E = mc^2

I was watching the news on the elliptical this morning and during a commercial I saw the familiar physical formula/law for which Einstein is famous: E = mc^2

Though it's obvious to most, I had never before contemplated the fundamental physical ramifications of this formula, which is simply that anything with a non-zero mass carries an incredible amount of energy.  The only way the energy could equal zero is if the mass is also zero, simple mathematics.  Allow me to explain.

E = Energy
m = Mass of object
c = Speed of light (3.81x10^8 meters/second)  

The term c^2 in itself equals 1.45x10^17 m/s! Do you have any idea how friggin' fast that is?! Though I don't keep up with daily headlines in physics, I don't believe humans have achieved moving anything at the speed of light yet (please correct me if I'm wrong), let alone that speed squared; it is beyond all human comprehension.  Multiply that by the mass of an object, no matter how small and seemingly non-existent, and you've got a damn lot of energy.  Physicists have found that particles we once thought to be finite like protons, neutrons and electrons, are actually composed of even smaller sub-atomic particles like quarks and leptons.  Humans will never be able to see these particles, but since they have a non-zero mass, they nevertheless carry an astounding amount of energy.  Even waves have mass!  In short, nothing that exists in our physical world has zero mass thus everything has energy, even things that we can't see, hear or otherwise conceive of with our mind. 

Here comes the really cool part.  Our bodies are nothing but a complex mixture of compounds composed of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O) and Hydrogen (H).  These basic elements are themselves composed of various numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons and their associated sub-atomic particles, all of which carry their own distinct amount of mass and energy.  The forms these elements take in our bodies range from water (H2O), to glucose/sugar (C6H12O6), to the waste product urea (CH4N2O), not to mention our elaborate cellular machinery and organelles such as enzymes, DNA and the 'powerhouse' mitochondria.  Do you see why I became a biologist? This isn't even the tip of the iceberg!  Logically, we are all comprised of these same basic elements, compounds and molecules each carrying distinct amounts of energy, the sum of which encompasses the total energy force of our body; an incredibly huge amount at that, according to Einstein's formula.   Anyway, the mind-blowing realization is that we are all different amounts of the same basic energy, and thus connected by the same energetic forces; they are both who we are, and what makes up everyone and everything around us!

So what's the point of all this? Realizing that everything is fundamentally composed of the same energy is an astounding concept and can inspire true connectedness with our physical world, along with everyone and everything in it.  Furthermore, realizing that everything has its own distinct energy makes the invisible world seem more real and powerful, though it eludes our senses. 

I personally find this underlying connectedness extremely comforting.  Also, as we come to appreciate what a small part our own energy contributes to the world of vast energetic forces, it makes one feel insignificant like a grain of sand in an expansive beach.  Though this idea scares and/or confuses most people, I would urge everyone to embrace and enjoy this connectedness, as well as their individual insignificance, it is very humbling.

Now you know why I love my workouts, they're great for the body and the mind!

Interestingly, in the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, he tackles this concept alchemically.  I won't spoil the book for you, but it's really intriguing and worth a read.  http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Symbol-Dan-Brown/dp/1400079144/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327935833&sr=8-1