ResearchInfo: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance | HenryGurrInterviewReZmmBook

Suggestions For Setting Up Your Computer, So You Can Conveniently View The Henry Gurr Interview Video, While On A Second Screen, Have Available Text Of The BELOW Important Supplemental Information.
….While you are looking at The Interview Video, On One Computer Screen, you may want to have readily available, on a Second Screen, the Text Of The Supplemental Information, you see below.
This Second Screen =>
..A) Could be a second computer, which is adjacent & convenient to view. OR .
..B) Could be a cell phone, which is easily viewed.
…..Of course, you should physically place your Second Screen, so you can quickly switch between the two screens.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TO FILL- IN, NEEDED BUT MISSING INFORMATION & LINKS, FROM HENRY GURR INTERVIEW VIDEO:

…A) At the beginning of the Interview (After the Red Winged Black Bird, & Burst Words “A Quality Existence'”) [0:00:08], you saw white lettering “2112 MSU Chautauqua In Honor of Robert Pirsig”: (<Should say 2012).

…EXPLANATION: This Video, here starts a 4 minute Segment showing Tina DeWeese, calling for Henry Gurr, who then tells of his experience with the ZMM Book.

…. The occasion was the Open Microphone Session, Saturday 15 Dec 2012, at Montana State University (MSU), Strand Student Activities Building, Ball Room, with Christmas Decorations.

…B) The Interview Video [0:33:35], mentioned the one of 9 Blue Links to Henry Gurr Theory Of How Our Mind Works”, which is the First Down of 9 (and NOT second as stated) => FOR A PHILOSOPHY & PSYCHOLOGY OF MIND, NOW DISCOVERED => The Needed & Vital Rosetta Stone For => “A Cognitive Theory: Our Problem Solving Brain, Automatically & Spontaneously Finds Optimal (Best or Near Best) Solutions To Life’s Oncoming Problems. Click Here. …

…C) The Interview Video [0:34:53], mentioned the 9th of 9 Blue Links to Henry Gurr Theory Of How Our Mind Works” => [[https://www.venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/Documents/RobertPirsigQualityFullySupportedByGurr'HowOurMindWorks | “But How Do We Know What’s Good?” Or ”Best”? . .... ”You Just See It”

…Enthusiasts Of Book ”Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (ZMM), Will Find Solid Support For What Robert Pirsig Says, In Henry Gurr’s “Cognitive Theory Of How Our Mind Works” Click Here. ]] …

…D) The Interview Video [0:36:37], here starts Henry saying => “Our Problem Solving Brain, Automatically & Spontaneously Finds Optimal (Best or Near Best) Solutions To Life’s Oncoming Problems” And continues saying =>
… This seems strange! How can our mind do this? ….AND seems ludicrous, how can a brain know this? (And, then Henry gives several answers, but needed to add this) =>
…If you carefully think about how a brain can operate => Seeking the Best or Near Best Solution, to the problem at hand, is practically (and theoretically), the ONLY way to set (define) the goal for what our brain should seek, and thus achieve any practical real-world solution. What other way or what other criterion might there be, to set the goal, to go towards??
…This is solidly supported by what we actually observe, namely. => Automatic, Spontaneous, Mental Arrivals are (pretty much) all at once, single, optimal (maximum or near maximum, mental coherence) solutions to the problem at hand. And are coherent, holistic, unified, logical, mathematically complete, no inconsistencies, and similar ways of saying it.
…For more information, Click Here And AFTER Comes Up > Do > Edit > Find > Only Way
…Later, during The Interview Video [0:44:32], Henry says => “WHAT! How can our mind know this?” And, of course the reasons are given in above, starting with words, “If you carefully think …. “

…E) During the Interview [0:38:32], Henry says “Pirsig’s book has The Beginnings Of A Theory Of How Our Mind Works, such as In ZMM Mr. Pirsig wrote => “Quality is the continuing stimulus which our environment puts upon us to create the world in which we live. All of it. Every last bit of it.” In ZMM Book, Author Robert Pirsig says “Every last bit of it.” FOUR TIMES, so he must really mean it!!

…Adding to the above: Henry believes that Robert Pirsig’s Quality, is an operation of our Mind, which in response to the input of our 9 senses (Vision, Hearing, Touch, Taste, Smell, Body Kinesthetic, Heat, Pain, Sense of Balance), creates “Reality”, which Mentally Arrives into our Conscious Mind or at least that part we are able to see & know. For More Discussion Of > Examining The Major Thread Topics => Quality, Reality, & Good Old Reality',' That Are Found, In Robert Pirsig’s Book “Zen and the Art OF Motorcycle Maintenance” '' Click Here.

