Vinaire's Blog
Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
There is a fundamental impulse to know because there are things that are unknown. We are surrounded by a universe that we would like to know about. We know it by postulating about what we are observing. So we postulate that there are things to become aware of.
From that it follows that there is awareness that starts with postulates. If we are becoming aware of the universe then that awareness must be present within us. The most fundamental postulate that we can make about ourselves is that we are that awareness.
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The highest echelon concept is UNKNOWABLE. This has been mentioned in The Creation Hymn of Rig Veda.
Whence this creation has arisen
– perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not –
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps He does not know.
We may say that there is always something more to know.
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We come to know by postulating about what we are observing. A postulate is something taken for granted. It is a creative thought that is claimed to be true. A postulate then forms the basis of all reasoning that follows. It may result in further considerations. There may be assumptions, that are verified later or simply get dropped.
We may say that all that is knowable, proceeds from our own postulates and considerations.
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Thus, there is awareness of what is known. There is also a general awareness that many things are unknown. We associate ourselves closely with this awareness. Maybe this awareness is basically what we are. But all this is just a string of postulates.
Thus, our consideration of self, proceeds from a string of postulates. It makes us aware of ourselves and the universe.
The “self” when considered as something that we can be aware of, then becomes a part of the universe, and we become the awareness itself.
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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
Postulate Mechanics is an effort to understand the fundamentals of this universe. Its basic postulates are:
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A postulate is a basic assumption, taken as true, which is then used to derive the rest of the theory. For example, Einstein postulated that the speed of light is a universal constant. He used this postulate (and others) to derive his theory of relativity. The purpose of generating a theory is to explain and organize what we observe, to unify many separate facts into a coherent model, and to guide prediction, research, and action.
Postulate serves as a foundational premise for further reasoning. It is through postulates, which follow observations, that knowledge develops. The postulates must be harmonious, consistent and continuous among themselves for sensible knowledge to develop. Ordinary assumptions are lower harmonics of postulates. Such assumptions either get revised upwards into postulates, or simply get dropped, as knowledge comes to be assimilated over time.
Assimilation means bringing harmony to knowledge by removing all inconsistencies. It also means researching and making discoveries in those areas where gaps exist in knowledge.
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The ideal scene of knowledge is ONENESS of all postulates, reasoning, and theories. Departures from this ideal scene appears in the form of disharmony (arbitrary data), inconsistency (contradictory data), or discontinuity (missing data). We refer to such departures as anomalies.
The basic form of anomalies are misconceptions. Misconceptions at the level of postulates corrupt the logic of reasoning, and the workability of theories. Resolution of misconceptions at the level of postulates is an important part of the assimilation of knowledge. The resolution of misconceptions and other anomalies lies at the core of Postulate Mechanics.
A very basic misconception is about the nature of self. “Who am I?” is a genuine concern for every person as he develops his understanding. He looks for answers in the universe and derives his identity from the things in it. Enlightenment occurs when he realizes his true nature. Further enlightenment occurs as he realizes the true nature of the universe.
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The purpose of Postulate Mechanics is to investigate the nature of self and the universe, and to assimilate all knowledge. It attempts to do that by going back to the original postulates and resolving anomalies at that level.
Postulate Mechanics attempts to reveal the mechanics of “thought,” just like Classical Mechanics reveals the mechanics of “matter,” and Quantum Mechanics reveals the mechanics of “energy.”
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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
Please see my comments in each chapter of Einstein’s book: The Evolution of Physics.
It is not clear what is meant by a material object or an observer moving at the speed of light. The only thing that can move at the speed of light is a photon of light that has no mass. Massive objects cannot move at the speed of light because of their inertia. On the other hand, a massless object cannot be pushed to a higher velocity by any amount of external force because it would yield immediately.
