INFORMATION HIDES IN THE GLARE OF REALITY by basudeba mishra

Dear Sir,

You have justified our addressing you Sir, because you have shown real inquisitiveness to know. We are pleased with your questions, but since space is a constraint, we will reply a few points briefly. You can read other comments in other threads or write to us at mbasudeba@gmail.com.

If you read the original Essay announcement, you will realize that, our essay is one of the few essays that strictly follow the principles and conditions of relevancy and interest mentioned therein and is the only one that follows all conditions in its entirety. This has been published only after FQXi was satisfied about these conditions - specifically the possible questions and sub-topics.

October 2005 issue of the Notices of American Mathematical Society has published a paper, in which it has been shown that the macro and the micro worlds share the same sets of mathematics. We use this principle universally. The Copenhagen Interpretation is restricted to text books now. Most in the research community have abandoned it. You say that we are philosophical, because we are not taking the language of mathematics. But what about the concept of the observer? Though observer has a central role in Quantum theories, its true nature and mechanism has eluded the scientists. There cannot be an equation to describe the observer, the glory of the rising sun, the grandeur of the towering mountain, the numbing expanse of the night sky, the enchanting fragrance of the wild flower or the endearing smile on the lips of the beloved. It is not the same as any physical or chemical reaction or curvature of lips. Do you call these philosophy? Are they not real? If they are real, they description about them must be physics. Mathematics explains only "how much" one quantity accumulates or reduces in an interaction involving similar or partly similar quantities and not "what", "why", "when", "where", or "with whom" about the objects involved in such interactions. These are the subject matters of physics.

We have shown in various threads the correspondence of macro objects with micro objects like the internal structure of proton and Planet Jupiter are similar. We have shown there is nothing as quantum weirdness and all quantum phenomena including superposition, entanglement, spin, tunneling, etc. have macro equivalents. We have shown how the experiments of the double slit experiment are faulty. It is in our essay. If you can, prove us wrong. Take this as a challenge.

Regarding wave function and its collapse, the less said the better. We have quoted one of them in our post below your thread. Since it is widely agreed that any quantum mechanical system is completely described by its wave function, it might seem that quantum mechanics is fundamentally about the behavior of wave functions. Quite naturally, all physicists starting with Erwin Schrödinger, the father of the wave function, wanted this to be true. Nonetheless, Schrödinger ultimately found it impossible to believe. His difficulty was not so much with the novelty of the wave function: "That it is an abstract, unintuitive mathematical construct is a scruple that almost always surfaces against new aids to thought and that carries no great message". Rather, it was that the "blurring" suggested by the spread out character of the wave function "affects macroscopically tangible and visible things, for which the term 'blurring' seems simply wrong" (Schrödinger 1935).

For example, in the same paper Schrödinger noted that it may happen in radioactive decay that "the emerging particle is described ... as a spherical wave ... that impinges continuously on a surrounding luminescent screen over its full expanse. The screen however does not show a more or less constant uniform surface glow, but rather lights up at one instant at one spot ....". He observed that one can easily arrange, for example by including a cat in the system, "quite ridiculous cases" with the ψ-function of the entire system having in it the living and the dead cat mixed or smeared out in equal parts. Thus it is because of the "measurement problem" of macroscopic superpositions that Schrödinger found it difficult to regard the wave function as "representing reality". But then what does reality representing? With evident disapproval, Schrödinger describes how the reigning doctrine rescues itself by having recourse to epistemology. We are told that no distinction is to be made between the state of a natural object and what we know about it, or perhaps better, what we can know about it. Actually - it is said - there is intrinsically only awareness, observation, measurement.

Many physicists pay lip service to the Copenhagen interpretation - that quantum mechanics is fundamentally about observation or results of measurement. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to find an ardent supporter of this interpretation. It is assumed that quantum mechanics is fundamentally about atoms, electrons, quarks and strings (if they exist at all), and not those particular macroscopic regularities associated with the measurements of the properties of these things. But if these entities are not to be somehow identified with the wave function itself - and if any discussion about them is not a short-hand for elaborate statements about measurements - then where is their place in the quantum description? Discerning the objects we believe quantum mechanics should be describing in the quantum description is a difficult task. We are not discussing the probability wave, whose intensity is given by a complex number, so that it has to be squared to make it meaningful. Intensity is physical. Complex numbers are non-physical. Hence they cannot be used in computer programming.

