Perpetual motion by Margo

Perpetuum mobile? There's no such thing.

There is no such thing – but there is perpetuum mobile.

Oh – you mean like a fairytale. It exists in our imagination. Like unicorns.

I wouldn't be so quick on dismissing the unicorns – but no, perpetuum mobile is as real as reality, and even more real.

But it was proved that there can't be any perpetuum mobile for real.

Was it proved?

Well, no, not exactly, but they failed every time so they decided 'twas impossible.

How maturely scientifical.

Something to do with the law of energy conservation.

Say people who agree on the existence of black holes and on something-from-nothing Big Bang theory. But perpetuum mobile is right here.

Well, I've seen some very complicated inventions and they say there's more they keep in secret -

But I'm not talking about these toys. In fact, I'm not sure we're talking about invention.

Then it has to be the smallest particle that goes on forever by itself. Have they found it yet?

Look – that's how we miss the obvious. Trying to study parts, and parts of part, and partlets – and “have a non-working cat” - and then trying to combine the partlets in more and more complex ways – yes we all love Lego don't we – but have you looked at the whole for once?

The whole?

Well – consider a painting. At the moment you're pressing your nose against it – seeing some random-looking strokes and spots. You can study these of course – why not – if you're a great expert you will be able to recognize the kind of brush the artist had used, and the particular kind of paint, and you may calculate the force needed to make such strokes, and the angle of the brush, that sort of stuff. But you'll miss the painting.

You're not saying that art is perpetuun mobile.

Pay attention. That's an illustration.

So?

So you have to step back – even if your mind believes that stepping back is regress, degradation and  all things rotten. 'Tis not so. If you keep pressing your nose closer and closer, harder and harder you'll either make a hole in the picture or, more likely, break you nose – and neither is what a painting is about.

So I step back, and what?

Not-what. What will you see?

Why, the painting. A picture. From frame to frame. All there is – oh!

Yes?

The Universe is perpetuum mobile! The whole thing! It goes on forever without any external income of energy – you know, being infinite. Wow. Perpetuum mobile!

So we live in a world which doesn't agree with the so-called laws of physics, eh? “Export: none. Import: none”. Nice try.

Isn't that right?

Oh – it is, it is – within story.

Eh?

Within the frame, if you forgive my French. Let's say it might be true within the rules of the game.

Eh?

Well, I reckon the Universe is more of an invention than of a discovery. And it's invented, backwards, as infinite and forever.

I still don't get it. What do you mean, “The Universe was invented”? Are we talking religion here? On the first day of cosmos my true love sent to me the world in a pear tree?

Call it what you like. Though calling it – er – mythology or cosmology (religion is different) is rather pompous, and this is something simple. And you still don't see.

Don't see what?

Not-what.

(groans)

No, really. You don't see a “picture” when you're looking at a painting. A picture is a set of colours, paint and paper, mattery matter. Unless you understand not-what you see – the conversation is dead as a doornail.

But of course what I see is colours presenting an image.

“Image” is a good word. But you don't “see” colours – you think them; and you don't see the image they present – you think you do. Anyway. Here's an actual picture to help you.

Oh!

(flash!) Right, I've captured the moment. Now tell me what you saw.

Lots of sculls.

(BEEP! Red! Wrong!).

A pyramidal composition, symbols of death.

(BEEP! Red! Wrong!). Come on, one last try.

Sigh... A masterpiece of art?

(BEEP! Red! Wrong!). Would you like me to replay your original reaction?

Well...

Or would you like to try again?

Huh? What about the rule of three and stuff?

To the hell with rules and stuff. We're having fun here. Come on.

I'll try again, then.

Good. Ready... Set... Go!

…

Yes, take your time.

…

Anything to say? What do you see? (gently, gently)

..Horror. Horror. Mindless war. Mindless death. So many dead, they stop being people. Horror.

Well done. Here's another one to cheer you up.

So there. Once you see what - not-what you see – that's easy. The Universe is a painting; but if you want to know a painting it's no use looking at matter it's made of. You don't see a picture – you see an image, as in imagination – an idea – a thought – a flash of inspiration depicted laboriously in matter.

Looking at a picture you may think it's matter, paint and paper, colour waves, creating non-matter, thoughts and emotions. But it was non-matter that begot it.

So, er, if I follow your illustration – 'twas no matter creating the Universe?

'Tis no matter.

And (not)what be perpetuum mobile, then?

Isness of Be.