Einstein’s observer is identified with the inertial frame. It is like an imagined or assumed viewpoint of the inertial frame. Einstein’s observer is not awareness. Awareness is not defined in Physics. From experience, awareness is simply there. It is spread all over the universe and has no motion. Besides, space and time are aspects of what is being observed. They are not aspects of awareness. Therefore, space and time must change due to motion according to the laws of nature even when no observer is present.
Space has to do with the “extent” of substance, which is directly related to the velocity of spread of substance. Without substance there is no space or velocity. Time has to do with “duration” of substance, which is directly related to the inertia of substance. Without substance there is no time or inertia. Time is treated as absolute in classical physics because changes in inertia of matter due to changes in its velocity are imperceptible.
The unique aspect of theory of relativity is the integrated relationship between space and time. This essentially is equivalent to the integrated relationship between velocity and inertia. The partial success of the theory of relativity comes from the fact that it indirectly establishes a linear relationship between inertia and velocity by extrapolating between very high and near constant inertia of matter and very high and near constant velocity of light. Awareness of observer has no part in it.
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Classical mechanics applies to inertial systems that are limited to the familiar material domain. Inertial systems comply with Galileo’s law of inertia that treats inertia as constant and velocity as uniform in all inertial systems. Motion in different inertial systems is related by addition of velocities according to the Galilean transformations. Such motion is perceived in a relative sense only. It has no absolute basis.
In his Special theory of relativity, Einstein introduces Lorentz transformations. His inertial frames are now constrained by the limit of a constant velocity of light. The special relativity gives somewhat better results; but it is still limited to inertial frames that deal only with non-varying inertia and uniform velocity. Inertial frames do not account for rotation and acceleration. Non-inertial frames shall include rotation that will add to inertia, and acceleration that will overcome inertia. The proper physics that applies to all CS, shall quantify inertia and provide a relationship between velocity and inertia.
The general theory of relativity appears to develop an absolute law that accounts for varying inertia and velocity. That law appears to be based on a series of assumptions and logic that is hidden under abstract mathematical reasoning. The law is described only through a complex mathematical expression.
Any presence of “external force” would imply a system of at least two bodies that influence each other through a field that occupies the space between them. General relativity deals with this in terms of gravitation and geometry.
Postulate Mechanics looks at it as a dynamic equilibrium of inertia among the bodies that results in an ensemble of motion. This is our universe.
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When the motion of a “body” is balanced by its inertia we have uniform motion of the body in a straight line manifested as constant velocity.
When the motion of a “system of bodies” is balanced by the inertia of the bodies we seems to have a dynamic equilibrium in which, we have uniform motions of the bodies along curved paths in space. This is seen as the manifestation of gravitational forces.
The greater is the inertia of a body the greater is its centeredness in space and the lesser is its forwrd motion. The body with greater inertia acts as a center around which bodies with lesser inertia move.
The inertia appears as mass in the material region, quantum wave-particles in the atomic region, and as electromagnetic frequency in the field region.
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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
Newton’s own definition of MASS in his Principia is: “The quantity of matter is the measure of the same, arising from its density and bulk jointly.” In modern notation that is , i.e., mass equals density times volume. In everyday and much of classical physics, mass is thought of as “how much matter” an object has.
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In classical mechanics, mass is looked upon as a fundamental property of physical objects that measures how much they resist changes in their motion (their inertia) and how strongly they participate in gravitational interactions.
Inertial mass measures resistance to acceleration when a force is applied (the mass in F= ma). Gravitational mass appears in the law of gravitation and measures how strongly an object creates and responds to gravitational fields. These two types of mass are assumed to be the same because change in mass is undetectable when motion changes.
In free fall (Einstein’s elevator experiment) if objects drift away from each other after some time, then it would mean that gravitational mass is not exactly the same as inertial mass. But this difference is extremely small. This equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass forms the basis of general relativity.
Mass is quantified more precisely by how hard it is to accelerate it. If the same force produces less acceleration, the object has more mass.