Your reply about what is an electron is like telling Salvish Goomanee is a person. This is not the answer, because it is only a name and you are much beyond this name. Find out the most intelligent Professor of physics in your locality and put him this question. See what he replies and compare with your views.

Regards,

basudeba

Dear Sir,

We surely will follow it up.

Regards,

basudeba

Dear Sir,

We have refuted your equating zero with infinity in our first post. We avoided replying to that telling that you do not want to discuss relativity. Then why are you continuing with such weird ideas?

In your Author bio-data, you have said "I am your alter ego. We are one and the same i or the singularity or the conscience or the soul or the absolute or the god." I is discrete (consciousness is not) and alter ego suggests duality. Then how can both be same?

What is the rationale of your writing or post to the topic at hand? It is beyond us! You are advocating 'pravritti' path, which only tempts the sense organs to go more for it (material enjoyment) and away from salvation. Of course it is your choice.

Regards,

basudeba

This is our letter to Dr. Wiliam Mc Harris in his thread.

Mathematics is the science of accumulation and reduction of similars or partly similars. The former is linear and the later non-linear. Because of the high degree of interdependence and interconnectedness, it is no surprise that everything in the Universe is mostly non-linear. The left hand sides of all equations depict free will, as we are free to chose or change the parameters. The equality sign depicts the special conditions necessary to start the interaction. The right hand side depicts determinism, as once the parameters and special conditions are determined, the results are always predictable. Hence, irrespective of whether the initial conditions could be precisely known or not, the results are always deterministic. Even the butterfly effect would be deterministic, if we could know the changing parameters at every non-linearity. Our inability to measure does not make it chaotic - "complex, even inexplicable behavior". Statistics only provides the minimal and maximal boundaries of the various classes of reactions, but never solutions to individual interactions or developmental chains. Your example of "the deer population in Northern Michigan", is related to the interdependence and interconnectedness of the eco system. Hence it is non-linear.

Infinities are like one - without similars. But whereas the dimensions of one are fully perceived, the dimensions of infinities are not perceptible. (We have shown in many threads here without contradiction that division by zero is not infinite, but leaves a number unchanged.) We do not know the beginning or end of space (interval of objects) or time (interval of events). Hence all mathematics involving infinities are void. But they co-exist with all others - every object or event exists in space and time. Length contraction is apparent to the observer due to Doppler shift and Time dilation is apparent due to changing velocity of light in mediums with different refractive index like those of our atmosphere and outer space.

Your example of the computation of evolutionary sequence of random numbers omits an important fact. Numbers are the inherent properties of everything by which we differentiate between similars. If there are no similars, then it is one; otherwise many. Many can be 2,3,...n depending upon the sequence of perceptions leading to that number. Often it happens so fast that we do not realize it. But once the perception of many is registered in our mind, it remains as a concept in our memory and we can perceive it even without any objects. When you use "a pseudorandom number generator to generate programs consisting of (almost) random sequences of numbers", you do just that through "comparison and exchange instructions". You develop these by "inserting random minor variations, corresponding to asexual mutations; second, by 'mating' parent programs to create a child program, i.e., by splicing parts of programs together, hoping that useful instructions from each parent occasionally will be inherited and become concentrated" and repeat it "thousands upon thousands of time" till the concept covers the desired number sequences. Danny Hillis missed this reasoning. Hence he erroneously thought "evolution can produce something as simple as a sorting program which is fundamentally incomprehensible". After all, computers are GIGO. Brain and Mind are not redundant.

Much has been talked about sensory perception and memory consolidation as composed of an initial set of feature filters followed by a special class of mathematical transformations which represent the sensory inputs generating interacting wave-fronts over the entire sensory cortical area - the so-called holographic processes. It can explain the almost infinite memory. Since a hologram retains the complete details at every point of its image plane, even if a small portion of it is exposed for reconstruction, we get the entire scene, though the quality is impaired. Yet, unlike an optical hologram, the neural hologram is formed by very low frequency post-synaptic potentials providing a low information processing capacity to the neural system. Further, the distributed memory mechanisms are not recorded randomly over the entire brain matter, as there seems to be preferred locations in the brain for each sensory input.

