Vinaire's Blog

Reference: The Quantum Phenomenon

The physical phenomena encountered in this universe are extremely varied. But there is a single aspect that characterizes all of them. That aspect is motion. Motion seems to underlie all physical phenomena. It is important to come up with a measure for motion that is consistent across the boards.

At cosmic levels, speed has served well as a measure of motion. It is a very basic notion of Classical mechanics. Even the theory of Relativity starts with the speed of light as a postulate. However, an interesting switch takes place at this point.

Speed is a notion derived from classical mechanics that assumes space and time to be absolute. The theory of relativity then demonstrates that neither space nor time is absolute. When one is traveling along a beam of light, the sense of space and time is very different. The units of space and time are no longer the “standard” units assumed when one is traveling along earth. We lose consistency in the measure of motion when we think about speed.

As long as one is viewing from a frame of reference that is “matter-centric” there is consistency in using speed as a measure of motion. But the moment one views from a frame of reference that is “light-centric” one loses that consistency. The inconsistency also shows up when viewing motion at atomic levels as studied in quantum mechanics.

The consistency of using speed as a measure of motion is limited to the classical “matter-centric” frame of reference.

Einstein leaned on Newton when he based his theory of relativity on a speed of light that was taken to be constant in all frames of reference. This postulate is exact enough when all the frames of reference being considered are matter-centric. There is a lot of validity to the theory of relativity as long as we make our observations in a matter-centric frame of reference.

The theory of relativity, however, leads to the conclusion that space and time are not absolute. Therefore, it cannot assume that the speed of light is absolute and independent of frames of references that are not matter-centric. Einstein’s postulate is also subject to the classical assumptions underlying the Maxwell’s equations. Quantum mechanics is now examining those assumptions as it tries to explain the wave-particle duality. One needs to reformulate Einstein’s postulate about speed of light for all frames of references.

However, this does not decrease, in any sense, the genius of Newton and Einstein. Their theories are extremely workable in their respective domains. And it is the understanding derived from those theories, which is now guiding us to properly address the inconsistencies noticed between the cosmic and atomic scale observations.

We can use Einstein’s equation to show that the frequency of a photon may act as a source of inertia (resistance to change in motion) just as the mass of an electron does.  This inertia may impart the property of discreteness as well.

From energy relationships,

E = hf = mc²
Or, f = [c²/h] m = [constant] m

In other words, frequency comes out proportional to mass equivalence, and it may play the same role as mass, within the electromagnetic spectrum. We may assume frequency to be a source of inertia where a wave is concerned, the same way that mass is a source of inertia for a particle.

Inertia is resistance to change in motion. Thus, as the frequency of electromagnetic radiation increases, it may act to slow its speed. However, from a matter-centric frame of reference, it may be difficult to detect the slowing down of the electromagnetic radiation.  But a difference might be detectable between the speeds of gamma rays and radio waves because there is a large difference between their frequencies. The following news item seems to suggest that this may be the case.

High Energy Gamma Rays Go Slower than the Speed of Light?

The article on Markarian 501 from Wikipedia states,

“The gamma rays from Mrk 501 are extremely variable, undergoing violent outbursts. The gamma ray spectrum of Mrk 501 shows two humps. One is below 1 keV and can be considered to be X rays and the other is above 1 Tev. During flares and outbursts the peaks increase in power and frequency. Flares lasting 20 minutes long with rise times of 1 minute have been measured by MAGIC. In these flares the higher energy gamma rays (of 1.2 Tev) were delayed 4 minutes over the 0.25 TeV gamma rays.”

When we carefully look at this situation, we see that frequency could be used as a more exact measure of motion than speed. Frequency is a repeating change that is observable with consistency despite the relativistic nature of space and time. Frequency may also suffer less than speed from a matter-centric bias.

The frequency of electromagnetic radiation could prove to be a better measure of motion than its speed.

Frequency as a measure of motion seems to open new avenues of investigation. For example, the de Broglie frequency of electron is in the same ballpark as the frequency of gamma rays. Therefore, a transition of inertia from frequency to mass seems to occur in gamma ray/electron region.