…Author Robert Pirsig’s Complete ZMM Passage Is Interesting, Especially About “Reality =>
:'' “"In our highly complex organic state we advanced organisms respond to our environment with an invention of many marvelous analogues. We invent earth and heavens, trees, stones and oceans, gods, music, arts, language, philosophy, engineering, civilization and science. We call these analogues reality. And they are reality. We mesmerize our children in the name of truth into knowing that they are reality. We throw anyone who does not accept these analogues into an insane asylum. But that which causes us to invent the analogues is Quality. Quality is the continuing stimulus which our environment puts upon us to create the world in which we live. All of it. Every last bit of it.
"Now, to take that which has caused us to create the world, and include it within the world we have created, is clearly impossible. That is why Quality cannot be defined. If we do define it we are defining something less than Quality itself." .” ''

…F) The Interview Video [0:47:46], Sevilla saying => “You [Henry] have a Graphic, with The 9 Senses: …. This “Graphic”, is a Schematic Diagram, which illustrates the working brain components for =>
…When Faced With A Life’s Problem Coming At Us In A Physical Circumstance, Our Brain Does A “Memory Partial Fit To Sensory Input,” As Follows=> 1) The Ongoing 9 Senses Inputs From The Surrounding World, Are 2) Matched-Up-Against A Massive Lifetime Of Memories Of Previously Saved 9 Senses Inputs From The Surrounding World.
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…''' The Below Diagram illustrates How This Might Be Organized => It Shows The Inter-Relationship Of => 1) The Real World External Scene > Which In The Brain > This External Scene Is Compared To > 2) An Internal Synthetic Scene, Derived From Internal Brain Memory.
…AND, In A Series Of Better & Better Partial Fits, The Internal Synthetic Scene, Is Adjusted, Until It Fits, The Real World External Scene '''

NOTE: The above text & diagram from Henry Gurr[s 3rd of 9 Blue Links to Henry Gurr Theory Of How Our Mind Works”

[https://www.venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/Documents/ProtoTheoryOfMindThesisPanorama | For Full & Expansive Information, About Mind Click Here. And AFTER Comes Up, You Can Read More About Sevilla’s “Graphic” > Do > Edit > Find > Below Diagram ]]

…G) The Interview Video [0:48:51], Sevilla saying => “You [Henry] mention 9 Senses: …. But, Henry could not remember that these are => Vision, Hearing, Touch, Taste, Smell, Body Kinesthetic, Heat, Pain, Sense of Balance.

…H) The Interview Video [0:52:21], Sevilla saying => “Hou [Henry] sent to Pirsig, book by Owen Barfield, and a book by Michael Polanyi.” …. Correction: Henry never sent books. As stated in the Video, Henry did send information about Mr Barfield, to Pirsig. …. And, in a letter to Mr. Pirsig, merely said I was going to study how Mr. Pirsig’s writing compared to that of Michal Polanyi,

…I) The Interview Video [0:58:39], Sevilla mentions “Meaning”, and Henry at length explains => “Our Mind Creates MEANING, along with everything else it does!” ….

…J) The Interview Video [1:01:05], In response to Henry’s discussion of how our mind creates Meaning, Sevilla asks “Does this relate to Pirsig’s Analog?” To answer this, Henry says => Similar to the creation of Meaning, we have the ability to very quickly & easily understand Analogy & Metaphor. Our mind, automatically spontaneously, does this for us!! …. Sevilla asks, “Is this something that people can access on your [Henry’s] WebSite?” …. Yes, this is in the 4th of 9 Blue Links to Henry Gurr Theory Of How Our Mind Works” =>
…For An Introduction To => How Our Mind So Quickly & Easily, Produces Understanding Of Analogy & Metaphor, Click Here. And AFTER Comes Up > Do > Edit > Find > … 5) Fifth Of Five … And Then Read Down 8 Inches To ….. NOTE1: ….
…AFTER READING THE ABOVE-MENTIONED 8 INCHES, THEN TO READ A LARGER & EXPANSIVE EXPLANATION, ABOUT HOW METAPHOR WORKS =>
…1) Continuing with the above Bue Link > Do > Edit > Find > To See How This Partial Fit Problem Solution Actually Works … And Then Read Down 18 Inches To ….. Has An Extensive Discussion Of The FOURTH “Figure Of Speech”, Called METAPHOR. …..
…2) The reading above may be sufficient for your understanding of How Metaphor Works. But, just in case, you want a deeper view, continue reading from ….. Metaphor: It’s A Different Breed Of Cat ….. on down 50 inches to ….. Please Work At Understanding This, And Then Remember!