The impulses from the various sensory apparatus are carried upwards in the dorsal column or in the anterio-lateral spinothalamic tract to the thalamus, which relays it to the cerebral cortex for its perception. At any moment, our sense organs are bombarded by a multitude of stimuli. But only one of them is given a clear channel to go up to the thalamus and then to the cerebral cortex at any instant, so that like photographic frames, we perceive one frame at an instant. Unlike the sensory apparatuses that are subject specific, this happens for all types of impulses. The agency that determines this subject neutral channel, is called mind, which is powered by the heart and lungs. Thus, after the heart stops beating, mind stops its work.

However, both for consolidation and retrieval of sensory information, the holographic model requires a coherent source which literally 'illuminates' the object or the object-projected sensory information. This may be a small source available at the site of sensory repository. For retrieval of the previously consolidated information, the same source again becomes necessary. Since the brain receives enormous information that is present for the whole life, such source should always be illuminating the required area in the brain where the sensory information is stored. Even in dream state, this source must be active, as here also local memory retrieval and experience takes place. This source is the Consciousness.

Regards,

mbasudeba@gmail.com

This is our response to Dr. Paul Borrill, which got deleted.

We have replied to you in our thread. Before we comment on your essay, we must clarify that we do not assume or consider anything or any theory as given. We examine everything from empirical perspective using precise definitions. Thus, our views are usually different from others. We are confused after reading your essay. Kindly spare some time to clarify it to us.

In the statistical method, observation remains non-deterministic because it is not related to individual measurements, but only to the minimal and maximal boundary conditions like the position of an electron in orbit around nucleus. You cannot apply this idea to "reality is timeless inside entangled systems, i.e., it continually evolves and cycles through its recurrence, defined by the available number of states", because your description shows sequence, which is used to perceive time. Unlike mass, space and time have no physical existence. We designate the interval between objects as time and that of events as time. Since they do not have physical reality, we designate them through alternative symbolism of objects and events, which are different from space and time or spacetime. Thus, the concept of sub-time is absurd, though reversible information exchange is frequently used. The velocity of photon is neither smooth, nor monotonic or irreversible background in time.

How do you assume "information is associated with the propagation of a photon?" Information is not data that is transmitted. Information is specific data reporting the state of something based on observation (measurements), organized and summarized for a purpose within a context that gives it meaning and relevance and can lead to either an increase in understanding or decrease in uncertainty. Perception is the processing of the result of measurements of different but related fields of something with some stored data to convey a combined form "it is like that", where "it" refers to an object (constituted of bits) and "that" refers to a concept signified by the object (self-contained representation).

Similarly, how do you "postulate sub-time is inextricably intertwined with space along the one-dimensional path defined by the photon traversal between emitter and absorber atoms?" Transverse waves are always characterized by particle motion being perpendicular to the wave motion. This implies the existence of a three dimensional medium through which the two dimensional reference wave travels and with respect to which the transverse wave travels in a perpendicular direction. In the absence of the reference wave, which is a longitudinal wave, the transverse wave can not be characterized as such. All transverse waves are background invariant by its very definition. All motions take place in space and time. Thus, how do you "dispense entirely with the notion that a background of time exists, along with any sense of future or past, between isolated entangled systems?" After all, the two waves are entangled.

Photon exchange indicates the change in direction of the application of energy. Consider an example: A B → C D. Here a force makes A interact with B to produce C and D. The same force doesn't act on C and D as they don't exist at that stage. If we change the direction of the force, B acts on A. Here only the direction of force and not the interval between the states before and after application of force (time) will change and the equation will be: B A → C D and not B A ← C D. Hence it does not affect causality. There can be no negative direction for time or cause and effect. You also subscribe to this view later in your essay while talking about entanglement. Only there you start a reverse cycle with C and D in place of A and B. Then how do you claim "Only when the entangled system decoheres into the environment of other entangled systems (through the exchange of photons) does time emerge as progressively irreversible, providing persistent evolution of information at the macroscopic scale"?

