Science
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2001 7:29 am
Dear Friends,
Thanks to Allen, Tracy, and Soroush for their responses to the science
questions I brought up. (I sent the quiz about reading the mind of God,
through the music emanating from the strings theorized to be the foundation
of everything, according to the leading theoretical physicists.)
I agree with Allen that human beings do have the potential to "read the mind
of God," as our souls are actually part of God. This is what mystics and
saints have been talking about for millennia in their search for
enlightenment, nirvana, or whatever you want to call the highest state of
consciousness.
I'm thrilled with reading "Hyperspace", by Michio Kaku, the physicist I
quoted. It is a good way to stretch my intellect and keep me open to the
wonder and awe that are really a more appropriate response than rigid
concepts to the amazing reality of the universe.
Here are a few revealing passages; the parallels with homeopathy are
self-evident:
"It was soon realized that, in dimensions other than ten or 26 dimensions,
the theory [string theory] completely loses all its beautiful mathematical
properties. But no one believed that a theory defined in ten or 26
dimensions had anything to do with reality. Research in string theory
abruptly ground to a halt,...lapsed into a deep hibernation. For 10 long
years, the model was banished to obscurity.
....Then something strange happened....physicists slowly became accustomed
to working in hyperspace..., the idea of hyperspace didn't seems that
farfetched or forbidding anymore. Over time, even a theory defined in 26
dimensions didn't seem that outlandish. The original resistance to 26
dimensions began to slowly melt away with time."
(Do the paradigm shifts ever end in the evolutionary perception of truth?)
************
An analogy is given to describe the situation of the accidental discovery of
the string theory before the development of mathematics advanced enough to
explain it:
"To understand the frustration that we physicists feel, think, for a moment,
of how nineteenth-century physicists might react if a portable computer were
given to them. They could easily learn to turn the dials and press the
buttons. They could learn to master video games or watch educational
programs on the monitor. Being a century behind in technology, they would
marvel at the fantastic calculational ability of the computer. Within its
memory could easily be stored all known scientific knowledge of that
century. In a short period of time, they could learn to perform
mathematical feats that would amaze any of their colleagues. However, once
they decide to open up the monitor to see what is inside, they would be
horrified. The transistors and microprocessors would be totally alien to
anything they could understand. There would be really nothing in their
experience to compare with the electronic computer. It would be beyond
their ken. They could only stare blankly at the complicated circuitry, not
knowing in the slightest how it works or what it all means.
The source of their frustration would be that the computer exists and is
sitting there in front of their noses, but they would have no refrerence
frame from which to explain it. Analogously, string theory appears to be
twenty-first-centruy physics that was discovered accidentally in our
century. String field theory, too, seems to include all physical knowledge.
With little effort, we are able to turn a few dials and press a few buttons
with the theory, and out pops the supergravity theory, Kaluza-Klein theory,
and the Standard Model. But we are at a total loss to explain why it works.
String field theory exists, but it taunts us because we are not smart enough
to solve it.
The problem is that while twenty-first-century physics fell accidentally
into the twentieth century, twenty-first -century mathematics hasn't been
invented yet. It seems that we may have to wait for twenty-first-century
mathematics before we can make any progress, or the current generation of
physicists must invent twenty-first-century mathematics on their own."
******************
Much of the mathematical explanation for string theory, modular functions,
that has been developed came through a strange young Indian mathematical
genius working in total isolation, Srinivasa Ramanujan. His "legacy is his
work, which consists of 4,000 formulas on 400 pages filling three volumes of
notes, all densely packed with theorems of incredible power....'The work
of...one year, while he was dying, was the equivalent of a lifetime of work
for a very great mathematician.'" His sister said that, "Ramanujan used to
say that the goddess of Namakkal inspired him with the formulae in dreams."
******************
Not all physicists believe in the string theory. Some "derisively call
these theories 'theatrical physics' or 'recreational mathematics.' The most
caustic of the critics is Nobel Prize winner Sheldon Glashow of Harvard
University. He has assumed the role of gadfly in this debate....Glashow has
vowed (unsuccessfully) to keep these theories out of Harvard, where he
teaches. But he does admit that he is often outnumbered on this question.
He regrets, 'I find myself a dinosaur in a world of upstart mammals'
(Glashow's views are certainly not shared by other Nobel laureates, such as
Murray Gell-Mann and Steven Weinberg. Phycisist Weinberg, in fact, says,
'String theory provides our only present source of candidates for a final
theory--how could anyone expect that many of the brightest young theorists
would not work on it?'"
*******************
Eighteenth century philosopher Joseph Joubert: "It is better to debate a
question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it."
******************
"History has always shown...that the solution to the most difficult problems
in nature have been the ones with the most beauty."
