跑步的路線 ── 黃泥涌峽道、大坑道 ── 走一趟，邊走邊拍。

從一大堆未開盒的菲林中，挑了卷柯達 EKTAR 100，裝進了 NIKON F2A，配了顆 NIKKOR AF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D ，另備一顆 NIKKOR-N.C. Auto 24mm f2.8 ，步出家門……

二十年來這裏都沒有大變，最顯著的莫過於塘中的魚，昔日是色彩斑斕的錦鯉，如今只餘顏色暗黑的不知名的魚

位於大坑道與畢拉山道的交界處附近，有一個舊式巴士站，極盡 form follows function 的意念，最近髹了新漆

過了樂活道的交界處，有一段行人路只有一尺闊，路邊一道半腰高的石欄，下面是懸崖，可鳥瞰政府大球場

過了白建時道，有另一個舊式巴士站

這是衛斯理村的入口，外觀如舊，但村裏人去樓空，閘門長期上鎖

2013年10月20日星期日

雲裳集 ── 舞

具旋轉形態的莢狀高積雲：

2013年10月10日星期四

A Succinct and Faithful Description of Quantum Theory, then What?

The follow was excerpted from Section 7.3 in Chapter 5 of "Wholeness and the Implicate Order", a collection of David Bohm's essays:-

Every physical situation is[...]characterized by a wave function[...] This wave function is not directly related to the actual properties of an individual object, event, or process. Rather, it has to be thought of as a description of the potentialities within the physical situation. Different and generally mutually incompatible potentialities[...]are actualized in different experimental arrangements[...] In general, the wave function gives only a probability measure for the actualization of different potentialities in a statistical ensemble of similar observations carried out under a specified conditions, and cannot predict what will happen in detail in each individual observation[...] In quantum theory it has no meaning to discuss the actual state of a system apart from the whole set of experimental conditions which are essential to actualize this state.

And from Section 7.4 in Chapter 5:-

[...W]ave equation[...]is linear[...] Such linearity of equations[...]allows us to regard 'state vectors' as having a kind of autonomous existence[...] This complete autonomy of the 'quantum state' of a system is supposed to hold only when it is not being observed. In an observation, it is assumed that we have to do with two initially autonomous systems that have come into interaction. One of these is described by the 'state vector' of the observed object and the other by the 'state vector' of the observing apparatus.//In the consideration of this interaction, certain new features are introduced which correspond to allowing for the possibility of actualizing the observed system's potentialities at the expense of others that cannot be actualized at the same time.

What a succinct and faithful description of quantum theory!

As Schrödinger's cat illustrates, 'reduction of wave function' is, indeed, odd and incomprehensible. I previously had thought the so-called 'reduction of wave function' be merely a metaphor of 'the observer's getting known of the truth'. Surely, the Schrödinger's cat can only be either dead or alive at any time. Common sense tells that there is no dead-alive mixed state being a linear combination of the dead state and the alive state. It is only the knowledge of the observer that matters - the observer does not know the outcome (dead or alive) until the chamber containing the cat is opened. In this sense, 'wave function' is a representation of the observer's knowledge instead of a true physical entity of the observed. However, if wave function is 'knowledge', how can interference take place? I have no idea.

Apart from the Schrödinger's cat problem, I have been messed up most by quantum entanglement. Pursuant to the theory of relativity, the speed of light is ultimate that transmission of information cannot exceed. However, it was said that the instantaneous quantum entanglement had truly been observed in experiments.

Bohm put forth the notion of 'hidden variables' (something 'sub-quantum') and claimed that it could explain the essential features of quantum mechanics. Yet, how can the Schrödinger's cat problem be resolved? How can quantum entanglement be explained?

Bohm introduced the theory of holomovement:

[...A] total order is contained, in some implicit sense, in each region of space and time[...] Different pictures would look indistinguishable and yet have different implicate orders, which differences would be revealed when they were explicated[...] Generally speaking, the laws of physics have thus far referred mainly to the explicate order. (excerpted from Section 3 in Chapter 6)

[...W]hat 'carries' an implicate order is the holomovement, which is an unbroken and undivided totality[...T]he holomovement is undefinable and immeasurable. (excerpted from Section 4 in Chapter 6)

With a multi-dimensional holomovement, quantum entanglement is well explained:

[...N]on-local, non-causal relationship of distant elements can be understood by regarding each of the 'particles' constituting a system as a projection of a 'higher-dimensional' reality, rather than as a separate particle, existing together with all the others in a common three-dimensional space. (excerpted from Section 4 in Chapter 7)

Bohm further enriched his theory by regarding the holomovement (which is primary, self-existent and universal) as 'life implicit', and "inanimate matter be a secondary, derivative, and particular abstraction from the holomovement":-

[...W]e do not fragment life and inanimate matter, nor do we try to reduce the former completely to nothing but an outcome of the latter. (excerpted from Section 6 in Chapter 7)

Is it talking about life and inanimate matter be different projections of a multi-dimensional being in the holomovement? Should we take that Schrödinger's cat be actually "alive-and-dead": whether it is "alive" or "dead" in our ordinary sense merely depends on what projection would be captured in that particular instance of holomovement when the observation is made?

Perhaps we should even not be surprised if we see Schrödinger's cat had become Pavlov's dog after the chamber is opened. They are merely different projections of a superdimensional being, right?

The lesson that I have learnt from this book is that: When you are introduced with something said to be "undefinable and immeasurable", DON'T ASK!