The result of measurement is always related to a time t, and is frozen for use at later times t', t'', etc, when the object has evolved further. All other unknown states are combined together and are called superposition of states. Hence there is an uncertainty inherent in it, which Shannon calls entropy. Indiscernibility such as the difference of time in the observation of an object, its description through a language and the perception of the object as described by that language can sometimes be designated as a superposition of states. Entanglement of quantum states of composite systems of two or more atoms cannot be a consequence of the principle of superposition. Contrary to the descriptions of EPR, entanglement does not physically last over long distances. Entanglement always indicates confinement, which means they are in a well defined boundary or state. Hence it cannot be a superposition. Further, since they are continuously changing their states ('a state of reversible change' - as you put it), which are 'events', it happens in the background of time (interval between events).

Can you show us something that does not change at all? Everything is made up of elementary particles and fundamental energies, which always change their state. How can time stand still? Time may stand still only outside the Universes, which cannot be perceived at all. We measure analog time by observing some fairly repetitive (cyclic) and easily intelligible events and taking it as the scaling constant (unit). Generally we use the duration of the day or year, which are natural units and subdivide it to get the duration of second. Even atomic clocks, which define a second as the duration of 9192631770 cycles of radiation corresponding to the transition between two energy levels of the caesium-133 atom, retain the natural duration by averaging many readings of the cesium clocks in GPS, as they are individually not accurate. While the analog time is smooth and monotonous, the digitized time, when used to measure the intervals of events, is not so.

(Further). We are also surprised to see these deleted. However, we are publishing it again. The following was posted to our thread:

"Thank you for your comments. We apologize for our clumsy presentation, because we do not subscribe to reductionism. We start from the creation event and come down to explain everything from a common source unlike others, who do the opposite. Thus, to others, our paper may seem like jumbled up. Space constraint also forced us to squeeze. We did not give any reference because there is no scientific paper in our knowledge, which talks about these issues from the same perspective. For example, several persons have questioned time dilation. But our views are distinctly different from others. It contained in a book written by us on 30-06-2005. But it is much more clumsy.

After your post we read the paper of Dr. Bakhoum, E. G. He says: 'the process of "observing" a photon necessarily means its destruction, and hence the "observation" of the event will be carried out in the moving frame S' only'. In our essay, we do not accept that the process of observation affects reality. In fact, in one of the threads here, we had quoted from a ninth century book to refute it. In some other threads we have explained the GPS result as due to changing refractive index of the Earth's atmosphere and the outer space. Regarding photon, we have explained in our essay that it is the motion of the intersection of the electric field and the magnetic field. Thus, it is ever changing. In open space, it must have the maximum velocity.

Similarly, Dr. Bakhoum, E. G. says: "muons traveling with a velocity v ≈ c are observed to survive longer than muons that travel with velocities that are much less than c". We explain it by pointing out to the cause of such slower motion. It must be the changing refractive index due to differential density of the medium. This would generate higher friction, so that the muon dies down early. "

Regarding your latest post, this is our view:

A.2. Before talking about sub-time or classical time, you must define time and justify its divisions into sub-time or classical time. We have defined time precisely and hold that there cannot be anything like sub-time or classical time.

A.3. Photon propagation is the mechanism for transmission of signals. It has to be received, stored and interpreted to be information. Information is the cognitive content and not mechanical process.

A.4. We are pointing out the defects in your postulate, which makes it self-contradictory. We have said earlier that we do not accept anything or any view of any one unless we verify it empirically. Hence kindly modify your reply to answer to the issues raised by us.

A.5. We have questioned your statement by giving the example that entanglement does not decohere into the environment of other entangled systems, and time and causality are irreversible. The n-p chain is another example of our statement.

A.6. & A.7. The fact that you are alive and communicating shows that there is background time. Can you say it is non-existent? Can you show that sub-time or classical time are the only reality? Till that time, your premise is wrong and your conclusions are obviously wrong.

A.8. We had read your essay fully; otherwise we could not have made the comment. We do not believe in name dropping or references as we examine everything independently through empirical evidence before accepting or rejecting or reserving our opinion. Hence we ask questions.