…K) The Interview Video [1:15:44], Henry mentioned that => Henry had found a favorable Review of James Essinger’s book “A Woman Of Intelligence” (not Woman Of Quality as said twice by Henry). This book was a biography Of Ada Lovelace, but the name Ada, Henry could not remember, during the Interview. Since this was a good & interesting biography, James Essinger was hired by Henry to write the “Sarah Vinke Biograpy”.
… Concerning Ada, Wikipedia says Click Here. =>
…“Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (née Byron: 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852). [Daughter (not Mother as Henry said) of famed English Poet Lord Byron.
…Also known as Ada Lovelace, she was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine. She was the first to recognise the machine had applications beyond pure calculation. Lovelace is often considered the first computer programmer.”

…L)The Interview Video [1:19:11], mentioned the very extensive details of => The Sarah Vinke Biography Resource Page, Click Here. …AND, as the Interview mentioned [1:20:30], the above Blue Link explains => How to purchase => The Sarah Vinke Biography, Titled => A WOMAN OF QUALITY: Sarah Vinke, ‘The Divine Sarah’ , and the Quest for the Origin of Robert Pirsig's 'Metaphysics of Quality' , in his Book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" .
… By James Essinger and Henry Gurr, This Sara Vinke biography, “The Divine Sarah” of the ZMM book, is now available BOTH as =>

1) Paperback $12.30 Click Here. and

2) Kindle Digital eBook $0.99. Click Here.

….M) During the Interview [1:23:51], Sevilla asks => “Did Sarah find the word “Arete” ” or did Pirsig find it on his own? …. Answer: Pirsig found it, as follows =>
…. Searching ZMM, for ' “Arete” ” , it is first mentioned in “H. D. F. Kitto’s The Greeks, a blue and white paperback which Phaedrus has bought for fifty cents.” ''
…While at the University of Chicago, Author Robert Pirsig explains => “And yet, Phædrus understands, what he is saying about Quality is somehow opposed to all this. It seems to agree much more closely with the Sophists.” . [Skip Paragraphs]

  “His search for it takes him through a number of histories of ancient Greece, which as usual he reads detective style, looking only for facts that may help him and discarding all those that don’t fit. And he is reading H. D. F. Kitto’s The Greeks, ” . [Skip Paragraphs]  
 '' “"What moves the Greek warrior to deeds of heroism," Kitto comments, "is not a sense of duty as we understand it—duty towards others: it is rather duty towards himself. He strives after that which we translate ‘virtue’ but is in Greek areté, ‘excellence’ . . . we shall have much to say about areté. It runs through Greek life."

SIDE NOTE: During the Interview, Henry could not find “Arete” ” in his computer copy of ZMM Book Full Text, but later, searching again, found that .the word “Areté” , is mentioned in ZMM, 21 times. The reason he not find it during the Interview, was Henry searched for “Arete” '', without the special emphasis mark over the e.
At END, See Long Passages From ZMM Book That Explain Fully The Full Complete Meaning Of “Areté”

…N) Readers should know of Henry’s WebPage =>
What is ZMM Really About? Click Here.

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A BRIEF BIO OF HENRY GURR:

  …Henry S Gurr, was from 1968 to ~1975, a Neutrino Research Experimental Nuclear Physicist PhD, at the P-Area Nuclear Production Reactor, Savannah River Plant, Aiken. South Carolina. Although this work was successful, he felt the need to make a more socially valuable contribution, switched into teaching (from ~1975,. to retirement in 2002), at the University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken  South Carolina.

…Working under supervision of Nobelist Frederic Reines, Henry Gurr’s major Physics Research Accomplishment was, to demonstrate experimentally, that the rate of Scattering Of The Neutrino Off Of An Electron, agreed with Richard Feynman’s V-A Theory.

