Thank you Don - it's nice to hear from you again. I admit it is so challenging to talk about that which is "outside the box" using words, language, ideas and evidence that is "inside the box." Many have tackled the challenge - few have made headway. Aldous Huxley wrote a useful book "Perennial Philosophy" that did a nice job speaking about the shared unspeakable. But the best Wittgentstin could offer was "The world of a happy man is different from that of the unhappy man..." - or something like that. The mystical traditions get the idea - but the language rarely resonates for those outside the tradition....

Wishing you all the best! - George

Stefan - Thanks for your kind review and generous score. I decided this year to write for the heart and not the score. The strategy seems to be working. :) It is an interesting set of essays, for sure, but seems to come at a busy time for all of us - so hard to find the time to digest the big ideas represented in this contest!

Cheers - George

Thank you Mozibar for reading and commenting on my essay. I will reciprocate in the near future! If a tree falls in the forest and no-one hears, does it make a noise? If an essay is submitted and goes unread, does it make a difference? I admit I am a bit of a glutton for analogy and metaphor - useful tools in talking about what otherwise might be called "mystical."

Cheers - George

4 days later

George,

An excellent essay again and great pleasure to read. Thank you. I agree infinity is beyond our understanding and a 'god' in some way seems inevitable if undecidable. Your analysis of all you covered was nicely judged for the level and length here. One of the best again I think.

But did you know John Bell was convinced a classical derivation of QM's prediction WAS possible (but "will astonish") and indeed pointed the way? You may be interested in my essay which suggests you should perhaps have extended your sentence;

"Considerable experimental and intense theoretical efforts have been devoted to the resolution of these issues. These efforts have been unsuccessful." ..with "...to date". A different starting assumption endowing pairs with Maxwell's 4 conjugate states appears astonishingly to overcome the barriers to a classical solution!!

Of course the academic community will fight to Max Plancks last coffin before adopting any such thing! But see also Declan Traill's essay with the computer code and plot consistent with the ontology.

Very well done for yours again.

Best of luck in the judging.

Peter

    7 days later

    Hello Mr Gantz,

    Congratulations for your essay about faith.It is theologically wonderfull.:) God does not play at dices but with sphères :) The aether seems gravitational ....

    Best Regards

      Dear George,

      I highly appreciate your well-written essay in an effort to understand.

      It is so close to me. «our perception and investigation of this physical reality through science rests on guiding principles constructed on faith». «I suggest that faith may be interfering with physics». «What is the cause of the emergent order?» «I have also questioned a number of apparent beliefs that are interfering with our full and open exploration of our world. Among these are the belief sets that I have referred to as physicalism, reductionism and determinism. I have also offered a specific critique of the commitment to randomness and its role in the justification of the multiverse theory».

      I hope that my modest achievements can be information for reflection for you.

      Vladimir Fedorov

      https://fqxi.org/community/forum/topic/3080

        Dear George

        If you are looking for another essay to read and rate in the final days of the contest, will you consider mine please?

        Beyond my essay's introduction, I place a microscope on the subjects of universal complexity and natural forces. I do so within context that clock operation is driven by Quantum Mechanical forces (atomic and photonic), while clocks also serve measure of General Relativity's effects (spacetime, time dilation). In this respect clocks can be said to possess a split personality, giving them the distinction that they are simultaneously a study in QM, while GR is a study of clocks. The situation stands whereby we have two fundamental theories of the world, but just one world. And we have a singular device which serves study of both those fundamental theories. Two fundamental theories, but one device? Please join me in questioning this circumstance?

        My essay goes on to identify natural forces in their universal roles, how they motivate the building of and maintaining complex universal structures and processes. When we look at how star fusion processes sit within a "narrow range of sensitivity" that stars are neither led to explode nor collapse under gravity. We think how lucky we are that the universe is just so. We can also count our lucky stars that the fusion process that marks the birth of a star, also leads to an eruption of photons from its surface. for if they didn't then nebula gas accumulation wouldn't be halted and the star would again be led to collapse.

        Could a natural organisation principle have been responsible for fine tuning universal systems? Faced with how lucky we appear to have been, shouldn't we consider this possibility?

        For our luck surely didnt run out there, for these photons stream down on earth, liquifying oceans which drive geochemical processes that we "life" are reliant upon. The Earth is made up of elements that possess the chemical potentials that life is entirely dependent upon. Those chemical potentials are not expressed in the absence of water solvency. So again, how amazingly fortunate we are that these chemical potentials exist in the first instance, and additionally within an environment of abundant water solvency such as Earth, able to express these potentials.