Regards,

basudeba

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your comments. We apologize for our clumsy presentation, because we do not subscribe to reductionism. We start from the creation event and come down to explain everything from a common source unlike others, who do the opposite. Thus, to others, our paper may seem like jumbled up. Space constraint also forced us to squeeze. We did not give any reference because there is no scientific paper in our knowledge, which talks about these issues from the same perspective. For example, several persons have questioned time dilation. But our views are distinctly different from others. It contained in a book written by us on 30-06-2005. But it is much more clumsy.

After your post we read the paper of Dr. Bakhoum, E. G. He says: 'the process of "observing" a photon necessarily means its destruction, and hence the "observation" of the event will be carried out in the moving frame S' only'. In our essay, we do not accept that the process of observation affects reality. In fact, in one of the threads here, we had quoted from a ninth century book to refute it. In some other threads we have explained the GPS result as due to changing refractive index of the Earth's atmosphere and the outer space. Regarding photon, we have explained in our essay that it is the motion of the intersection of the electric field and the magnetic field. Thus, it is ever changing. In open space, it must have the maximum velocity.

Similarly, Dr. Bakhoum, E. G. says: "muons traveling with a velocity v ≈ c are observed to survive longer than muons that travel with velocities that are much less than c". We explain it by pointing out to the cause of such slower motion. It must the changing refractive index due to differential density. This would generate higher friction, so that the muon dies down early.

We are going to read your essay and rate it soon.

Regards,

mbasudeba@gmail.com

Dear Sir,

You have pointed out to a very important aspect, which needs to be examined thoroughly. "Information" from a source is not binary, but it is forwarded in "binary codes". The binary codes are interpreted by the observer to get the information. All along we hold that 'the observational information is continuum in nature' in the sense that once it is perceived, the same perception continues till it is modified by fresh inputs. In particle scenario, information from a source at space-time locality denotes "the observation and reporting of or not" of the occurrence of an action at that locality. It does not affect its occurrence or otherwise.

Regarding strings, there are plenty of unanswered questions. Unlike super-gravity, string theory is said to be a consistent and well-defined theory of quantum gravity, and therefore calculating the value of the cosmological constant from it should, at least in principle, be possible. On the other hand, the number of vacuum states associated with it seems to be quite large, and none of these features three large spatial dimensions, broken super-symmetry, and a small cosmological constant. The features of string theory which are at least potentially testable - such as the existence of super-symmetry and cosmic strings - are not specific to string theory. In addition, the features that are specific to string theory - the existence of strings - either do not lead to precise predictions or lead to predictions that are impossible to test with current levels of technology.

There are many unexplained questions relating to the strings. For example, given the measurement problem of quantum mechanics, what happens when a string is measured? Does the uncertainty principle apply to the whole string? Or does it apply only to some section of the string being measured? Does string theory modify the uncertainty principle? If we measure its position, do we get only the average position of the string? If the position of a string is measured with arbitrarily high accuracy, what happens to the momentum of the string? Does the momentum become undefined as opposed to simply unknown? What about the location of an end-point? If the measurement returns an end-point, then which end-point? Does the measurement return the position of some point along the string? (The string is said to be a Two dimensional object extended in space. Hence its position cannot be described by a finite set of numbers and thus, cannot be described by a finite set of measurements.) How do the Bell's inequalities apply to string theory? Thus, without resolving these questions and knowing the true nature of strings including whether they exist at all, we will not like to comment on it. We do not accept or reject anything without empirical evidence, otherwise we reserve our judgment.

You are right that 'observation of information from that source is probabilistic rather than realistic' and an 'uncertainty that exists in this scenario in that the information is hided from the source to the observer'. But it is not 'causal for the information paradox'. As we have explained in our essay, the result of measurement is always related to a time t, and is frozen for use at later times t', t'', etc, when the object has evolved further. All other unknown states are combined together and are called superposition of states. Hence there is an uncertainty inherent in it, which Shannon calls entropy. In perception, the concept remains in a superposition of states and collapses in response to some stimuli. Further, the field may affect information exchange by modifying the signals to induce uncertainty. We have given one example of sound waves.

Regards,

basudeba