Dear Jayakar,

I appreciate your kind comment! Many thanks!

-Paul

Hi Alan,

The Archimedes screw is a mechanical device with repetitive motion. Structurally dynamic cellular automata are mathematical, not physical constructs. However it might be interesting to use the latter to try and model the former.

Best regards,

Paul

Hi Joachim,

Glad that you like the holon idea. Interesting point you raise. My intention, however is to suggest these as limiting particle states, meaning that the universe today would be filled with particles spanning a wide range of frequencies (and energies). The spectrum of frequencies would be consistent with the current frigid temperature of space. However, instead of an unlimited range of frequencies, holon states would constitute an upper bound. This would cap the vacuum energy density at a value consistent with the amount needed for the observed acceleration of spatial expansion.

Best regards,

Paul

Dear Dan,

Thanks for your thoughtful remarks! Yes you are absolutely correct that Planck meant his resolution of the blackbody radiation "ultraviolet catastrophe" as a mathematical device, rather than as a physical quantum. It was Einstein who brilliantly suggested in his theory of the photoelectric effect that the quantum is a physical notion. Glad you like the mailbox metaphor! Interesting what you write about the distinction between encoding information and maintaining continuity within reality.

Many best wishes,

Paul

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  • Post #12

Dear Professor Halpern,

Your essay provides much food for thought. I would like to know how in the scenario of a holon falling into a black hole this idea can be reconciled with the GR prediction that the holon becomes gravitationally blueshifted.

Thank you,

Armin

    Dear Armin,

    Thanks for your kind comment! That is a fascinating question. It is unclear if GR applies in its classical form down to such minuscule length scales. According to the standard line of reasoning, because of the proximity to the Planck scale, one would need to replace classical GR with quantum gravity. Alternatively, let us consider the discrete approach, with fields emerging from an evolving network of connections similar to structurally dynamic cellular automata. In that case gravitational blueshifts or redshifts would represent the impact of regions with different topologies upon the size (wavelength) of structures within the network. The holon size would remain the lower limit of such distortions, similar to a single stone representing the minimal structure in the game Go.

    Paul,

    Incisive argument for holons that led me with the weight of your argument in each direction you took including your holon thrust.

    I haven't heard many looks into a dark energy explanation that work.

    Quite persuasive and scholarly.

    Jim Hoover

      Dear Jim,

      I appreciate your comments. Thanks so much! I'm glad you found the essay persuasive.

      Best regards,

      Paul

      5 days later

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      • Post #17

      Only this Essay and my comment reminding about Holometer

      http://www.fqxi.org/community/forum/topic/946

        Dear Yuri,

        Thanks for your comment and the link to your interesting essay!

        Best wishes,

        Paul

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        • Post #19

        Hi dear Prof.Halpern,

        Congratulations, the evolution is so important.....quantum spheres.....H....CNO..Hydrospheroids about 3.4billions......CH4 H20 HCN H2C2 NH3....time evolution rotating spinning proprotions.........UNICELLS....differenciation......pluricells.....sponges ..mmedusas.......humans................UNIVERSAL SPHERE.

        The encoding is rational simply.

        Best Regards and good luck

        Steve

        Dear Steve,

        Thanks for the kind comments and for pointing me to your theory of spinning spheres!

        Best regards,

        Paul

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          • Post #21

          Dear Paul,

          You are welcome.I liked your essay, it's rational, we need that.

          Best Regards

          Steve

          Hi both,

          As part-historian of physics, I feel I have to clear up a myth contained in here. Planck did not introduce the quantum of action (initially written as an epsilon, to be taken to zero) to resolve a problem in the UV part of the spectrum (the bad behaviour predicted by the Rayleigh-Jeans law), but rather with the Wien law, in the infrared part of the spectrum. It was Wien's law that he sought to recover with his own formula for the blackbody energy. It really ought to be called the "infrared catastrophe". The historical evidence points to the fact that Planck was not aware of Rayleigh's analysis when he proposed his idea - Rayleigh's proposal came in June, and Planck's in the October of 1900 - there was no correspondence and no publication at this stage). Also, quite interestingly, the name "ultraviolet catastrophe" wasn't coined until 1911, by Paul Ehrenfest.

          Best,

          Dean

          Dear Paul Halpern

          I thoroughly enjoyed your essay, that started with a reference to the much-maligned Lord Kelvin. He also conjectured that the ether is made up of 'knots' which may well describe holons or twistors or the lattice nodes of my own theory. I have tried to show in my in my earlier 2005 Beautiful Universe paper on which my present fqxi paper is based that if these universal building blocks have dielectric properties and angular momentum, their precise mutual interactions may well account for matter, space, radiation and dark matter. Dark energy will be the natural result of the mutual electrostatic repulsion of these nodes, probably self-assembled in an FCC crystal-like configeration. I also proposed experiments to test the graininess of the vacuum. In a fqxi discussion here with Tommaso Bolognesi I proposed a variation of my experiment in which two parrallel standing waves in vacuum may exhibit moire patterns with a phase much larger than the wavelength of the original universal node (or holon - I like the word and will check Koestler's book) length. I would greatly appreciate your reading my papers and hearing your expert reaction.

          With best wishes.

          Vladimir Tamari

            Dear Vladimir,

            Thanks for your insightful comments. I'll certainly take a look at your papers -- sounds intriguing!

            Best wishes,

            Paul

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            • Post #25

            Dear Paul Halpern,

            ''Hogan and Chou discover, through their holometer experiment, evidence that light's motion follows discrete steps''.

            Because of Heisenberg uncertainty the position of photon is uncertain, so you'll never see evidence that light's motion follows discrete steps.

            Since you are interested in discrete spacetime, please look here. The hole model of discontinuous spacetime can explain gravitation, inertia and most of the quantum phenomena. How about vacuum holes in your model?(Don't forget to vote(:

            Regards

            Constantin

              Dear Constantin,

              Interesting point, however I think they are hoping to see these subtle path differences (reflected in the transverse components) through highly precise interferometry. Trying to measure the exact position and momentum of a photon simultaneously (along the same axis) would be ruled out by the uncertainty principle, but that is not the case here.

              I look forward to reading your essay. Sounds interesting. Thanks for the link!

              Best wishes,

              Paul

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              • Post #27

              Dear Professor Halpern,

              Let me start by saying that I enjoyed the mix of the historical with modern conjectural views toward physics displayed by your essay. One question. Have you considered the possible role of The Extended Theories of Gravity in which the cosmos possesses an intrinsic curvature as an alternative to the Standard Model with respect to the many open cosmological questions we now face? I would point you toward Christian Corda's excellent essay as well as own. In my own simple approach, I show that the cosmos must have an intrinsic curvature for a very elementary reason. As for the observations that lead to the DE hypothesis, they have to rate as the most exciting discovery since Hubble.

              Have a great day,

              Dan