        My essay is an attempt at something audacious. It questions the fundamental nature of the interaction between space and matter Guv = Tuv, and hypothesizes the equality between space curvature and atomic forces is due to common process. Space gives up an energy potential in exchange for atomic forces in a conversion process, which drives atomic activity. And furthermore, that Baryons only exist because this energy potential of space exists, and is available for exploitation. Baryon characteristics and behaviours, complexity of structure and process might then be explained in terms of being evolved and optimised for this purpose and existence. Removing need for so many layers of extraordinary luck to eventuate our own existence. It attempts an interpretation of the above mentioned stellar processes within these terms, but also extends much further. It shines a light on molecular structure that binds matter together, as potentially being an evolved agency that enhances rigidity and therefor persistence of universal system. We then turn a questioning mind towards Earths unlikely geochemical processes, (for which we living things owe so much) and look at its central theme and propensity for molecular rock forming processes. The existence of chemical potentials and their diverse range of molecular bond forming activities? The abundance of water solvent on Earth, for which many geochemical rock forming processes could not be expressed without? The question of a watery Earth? is then implicated as being part of an evolved system that arose for purpose and reason, alongside the same reason and purpose that molecular bonds and chemical process arose.

        By identifying process whereby atomic forces draw a potential from space, we have identified means for their perpetual action, and their ability to deliver perpetual work. Forces drive clocks and clock activity is shown by GR to dilate. My essay details the principle of force dilation and applies it to a universal mystery. My essay raises the possibility, that nature in possession of a natural energy potential, will spontaneously generate a circumstance of Darwinian emergence. It did so on Earth, and perhaps it did so within a wider scope. We learnt how biology generates intricate structure and complexity, and now we learn how it might apply for intricate structure and complexity within universal physical systems.

        To steal a phrase from my essay "A world product of evolved optimization".

        Best of luck for the conclusion of the contest

        Kind regards

        Steven Andresen

        Darwinian Universal Fundamental Origin

          Thank you Peter for your kind words. As to Bell's conviction (and many of the essays here) - it is so easy to be misguided by the strength of our convictions. Humility is, ultimately, the only thing that saves us. That, and love.

          Cheers - George

          Thanks Steve - I am buoyed up by the idea of gravity, but caught in spirals - neither dice nor spheres.

          Cheers - George

          Vladimir - You are so kind, thank you. I have felt since our first meeting that our ideas are quite similar and it appears to be even more the case this year.

          Sincere regards and best of luck - George

          Thanks, Steven. Ah, but microscopes and clocks are so Newtonian - so 19th century. I believe we will find that the universal natural energy potential is love. to paraphrase Winger, it is a gift we neither understand nor deserve.

          Cheers - George

          You are welcome,this weakest force needs to be quantify and the spirals can help with a kind of fractalisation, but I am insisting :) The sphères and their motions or the geometrical algebras like lie algebras or the Clifford algebras are a better way than these spirals but these spirals can be utilised for this fractalisation of forces in converging.Einstein said that God does not play at dices...., you like I am supposing the fibonacci spiral lol ?

          I like this essay a lot George...

          You hit the nail on the head! Physics is rife with beliefs, and you do a great job of fleshing out how and why they creep in almost everywhere scientists are striving for specificity. I am reminded of the story at the end of the Babylon 5 series. The two questions are "Who am I?" and "What do I want?" where the first leads to the Order principle of the Vorlons and the other leads to the Chaos principle of the Shadows.

          People do not realize that faith and beliefs lie in the area of feelings and not thought. Specifically; a belief is nothing more than a feeling of certainty about the truth or falsehood of something. It gets confusing when people think of beliefs as thought forms. I hope you will still get to read my essay. It would be nice if it is before the ratings deadline, because I know you would or will be a fair grader.

          It's odd that people don't realize the beliefs in your list don't have to be absolutes either; of course there is randomness, but no agency? Some day; I'd love to co-author an article with you George, talking about how people can create the good, and why this is different from fighting evil.

          All the Best,

          Jonathan

            11 days later

            I was hoping you would read this...

            Sorry I did not get to read your essay earlier on, and that your essay did not fare better at the end, but it looks like you left the building before reading my comment. So perhaps I'll reach out by e-mail.

            All the Best,

            Jonathan

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