Science is Provisional

Consciousness, Physics, and the Holographic Paradigm

Essays by A.T. Williams

Part I: Sneaking Up On Einstein

Energy has an objective, independent physical existence and exists in the absence of matter,
but matter is entirely dependent upon energy and cannot exist in the absence of energy.
- A.T. Williams

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Chapter 2 Section 2: Science is Provisional

Occasionally perceived as a monolithic, unchanging entity, known science is ever and always provisional (i.e., always changing). In other words, the apparently established results of today are only conditionally accepted by the scientific community at large while it diligently works toward enhancing and extending the accumulated knowledge upon which contemporary science is based. One consequence of the provisional process is that large advances sometimes attributed to a single individual are much more likely to be the cumulative results of many small advances in diverse areas of scientific endeavor over a relatively long period of time. Only the fundamental principles and universal constants discovered during the process remain the same.

The scientific history of the wave theory of light begins with Robert Hooke (1635-1703) and Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695). The scientific history of energy begins with Thomas Young (1773-1829). Young was appointed by Count Rumford as the first Professor of Natural Philosophy at The Royal Institution of Great Britain, London, in 1799. Following his previous work in physiological optics and the transmission of sound, Young discovered the interference principle of light waves in 1801. Young's lecture, "On Collision," at the Royal Institution in 1801 introduced the concept of "energy" and the equation E = mv², where E is energy, m is mass, and v is velocity.2 The product of the term mv² had previously been introduced by Huygens and his protégé, Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716).

James Clerk (pronounced Clark) Maxwell acknowledged Young's novel contribution in his 1877 introductory physics book. He wrote: "The use of the term Energy, in a precise and scientific sense, to express the quantity of work which a material system can do, was introduced by Dr Young."3

Note: Since no instance of an open (nonconservative) material system had been recognized or discovered by 1877, both Young and Maxwell referred to the energy contained in closed or isolated (conservative) material systems.

As humankind enters the 21st century CE, the scientific community at large continues to embrace Young's original concept virtually unchanged and presently defines energy as the capacity to do work in a closed or isolated (conservative) material system. Nonetheless, energy per se is more than simply the capacity to do work in a closed or isolated (conservative) material system.

21st century energy and energetics:

New energy postulates based on the universal principle that objective, fundamental, nonmaterial (subquantum) energy per se has an irreducible, independent physical existence and exists in the absence of matter:

The fundamental, irreducible, nonmaterial physical energy domain is all-encompassing, all-inclusive, continuous, and infinitely divisible.
The fundamental, independent, nonmaterial (subquantum) energy domain is quantitatively and qualitatively separate and distinct from the organized, structured material domain.
- In contrast to the material nature of particulate matter, the omnipresent, independent energy domain is nonmaterial in nature.
Our closed (conservative) spacetime continuum and our open (nonconservative) material universe may not be coextensive.
- If our local cosmos is a traditional, closed (convervative) material system, then our spacetime continuum and material universe may be coextensive.
- If our local cosmos is something other than a closed (convervative) material system (e.g., a compound, ^{closed (conservative) nonmaterial}/_{open (nonconservative) material} system), then our spacetime continuum and material universe are most probably not coextensive.
  - Our finite, local spacetime continuum seems to be a compound, closed (conservative) nonmaterial energy system.
  - Our finite, local material universe seems to be an open (nonconservative) material system which is encompassed by, and immersed in the closed (conservative) nonmaterial energy system.
    - The term "finite" is here defined as temporally limited. The area and volume of our open (nonconservative) universe and our closed (conservative) spacetime continuum have no fixed boundaries and are essentially infinitely expandable.
Fundamental, irreducible, nonmaterial physical energy per se is the subquantum bridge – the physical connection – between the intangible transcendent realm and the tangible material realm.
- The physics of fundamental, irreducible, nonmaterial energy per se is the key to the transcendent realm as well as the material realm.
For all intents and purposes in the material domain, omnipresent, nonmaterial, subquantum energy and information per se may be seen as velocity-independent in the fundamental, irreducible, nonmaterial energy domain.
Omnipresent, nonmaterial, subquantum energy and information are neither limited to acting within, nor confined by the boundary of our finite, open (nonconservative) material universe.
- The apparent quantization of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and the consequent limitation of the speed of EMR propagation (including visible light) seems to be a secondary effect of atomic energy-matter interactions.
- In principle energetic, omnipresent, nonmaterial information per se is received and transmitted via subquantum ^nonmaterial/_material–^energy/_information interfaces.
  - Therefore, subquantum information per se is unaffected by characteristic, quantized atomic energy-matter interactions.
Particulate matter is wholly immersed in, and pervaded by all-encompassing, omnipresent, nonmaterial physical energy.
Particulate matter is created by the discrete, organized aggregation of fundamental, irreducible, nonmaterial physical energy.
Particulate matter is entirely dependent upon fundamental, irreducible, nonmaterial energy and cannot exist in the absence of omnipresent, pervasive, subquantum energy.
The apparent energy quantization and velocity-dependence of thermal and electromagnetic radiation in the material domain seems to be directly related to electron energy level transitions in atomic energy-matter interactions.
1. It is not readily apparent to the casual observer that the results of equations which use Planck's elementary quantum of action, h, its derivatives or equivalents, automatically exclude consideration of the irreducible, nonmaterial energy domain within which tangible materiality is immersed. Thus the results obtained by using such equations describe only a self-limited view of ^nonmaterial/_{material physical reality} just-as-it-is.
  - For example, the equation for the quantum energy of a photon, E = hν = hf, where h is Planck's constant and ν or f is frequency, describes only the interaction of the elementary quantum of action with particulate matter per se and reflects no information concerning the underlying nonmaterial energy domain.
  - Another piece of this puzzling situation, of course, is that the universal principle of energy was unknown prior to its discovery by the author in 2002.
2. Similarly, the wave-particle duality problem is created, in large part, by the assumption that the radiation (i.e., propagation) of thermal and electromagnetic nonmaterial physical energy per se can be, and is, precisely described by a mathematical analogy which uses certain equations that address the properties and energies of the kinetic theory of gases in closed or isolated (conservative) material systems. In an open (nonconservative) physical system such as our finite, local material universe, for example, more specific mathematical equations with a focus on the nonmaterial physical energy domain per se are required.
Electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, is propagated from point A to point B in the material domain by means of (i.e., within and through) the objective, nonmaterial (subquantum) energy domain which fills the regions called space.
- A quantum of action (i.e., a quantum of nonmaterial energy; a massless, virtual photon) exiting the material boundary of the emitting particle (point A) immediately enters the omnipresent, pervasive, nonmaterial energy domain that fills the spaces which are empty of organized matter and remains in the nonmaterial energy domain unless or until it is absorbed by another, or the original, discrete material particle (point B).
In 1924 ^wave/_{particle correspondence} was predicted by Luis de Broglie (1892-1987), recipient of the 1929 Nobel Prize in Physics, and confirmed by Davisson and Germer in 1927.
- Therefore, not only electromagnetic radiation, but also particulate matter per se moves from point A to point B in the material domain by propagating through the nonmaterial subquantum energy domain as a wave.
  - This implies that the discrete, organized aggregation of nonmaterial subquantum energy which constitutes objective, tangible particulate matter seems to move from point A to point B in the material domain by undergoing successive, incremental phase changes of some duration, however short, while passing through the nonmaterial energy domain that fills the regions called space.
    - Indeed, a very high rate of successive, incremental phase changes would seem to be the subquantum energetic process by which discrete, organized aggregations of fundamental, nonmaterial energy can be, and are perceived by the human sensory system as the solid, objective particulate matter of the tangible material universe.
  - This also implies that if a description of the intervening medium or media between the initial state and final state of a material system is not included, then the definitive physical description of the event will necessarily be incomplete.
Electric force fields and magnetic flux fields are generated in, and remain in the objective, nonmaterial (subquantum) energy domain within which particulate matter per se and all fields generated by accelerated charged particles are immersed.
Energy frames may move in uniform motion relative to each other.
Energy frames and inertial frames may move non-uniformly relative to each other.

Consciousness and energy:

Objective, omnipresent, nonmaterial physical energy is the irreducible foundation of all existence.
- Some existence is unconditioned.
  - Some unconditioned nonmaterial physical energy exists outside the boundary of our open (nonconservative) material universe.
- Some existence is conditionally relative.
  - Some nonmaterial physical energy outside the boundary of our open (nonconservative) material universe is conditionally relative.
- Some conditionally relative existence is material in nature.
  - Our open (nonconservative), conditionally relative material universe is immersed in, composed of, and pervaded by objective, omnipresent, nonmaterial physical energy.
Consciousness per se is objective, irreducible, nonmaterial physical energy.
- Some objective, nonmaterial conscious energy is unconditioned.
  - Some unconditioned consciousness per se exists outside the boundary of our open (nonconservative) material universe.
- Some objective, nonmaterial conscious energy is conditionally relative.
  - Some consciousness per se outside the boundary of our open (nonconservative) material universe is conditionally relative.
- Some conditionally relative consciousness acts as the agent of nonmaterial subquantum energy.
  - Our open (nonconservative), conditionally relative material universe is created by, immersed in, and pervaded with a broad spectrum of omnipresent, transcendent (superluminal), nonmaterial (subquantum, prequantum) consciousness.

Continued in Chapter 2, Section 3: Footprints

Reference Notes (Click on the Note number to return to the text):

2 Young, Thomas. A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts, vol. 1, lecture 8, London, 1807.

3 Maxwell, James Clerk. Matter and Motion (1877), Dover Publications, Inc., Mineola NY 1952, p. 76. Reissued 1991: ISBN 0-486-66895-9 (pbk).

Back to Chapter 2, Section 1: The Universal Principle of Energy

Index: Consciousness, Physics, and the Holographic Paradigm

Last Edit: December 19, 2004.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

This paper is a work in progress.
Please check for the latest update before quoting in other venues the concepts and hypotheses presented here.
Thank you.

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