Best wishes,
Charlotte
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Thanks to Allen, Tracy, and Soroush for their responses to the science
questions I brought up. (I sent the quiz about reading the mind of God,
through the music emanating from the strings theorized to be the foundation
of everything, according to the leading theoretical physicists.)
I agree with Allen that human beings do have the potential to "read the mind
of God," as our souls are actually part of God. This is what mystics and
saints have been talking about for millennia in their search for
enlightenment, nirvana, or whatever you want to call the highest state of
consciousness.
I'm thrilled with reading "Hyperspace", by Michio Kaku, the physicist I
quoted. It is a good way to stretch my intellect and keep me open to the
wonder and awe that are really a more appropriate response than rigid
concepts to the amazing reality of the universe.
Here are a few revealing passages; the parallels with homeopathy are
self-evident:
"It was soon realized that, in dimensions other than ten or 26 dimensions,
the theory [string theory] completely loses all its beautiful mathematical
properties. But no one believed that a theory defined in ten or 26
dimensions had anything to do with reality. Research in string theory
abruptly ground to a halt,...lapsed into a deep hibernation. For 10 long
years, the model was banished to obscurity.
....Then something strange happened....physicists slowly became accustomed
to working in hyperspace..., the idea of hyperspace didn't seems that
farfetched or forbidding anymore. Over time, even a theory defined in 26
dimensions didn't seem that outlandish. The original resistance to 26
dimensions began to slowly melt away with time."
(Do the paradigm shifts ever end in the evolutionary perception of truth?)
************
An analogy is given to describe the situation of the accidental discovery of
the string theory before the development of mathematics advanced enough to
explain it:
"To understand the frustration that we physicists feel, think, for a moment,
of how nineteenth-century physicists might react if a portable computer were
given to them. They could easily learn to turn the dials and press the
buttons. They could learn to master video games or watch educational
programs on the monitor. Being a century behind in technology, they would
marvel at the fantastic calculational ability of the computer. Within its
memory could easily be stored all known scientific knowledge of that
century. In a short period of time, they could learn to perform
mathematical feats that would amaze any of their colleagues. However, once
they decide to open up the monitor to see what is inside, they would be
horrified. The transistors and microprocessors would be totally alien to
anything they could understand. There would be really nothing in their
experience to compare with the electronic computer. It would be beyond
their ken. They could only stare blankly at the complicated circuitry, not
knowing in the slightest how it works or what it all means.
The source of their frustration would be that the computer exists and is
sitting there in front of their noses, but they would have no refrerence
frame from which to explain it. Analogously, string theory appears to be
twenty-first-centruy physics that was discovered accidentally in our
century. String field theory, too, seems to include all physical knowledge.
With little effort, we are able to turn a few dials and press a few buttons
with the theory, and out pops the supergravity theory, Kaluza-Klein theory,
and the Standard Model. But we are at a total loss to explain why it works.
String field theory exists, but it taunts us because we are not smart enough
to solve it.
The problem is that while twenty-first-century physics fell accidentally
into the twentieth century, twenty-first -century mathematics hasn't been
invented yet. It seems that we may have to wait for twenty-first-century
mathematics before we can make any progress, or the current generation of
physicists must invent twenty-first-century mathematics on their own."
******************
Much of the mathematical explanation for string theory, modular functions,
that has been developed came through a strange young Indian mathematical
genius working in total isolation, Srinivasa Ramanujan. His "legacy is his
work, which consists of 4,000 formulas on 400 pages filling three volumes of
notes, all densely packed with theorems of incredible power....'The work
of...one year, while he was dying, was the equivalent of a lifetime of work
for a very great mathematician.'" His sister said that, "Ramanujan used to
say that the goddess of Namakkal inspired him with the formulae in dreams."
******************
Not all physicists believe in the string theory. Some "derisively call
these theories 'theatrical physics' or 'recreational mathematics.' The most
caustic of the critics is Nobel Prize winner Sheldon Glashow of Harvard
University. He has assumed the role of gadfly in this debate....Glashow has
vowed (unsuccessfully) to keep these theories out of Harvard, where he
teaches. But he does admit that he is often outnumbered on this question.
He regrets, 'I find myself a dinosaur in a world of upstart mammals'
(Glashow's views are certainly not shared by other Nobel laureates, such as
Murray Gell-Mann and Steven Weinberg. Phycisist Weinberg, in fact, says,
'String theory provides our only present source of candidates for a final
theory--how could anyone expect that many of the brightest young theorists
would not work on it?'"
*******************
Eighteenth century philosopher Joseph Joubert: "It is better to debate a
question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it."
******************
"History has always shown...that the solution to the most difficult problems
in nature have been the ones with the most beauty."
Best wishes,
Charlotte
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
?