Of course, this is simply a hunch at this stage.
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Reference: The Foundations of Mathematics

QM seems to be 5% experimental knowledge and 95% interpretation. We even call it Copenhagen interpretation.

It is not difficult to start out from the real experimental knowledge and then explore outwards from there keeping in mind that mathematics is just a tool. If we put too much faith in mathematics without checking against reality now and then, then it can be akin to being brainwashed by mathematics.

EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATION: We cannot idealize a quantum object as a particle that has a precise location.

It is more like a wave packet (snake) of finite bounds. So, it doesen’t make sense to compute the probability of some “particle” as to its location and call it a wave function of the particle. That would be like computing the probability of “part of a snake” at a certain location. Why not compute the location of the whole snake (wave packet)?

The situation is that we cannot fit the whole “snake” in a precise point location as was done for a particle. We have to think in terms of location of the whole wave packet, and the probability of that is always going to be 1. However that location is not going to be a point.

So problem gets to be the fixed idea of thinking in terms of precise “point” locations only.

That is what mathematical integration from minus infinity to plus infinity is doing. I believe that integration no longer works at quantum levels. We need new mathematical tools for better understanding.

Maybe it is time to look at Georg Cantor’s ideas related to infinity and infinite sets, because it seems that the composition of wave packet belongs to a different infinite set then the infinite set in which it is moving.

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COMMENT 02/19/2023
A person is a system of postulates. He is aware as a result.

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From Wikipedia:

“Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects, thoughts, emotions, or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of something. In biological psychology, awareness is defined as a human’s or an animal’s perception and cognitive reaction to a condition or event…

“Awareness is a relative concept. An animal may be partially aware, may be subconsciously aware, or may be acutely unaware of an event. Awareness may be focused on an internal state, such as a visceral feeling, or on external events by way of sensory perception. Awareness provides the raw material from which animals develop qualia, or subjective ideas about their experience.”

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Here awareness is being described in terms of human subjectivity. This subjectivity seems to be taken for granted as awareness. It is being used as a “standard” to measure the awareness of other animals, organisms and objects. An objective definition of awareness seems to be missing.

In order to define awareness scientifically, let’s do the following thought experiment. Imagine being out there in the interstellar space, but with no stars or heavenly bodies around to provide any reference points. Pay attention to your motion. You will find that there is no awareness of motion even when you could be moving at the speed of light. Awareness arises only when there is a change in motion and inertia is manifested.

Light that contributes to awareness seems to be made up of changing electrical and magnetic fields. Inertia in the form of permittivity and permeability accompanies the changing fields. Objects that contribute to awareness seem to be full of changing motion at molecular and atomic levels. Awareness of sensations, such as push and pull, accompany changes in motion and inertia.

Science talks about structure like visual cortex or other parts of the brain to explain awareness. But the brain too is made up of atoms and molecules, neurons and electrical impulses. All such phenomena consist of motion. So there is motion outside the brain as well as inside the brain. Science is simply associating the motion inside the brain with awareness.

Thus awareness  cannot be separated from changes in motion and inertia. Motion accompanies all change. Even the change in color is a very fine motion.

We think of awareness in human context as something subjective and complex. This is a human-centric perspective, which once held that Earth is at the center of the universe. If we look at awareness objectively, it is found to be intimately tied to changes in motion and inertia.

Awareness is intimately tied with changes in motion and inertia.

Atoms consist of continually changing motion. An effect of that is the properties expressed in the periodic table. Simple motion associated with electromagnetic waves leads to simple properties. Extremely complex motion associated with human make-up leads to complex properties. These properties include the human awareness that we are subjectively familiar with.

Awareness is expressed in the properties of inanimate objects and animated organisms. 

This is a very different take on awareness of which human awareness is a special case. If we move away from the narrow, human-centric view, we find that awareness is all around us.

The universe is imbued with changing motion and inertia, and thus, it is imbued with awareness.

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