Laminar Flow Complexities

Sergio Power Two
Jul 20, 2017 · 5 min read
What are they, these slim air rivulets ‘laminar-carrying’ themselves across the mountain valleys, slipstreaming in soft bends over the ridges?

Once upon a time I felt strongly compelled to get to the depths of one particular ‘issue’. Needless to say, I always wanted to do the same with respect to the thousand-and-one issues.

However, that one stood out as an exquisite challenge, luring and enticing, crying out loud for giving this noble goal a try. Although, there’s never been a clear answer to “Why?” … (perhaps, as it is always the case — with things we call ‘whims’).

Yet, over the time an outline of more or less reasonable purpose has emerged. But somehow, in the same while, my goal was losing its lustre, and, eventually, it had receded itself to something still purposeful — but not to the same degree — more like it was abbreviating into a hollow proxy of the self’s vivid original.

Gradually it became clear – in a self-mending process the purpose at question fell down into cracks – into an underlying web, the succession of other subordinated purposes.

It appeared as if I was dealing with an interesting phenomenon: it was like being on an ascending craft: all the details below are gradually growing smaller, but at the same time this same upward motion enables you see more and more details…

… resulting also in a rising complexity: scores of unfolding purposes seemed to begin multiplying and branching; each one of them pointing the way to a bunch of nodes, which were giving starts to the new chains of purposes, and the extent of an emerging mesh appeared to be infinite.

So, languidly watched I (alas, with a tad of regret) how my determination to achieve that shining goal was fading, slipping away and out of the attentive consciousness’ searchlight …

But, as it seems now, there was a silver lining, a bit of reconciliation in all what was happening: an input of unrealized effort was facilitating some kind of metamorphosis in my self: in spite of apparent failure in achieving the goal, it was unwittingly furnishing the valuable acquisition: in the end, I’ve attained a set of cognitive tools .

Later came a realization: tools would do a good service one day in furthering those damned chains of goals – and, maybe, they’d turn to be handy in other dimensions of that never ending self-developing process.


Well, it’s time to confess: once upon a time I wanted to tackle the metaphysics of laminar-flow motion.

Above the turbulence. Deceptively safe.

What else did I draw from that experience? What should I always remember and remind myself every time I attend to another speculative exploit?

The following should apply:

“it must be humbling experience, and you should always remember you stand on the shoulders of giants; if you set off to traverse the same exploration trails you mustn’t be snotty when you judge those giant from that advantageous, elevated position on their shoulders… You should feel an utter respect to those who once transferred the hard-won gems of knowledge from the mess of physical reality, converted them into pure abstractions, and threw them into the infinite, self-organizing domain of speculative thought.”

So, with the due respect to giants of the past: what else did I learn about this kind of motion – the laminar flow? How does it fit into a larger picture of the metaphysical ‘Theory of Motion’?

Instantly, a remark on one obvious aspect of it pops up: it just appears simple at the first glance, but —lo and behold — it is always furnished with foretelling signs of rich complexity underneath.

Before you have it apprehended – simply admire it. Isn’t it true that what you see is captivating… enchanting? Oh yes – it looks like a staple of simplicity – for it is understandable and predictable, and, (damn yes!) — we adore to deal with things that are, before all — understandable and predictable.

Second, although it looks simple, it turns out to be shrouded into deceptive simplicity

Because there’s one cardinal feature to the laminar motion: it is pretty short-lived.

There’s a point at any laminar flow at which it begins to stall: where its undisturbed stability is gone in the flash; where it turns into anything but. And before you know — it’s a fumbling and tumbling cascade of turbulent swirls.

What kind of mysterious force make sure this is always happening at that critical NEXUS? Why it’s so inevitable the flow is growing into ‘the old winter’, getting too overly mature at once?

Of course, there is a rational explanation: there are two primary struggling forces in the flow, inertia and viscosity, and close to the point where ‘it all unfolds’, their struggle jumps beyond the equilibrium.

Over the time tiny leaks left marks tracing the flow of ambient stream…

So, there was no mystery anymore since some reliable numerical values characteriseing this struggle were determined – and which we know as

(Rapid flash: doesn’t that what’s happening there metaphysically resemble a ?)

What could be said here from point of view? “Oh, those splendid looks are flaky…”

But rewarding, too – an attentive observation of things in laminar flow does do a special kind of magic – it help to fine-tune your brain, no less.

After a short while you begin to feel a sort of induced placidity – as if “in a Spinozian act of identification with the object”

… “There she goes… Graciously, majestically…” And… as you look further down the stream… you see how it’s just about to reach that perplexing point where all things cease to be what they’ve been a split second ago. And you already know that your imperturbable calm acquired through a feedback in an act of “identifying with object” won’t last forever, and an entirely new and complex robustness will be required in order to get a grasp of the turbulent reality emerging beyond the transition.

A new theory will be required, the one with oomph in order of magnitude, the one that’s capable to crack the phenomena of dynamics in fluid/gas flow that’s gone non-linearly awry.

But – stop! Wait! Do not slip into a restless hurry too soon — at least for that tiny ‘Δt’ (which perfectly fits into my understanding of a ) — let me stay enchanted by being in the flow…

… Experience of which, I know for sure, is being as complex and promising as one can only imagine.


Laminar flow is precious, it lives up its short life in an infinitesimally small and volatile stretch that’s been carved by lucky happenstance of random events in a fiercely ignorant, noisy and messy reality…

One must appreciate the rarity and near-ideal properties of laminar flow in the real world – with a little caveat though: don’t get carried away.

Thinking of Flow, I imagine myself sitting in a relaxing repose on a dreamboat that floats down the river… bobbling gently on its casual waves… slowly, but surely streaming toward the infinite aquifer brimming with primordial rejuvenating liquidity…

Which I call The Ocean of Spirit…

)
Sergio Power Two

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born in the USSR.. Launched on a life-long exploration trip to confirm the world's interconnectedness

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