Not a scientific inquiry or an artistic creation,
but simply letting my thoughts quietly wander through this world.
Carbon Atoms (HOPG) | Width of the image : 1.26 nm
The reality that surrounds us is not limited to what we can see. Though we may not be aware of it in our daily lives, this world harbors infinite mysteries and possibilities beyond our perception.
I utilized a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), a technology that allows us to peer into the atomic-scale world, to observe carbon, a core component of life. These tiny particles are not only deeply intertwined with our existence but can also be said to influence our emotions, thoughts, and even dreams.
It is said that most carbon exists eternally through time. The concept of lifespan does not apply. In other words, the carbon within me likely existed in something else before. Where did the carbon that shapes me come from, and where is it going? I am a part of this world, just like the particles that interact with the world.
What am I? What is this seemingly infinite world?
As I ponder the very nature of existence, the questions deepen. Is the carbon that shapes me merely matter, or is it a thread of reason that continues unbroken? These minuscule particles of carbon were born in the explosions of stars, eventually reaching Earth over long stretches of time, and now play a role in forming who I am. In that sense, it is as if I carry the memory of the universe within me.
The carbon that forms me will continue to exist after I am gone. Will it return to the soil or be passed on to another life? And will that life, too, hold the same question as I do: "What am I? What is the world?"
The death of family members and close ones has etched the presence of death deep within me. My involvement in this world may be fleeting. However, within that fleeting moment, I sense infinite possibilities. The carbon I observed through the STM reveals those possibilities to me. While carbon is a mere substance, it is more encompassing than we imagine. It forms a whole of which our lives are a part.
My existence, though temporary and singular, is also part of an eternal flow. Life and death, beginnings and endings -- where is the boundary? My presence here and now is but a moment in the endless cycle: a cycle that continues beyond me.
I utilized a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), a technology that allows us to peer into the atomic-scale world, to observe carbon, a core component of life. These tiny particles are not only deeply intertwined with our existence but can also be said to influence our emotions, thoughts, and even dreams.
It is said that most carbon exists eternally through time. The concept of lifespan does not apply. In other words, the carbon within me likely existed in something else before. Where did the carbon that shapes me come from, and where is it going? I am a part of this world, just like the particles that interact with the world.
What am I? What is this seemingly infinite world?
As I ponder the very nature of existence, the questions deepen. Is the carbon that shapes me merely matter, or is it a thread of reason that continues unbroken? These minuscule particles of carbon were born in the explosions of stars, eventually reaching Earth over long stretches of time, and now play a role in forming who I am. In that sense, it is as if I carry the memory of the universe within me.
The carbon that forms me will continue to exist after I am gone. Will it return to the soil or be passed on to another life? And will that life, too, hold the same question as I do: "What am I? What is the world?"
The death of family members and close ones has etched the presence of death deep within me. My involvement in this world may be fleeting. However, within that fleeting moment, I sense infinite possibilities. The carbon I observed through the STM reveals those possibilities to me. While carbon is a mere substance, it is more encompassing than we imagine. It forms a whole of which our lives are a part.
My existence, though temporary and singular, is also part of an eternal flow. Life and death, beginnings and endings -- where is the boundary? My presence here and now is but a moment in the endless cycle: a cycle that continues beyond me.
2024.9
Employing a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) for imaging and measurement in the experimental laboratory at my residence.
Employing a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) for imaging and measurement in the experimental laboratory at my residence.