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In general, mass is viewed to add up in terms of some atomic unit, whether such units are assembled tightly or loosely. Mass exists as an assembly of atoms and molecules. In this view mass is strongly associated with atoms of matter. However, this view starts to change as we look at subatomic particles and radiation.
Mass represents the thickness of substance. Inside the atom, this mass is highest at the center of the atom, and it dilutes towards the periphery of the atom. This dilution of mass occurs as the layers of substance around the center increase in volume. This dilution of mass was described brilliantly by Faraday in terms of “lines of force.” These lines start from the center of the atom and spread out in space, thinning in that process. There is no limit to which these lines can thin out.
Subatomic particles are made up of diluted mass. The more diluted is the mass, the larger is the size of the subatomic particle. Ultimate dilution of mass takes place in radiation, such that its mass is considered to be zero. But, by this logic, the size of the radiation particle would be very large.
We may assess the size of a matter, subatomic or radiation particle by its wavelength. The “wavelength” may provide a measure of the circumference of the particle. The “frequency” may provide a measure of how fast that particle is spinning. The faster the particle is spinning the more centered it is in space, similar to a spinning top or a gyroscope. This centeredness then expresses itself as the inertia of the particle. This inertia is then measured as mass.
So, the radiation may not have “mass,” but it has inertia that influences the linear motion of the particle. For example, the speed of light is very large but it is still finite because it has some inertia. This inertia is the intrinsic mass.
The idea of intrinsic mass is thus tied strongly to the ideas of intrinsic motion, centeredness, and inertia. Actually, these concepts are so much tied together that they cannot be separated. The higher the mass the smaller is the velocity as in case of the black hole at the center of a galaxy. The smaller is the mass the higher is the velocity as in case of light.
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LAW OF INERTIA: Inertia is the internal force that resides in the particle. This internal force is continuous, whereas, the external forces are intermittent. Therefore, this internal force prevails in the long run. Inertia not only keeps the motion uniform but it also brings the uniform velocity in balance with the mass.
LAW OF GRAVITY: Gravity is the law of inertia applied to a system of bodies. All the bodies in a system maintain a dynamic balance due to their inertia.
Thus, mass and velocity of a particle seem to “balance” each other in a dynamic manner. This equilibrium may be called “inertia” for a single particle, and “gravity” for a system of particles. This view may redefine both inertia and gravity as dynamic internal forces, and not some passive phenomena.
The classical view of these concepts has not been changed. It is simply enhanced. For example, when a particle is pushed to a higher velocity and let go, instead of keep moving uniformly at that higher velocity, its velocity is adjusted by the internal force of inertia. In case of a system of particles, the velocity is dynamically adjusted by the internal forces of inertia, now seen as gravity.
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In Postulate Mechanics there are no external forces. An “external” force is the “internal” force of a larger system. When there is an “external” pull or push on a particle, the particle has become part of a larger system, and being subjected to its internal forces.
When the internal forces of a particle are in equilibrium, we have inertia and mass of the particle. When the internal forces of a system of particles are in equilibrium, we have gravity and “mass” of the system.
From the viewpoint of the Universe, there is no external force. The universe is all that there is. IT IS ONE!
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No new concepts are introduced in Chapter 12; instead existing concepts are further refined. These concepts are defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.
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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
In his 1938 book, The Evolution of Physics, Einstein pushed his realist approach to physics in defiance of much of quantum mechanics. He presented the discoveries in the subject of Physics as the great mystery story. He wrote in the chapter, The First Clue,
“A most fundamental problem, for thousands of years wholly obscured by its complications, is that of motion.”
Einstein went on to develop his theory of relativity. Today, we are finding out that there is a lot that Einstein wrote, which still needs to be explained better. The above chapter needs to be read thoroughly before the following can be fully understood.
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When we consider a body at rest, it is relative to Earth. The body moves when it is pushed or pulled. Aristotle stated with great authority,
“The moving body comes to a standstill when the force which pushes it along can no longer so act as to push it.”
