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Of all the topics discussed this week, I am most interested in the idea of motion as a first principle. If the world is in constant motion (and it is increasingly apparent that it is) then we certainly don't notice it. We see a table as a stable object. Indeed, we base our notion of physicality (a large part of our identity) on the relative stability of the world around us. I propose that this sense of stability is a story that originates entirely in the brain so as to facilitate our day to day lives. Were the brain to process every instance of motion we would be constantly occupied, rendered helpless in a world constantly changing. In other words, the brain only accounts for motion that it deems necessary (i.e. a dodgeball careening toward your nose... objects in motion that pose an imminent threat to our environment or our body).

This idea speaks to our general aversion to change. Though we exhibit an unparalleled ability to adapt to harsh climates, for example, we strive for continuity and stability within these climates.