…Henry grew up on a farm in North Central Ohio and always was interested in machinery, electronics, and building things. In such interests and abilities, he and his brother both followed in the footsteps of their Father.
… Attending Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University) in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1959, he achieved a BS in Engineering concentrating in electronics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and instrumentation. During his last year of engineering training, he had discovered that the material world, as we know it, is composed both of particles and waves! Since he wanted to learn more about this seeming contradiction, along with similar for the topic of Einstein’s Relativity, he entered graduate school in Physics at Case. As a new graduate student, I had to choose a PhD advisor. The only professor who needed graduate students was the new chairman of the Physics Department, Professor Frederick Reines.
…As part of his PhD, it was Henry Gurr’s responsibility to assist in the setup of a 200 foot long neutrino detector, in a mine tunnel 2 miles below the surface, in the East Rand Proprietary Gold Mine, Johannesburg, South Africa. Henry Gurr’s PhD dissertation used the data from this detector to establish that nuclear matter is highly resistant to disintegration with a half life exceeding the cube of the age of the universe.
…After he received a PhD in Experimental Physics in 1966, and continued neutrino research at one of the Savannah River Plant's nuclear reactors, near Aiken SC. This research, guided by Professor Frederick Reines, now at the University of California Irvine, Physics Department, established that neutrinos coming from the reactor would collide with electrons in a multi-element scintillation detector at the rate predicted by Richard Feynman's V-A Theory. It took fifteen years to eliminate overwhelming problems with nuclear radiation background, especially stray neutrons from the reactor.
…During the time he was working in nuclear physics research, he became aware that our country had something like 20,000 nuclear warheads that could be delivered at intended targets in less than 40 minutes and that the Russians had a similar capability. He began to see that humanity was facing a crisis. Although understanding that one person could not make much of a difference in reducing this threat to humanity, he switched into teaching in ~1977 as his way of making a small contribution.
…Henry Gurr’s career at the University of South Carolina Aiken, was devoted to finding better and more satisfying ways for students to learn physics.

…Henry first read ZMM back in ~1988. And, because he found this book quite valuable for myself, he decided that his students should also read it. From 1993 to 1998, ZMM has helped over 140 of his physics students, improve their understanding of University Physics, and indeed their overall Liberal Arts Education. Their writings to prove it, are available, and can be requested by Email => HenryG__USCA.edu
…While Henry was working with ZMM Book, he repeatedly thought (really a hankering), about traveling the roads Robert Pirsig described in ZMM…. So, in the Summer of 2002, Henry became a "Pirsig Pilgrim"!! And traveled the entire Route described in The “Book Zen And Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance”,
EXPLANATION: As a research project in Summer 2002, I, Henry Gurr, traveled these same roads and worked hard to find (and photograph) the actual physical places described on each page, by the ZMM Narrator. My own "ZMM Trip" started at the University of Chicago 9 June 2002. I arrived in Minneapolis late on the same day. And, arrived at the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge mid-afternoon 8 July 2002, 30 days later.
…My Photo Gallery (see Blue Link below). shows what I found along the ZMM Route. In this Photo Gallery => Each photograph In, Four Albums, Was Taken Along And Was Especially Sought To Show The Specific Travel Passage Of ZMM, Shown Below That Photo.
…I took a total of 1901 photographs, and in follow-up research trip, Summer 2007, I took an additional ~800 photos. And, even more in July 2024. Of these ~1200 photos have been selected to be shown in Photo Gallery. Blue Link next down.
….This Photo Gallery Album Is Practically An Illustrated Photo-Book for “Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” . By viewing these photos, you will re-live what the Narrator and Chris saw as they traveled those highways so well described in ZMM. They started their trip in Minneapolis, on a Monday soon after 4th of July 1968, and reached San Francisco 17 days later. In words and photographic views, you will re-live this fantastic trip!! No ZMM travel passage has been left out. (Since ZMM has 373 pages, my photos average to well over two pictures per page of the book!)
….This Photo Gallery Album Is Presented in Four SubAlbums, which you may access by Blue Link Below.
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PLEASE BE AWARE1: THE COMPLETE ZMMQ PHOTO GALLERY CURRENTLY COMPRISES => 1799 Photos In Eleven Albums.

ALSO, PLEASE BE AWARE2: IN THE ABVOVE-MENTIONED ZMMQ PHOTO GALLERY, ARE THE EIGHT PHOTO SUBALBUMS DEVOTED TO THE BOOK => “Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance”.

These Eight SubAlbums, For Which You Can Read Title & Descriptions,. Click Here. </a> => And AFTER The Above Blue Link Comes Up, You Will See =>

A) Four Original SubAlbums, Showing Photos The ZMM Book Four Parts. And

B) Four NEW SubAlbums => 

… a) Joe Pioro’s ~63 Research Photos, Showing ZMM Mountain Climb Of The ZMM Narrator & Chris. ZMM Narrator says => “ Chris and I should do some climbing up to where that wind starts. I think it’s time we got a better look at that land. ”
… b) Lee Glover’s ~23 Photos Of Google Street Views, Showing The ZMM Narrator’s => “After a few minutes the road reaches a summit and then drops steeply into a valley that becomes more exquisite as we descend.”
… c), Lee Glover’s ~25 Photos, October 12, 2025 That Have A Good Fit To The Bantam ZMM Book’s Back.
… d) A New Photo Album, Of David Matos &Henry Gurr’s Photos, July 2024, ~213 photos showing their travel, In San Francisco, CA. And Then On Their Way Home To Aiken, SC.