When Galileo experimented with moving bodies, he found,
“If no external forces act on a body, it moves uniformly, that is, always with the same velocity along a straight line.”
Galileo’s conclusion was formulated a generation later by Newton as the law of inertia.
“Every body continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a right line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”
Newton treated INERTIA as a qualitative property (resistance to change of motion) and MASS as its quantitative measure. Newton’s observation can more accurately be verified today by observing the motion of bodies in outer space where external force can be minimized.
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In outer space, it is difficult to differentiate between uniform motion and a state of rest because there is no absolute reference point. In the absence of external forces, a state of rest can only be created by internal force. The only internal force that exists is inertia.
In an atom, the central nucleus has the greatest inertia. Relative to the surrounding electrons, the nucleus appears at a state of rest. Similarly, in the solar system, the central Sun has the greatest inertia. Relative to the surrounding planets, the Sun appears at a state of rest. This same pattern extends to the galaxy, where the central black hole appears at a state of rest relative to the surrounding stars. The mass and inertia of the black hole reaches an incomprehensible amount.
There may not be absolute state of rest, but a state of rest is approached as inertia and mass of a body approaches infinity.
Newton saw the stars in the sky at a state of rest because of their stable configurations. These configurations had extreme inertia. When one saw the heaven moving in a circle, it was obvious that the earth was rotating because starts themselves could not move that fast because of inertia. When the planets moved relative to the stars, it was obvious that they had less inertia.
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Looking at a spinning top we know that the faster it spins, the more centered and stable it is in space. Each planet is spinning around its own axis. This makes them centered and stable at their locations in space. The system of planets revolves around their star. This makes the star system centered and stable at its locations in space. The system of stars revolve around the central black hole of the galaxy. This makes the galaxy centered and stable at its location in space.
We identify such rotational motion as the intrinsic motion of the body, and/or a system of bodies. This intrinsic motion exists all the way down to the level of atom and subatomic particles. Ultimately, it is the frequency of such cyclic motion that brings centeredness and stability to the substance of the universe. Gravity and other forces are a manifestation of these intrinsic forces. They keep the cosmos stable at all levels.
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Inertia provides a measure of the centeredness of a body. The higher is the centeredness in space, the greater is the inertia of the body. The uniform velocity of a body then provides a measure of a departure from centeredness of infinite inertia. Thus, the uniform velocity of a body can be determined in absolute terms from its inertia. Gravity is simply the inertia of a system of bodies.
In general, the greater is the inertia , the smaller is the uniform velocity; and the smaller is the inertia, the greater is the uniform velocity. There exists a balance between inertia and velocity. When the inertia is zero, the velocity shall be infinite.
By looking at the finite velocity of light, we can say that a light particle has inertia, and, therefore, mass, even when it is so small that it cannot be measured directly.
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We get the clue to intrinsic motion when we study the internal structure of the atom. The intrinsic motion is cyclic and the frequency of cycles at atomic level determines the very thickness, size, and centeredness of the particle. The reverse of centeredness manifests as the natural uniform velocity of the particle in space.
As the cycles of intrinsic motion approach an infinite value, the particle becomes extremely thick, small, and highly centered. It comes to an absolute state of rest.
On the other hand, as the cycles of intrinsic motion approach the value of zero, the particle becomes extremely thin, large and not centered at all. It acquires the state of infinite motion.
This concept of INTRINSIC MOTION is so very basic, yet it does not exist in Physics. That is quite an anomaly. Therefore, the relationship between mass and velocity is not recognized in Physics.
Two objects of different masses, such as, a billiard ball and a feather, will drift away from each other in outer space because they would have different natural velocities. They shall have no gravitational attraction between them.
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The major concepts introduced in Chapter 11 are INTRINSIC MOTION, REST and CENTEREDNESS. These concepts are defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.
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