Reference: Essays on Substance
The Matter-Centric Fixation
Physics, at one time, believed that the Sun goes around the Earth. This earth-centric observation also found the planets to have complex motions. However, with the introduction of a heliocentric model for the Solar system, all this complexity of motion suddenly disappeared. All planets, including Earth, could now be seen to have simple regular motions around the Sun.
It was the increasing use of the scientific method that helped overcome the earth-centric fixation. The heliocentric theory has been verified by direct observation of similar systems in the heavens. The use of mathematics has been at the center of this scientific revolution. It is quite possible that unnecessary complexity of math may indicate that a phenomena is being viewed incorrectly.
The math involved in classical physics appears to be very simple compared to math required today to explain the sub-atomic and cosmic phenomena. The interpretation of the math arising from the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics is increasingly challenging our reality of how the substance behaves in space and time. We still do not quite understand the nature of basic phenomena, such as, charge, radiation and gravity.
Physics believes that the only substance is matter with mass. It believes that the phenomena of electromagnetic radiation and thought have no mass; but they arise from matter. It endeavors to describe all phenomena in terms of particles that have center-of-mass, and waves that require a material medium. All this seems to sum up to a matter-centric fixation.
Is matter the only substance that there is? Can the Scientific Method help us answer this question?
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