… Click Here For Henry Gurr’s ZMM Route Research Photos, And AFTER you click on the photo (at right) to enter this album, you will see four sub-albums, which have my photos for respectively Parts I, II, III, & IV of ZMM. You may click to enter these in any order.

END EXPLANATION PHOTO GALLERY.

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RELEVANT RESOURCES CONCERNING HENRY GURR’S RESEARCH & WRITING:

…A) Further Information => Interesting Photos Showing 12 Color Views Along The ZMM Route, Taken In 1968 by Robert Pirsig. …. Click on this link, and AFTER comes up, scroll down to Last Album, read description, and then Click On photo.

 https://www.venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/gallery/albums.php?set_albumListPage=2

…B) Further Information =>: Interesting Photo Gallery Showing ~1200 Color Views Along The ZMM Route, Taken In 2002 & 2024, by Henry Gurr. …. Click on this link, and AFTER comes up, scroll down to THIRD Album, read description, and then Click On photo.

 https://www.venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/gallery/albums.php?set_albumListPage=3

…C) Home Page For Henry Gurr’s Personal Projects, AND ZMMQuality WebSite Pages. => Having Vast Information Concerning Robert Pirsig’s book “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. .

…D) More information at Henry Gurr’s University Home Page
https://web.archive.org/web/20230320183746/https://www.usca.edu/mathematical-sciences/faculty-sites/henry-gurr

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Passages From ZMM Book That Explain Fully The Full Complete Meaning Of
… “His search for it takes him through a number of histories of ancient Greece, which as usual he reads detective style, looking only for facts that may help him and discarding all those that don’t fit. And he is reading H. D. F. Kitto’s The Greeks, a blue and white paperback which he has bought for fifty cents, and he has reached a passage that describes "the very soul of the Homeric hero," the legendary figure of predecadent, pre-Socratic Greece. The flash of illumination that follows these pages is so intense the heroes are never erased and I can see them with little effort of recall.
…[Ship Paragraphs.]
…"'' What moves the Greek warrior to deeds of heroism," Kitto comments, "is not a sense of duty as we understand it—duty towards others: it is rather duty towards himself. He strives after that which we translate ‘virtue’ but is in Greek areté, ‘excellence’ . . . we shall have much to say about areté. It runs through Greek life."
…There, Phædrus thinks, is a definition of Quality that had existed a thousand years before the dialecticians ever thought to put it to word-traps. Anyone who cannot understand this meaning without logical definiens and definendum and differentia is either lying or so out of touch with the common lot of humanity as to be unworthy of receiving any reply whatsoever. Phædrus is fascinated too by the description of the motive of "duty toward self " which is an almost exact translation of the Sanskrit word dharma, sometimes described as the "one" of the Hindus. Can the dharma of the Hindus and the "virtue" of the ancient Greeks be identical?
…Then Phædrus feels a tugging to read the passage again, and he does so and then . . . what’s this?! . . .Areté…. "That which we translate ‘virtue ‘ but is in Greek ‘excellence.""
…Lightning hits!
……Quality! Virtue! Dharma! That is what the Sophists were teaching! Not ethical relativism. Not pristine "virtue." But areté. Excellence. Dharma! Before the Church of Reason. Before substance. Before form. Before mind and matter. Before dialectic itself. Quality had been absolute. Those first teachers of the Western world were teaching Quality, and the medium they had chosen was that of rhetoric. He has been doing it right all along.
…Kitto had more to say about this areté of the ancient Greeks. "When we meet areté in Plato," he said, "we translate it ‘virtue’ and consequently miss all the flavour of it. ‘Virtue,’ at least in modern English, is almost entirely a moral word: areté, on the other hand, is used indifferently in all the categories, and simply means excellence."
…Thus the hero of the Odyssey is a great fighter, a wily schemer, a ready speaker, a man of stout heart and broad wisdom who knows that he must endure without too much complaining what the gods send: and he can both build and sail a boat, drive a furrow as straight as anyone, beat a young braggart at throwing the discus, challenge the Pheacian youth at boxing, wrestling or running: flay, skin, cut up and cook an ox, and be moved to tears by a song. He is in fact an excellent all-rounder: he has surpassing areté.
…Areté implies a respect for the wholeness or oneness of life, and a consequent dislike of specialization. It implies a contempt for efficiency—or rather a much higher idea of efficiency, an efficiency which exists not in one department of life but in life itself.”

END ZMM PASSAGES

******* END SUPLEMEMTARY INFORMATION ********

[--HSG see sevilla email.docx for the above txt. =]