It's a
little-known fact that the special theory of relativity, a cornerstone of
modern physics, is not a complete picture. This theory, which explores the
enigmatic realms of the universe's fundamental entities—space, time, energy,
and matter—is the pillar of the macroscopic physical realm.
The special
theory of relativity (1,2) elegantly unifies the seemingly disparate concepts
of space and time into a single entity: 4D spacetime. This unification, which
introduces higher dimensionality into the otherwise 3D physics, clarifies the
framework in which energy and mass are related to Einstein's famous equation E
= mc². Since mass is the property of matter, a 3D substance, in the same token,
energy should be the property of 4D matter, a meta-substance. It brings a sense
of simplicity to the complex world of physics. Humans find it hard to perceive
such a 4D object, except Anaximander, who dubbed it Apeiron.
Contrary to
common belief, spacetime and energy are not separate entities; they are
inextricably linked, a principle philosophically known as Aristotle's
hylomorphism principle. They are intricately intertwined, much like the
spherical form and water substance of a water drop. This interconnectedness
underscores the interdependence of these fundamental concepts in the universe.
As a
geometrical quality of energy, the spacetime has no existence on its own.
Energy, or more precisely the Apeiron, on the other hand, is primordial;
neither can be destroyed nor created, from which everything else is derived.
The dimensionality
and polarity of energy
The
dimensionality of the spacetime is just the reflection of the degree of freedom
and the potency of energy as a whole. The higher the energy potency, the
greater the number of spacetimes that can be. It is a fact that some advanced
physical theories have revealed the existence of higher-dimensional worlds.
Under special
relativity, the energy as a whole is much more like a 4-dimensional ocean. This
metaphor helps us understand that what we know about energy in our daily life
is only superficial. From this perspective, energy has no independent
existence. It is only a mathematical abstraction, indirectly known from its
functional relationship to other physical variables or coordinates.
Another
important principle that the special relativity theory reveals is the polarity
of the energy. The energy as a whole consists of positive and negative energies
as expressed in the relativistic energy equation E2 = m2c4+p2c2. This energy
polarity, which physicists deny fearing its doomsday catastrophic consequences,
is the fundamental prerequisite for the universe's dynamicity. It's not just a
mathematical concept; it is the principle of unity of opposites, a key factor
in the universe's structure and operation.
Creation by
Separation (Big Split)
The energy as a
whole tends to separate into its positive and negative components. As they
segregate from each other, a 3D interface (physical space) is created between
the two, analogous to the interface that exists between immiscible oil and water,
which we can observe in our daily life. This separation process, known as
spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB), we dubbed the Big Split, the rivalry with
the Big Bang theory.
How do the two
opposite energies split? The split is taking place gradually, like a crack
propagating across a glass sphere. As such, the 3D interface is stretching out,
which we perceive as the universe (more precisely, 3D space) expanding. The
repulsive force of the opposite energies that stretch out the 3-interface
(space) is the action of the 4D energy sea (Apeiron), the invisible dark
energy.
Ephemeral
Particles, Probabilistic and Non-Locality Features of Nature
The perpetual
interplay between positive and negative energies gives rise to quantum fields
that pierce through and ignite quantum sparks ("quark") at the 3D
interface, analogous to the pixels appearing and disappearing on a gigantic
plasma TV screen. It is the reality of the quanta, the ephemeral fundamental
particles.
Fundamental
particles are created and annihilated in a continuous process, following
Einstein's energy-mass equivalence, E = mc^2, which microscopically resembles
relativistic thermodynamic equilibrium between four-dimensional energy seas and
three-dimensional matter at an exchange rate to and fro between the two phases
at the speed of light, c. There is no persistent fundamental particle in
nature. What we perceive as a persistent particle in the macro realm is, in
reality, the appearance of a series of different particles subsequently created
and annihilated one after another. It is analogous to the flame of a candle,
which is never the same entity at any other instant.
As such, there
could be no continuity and deterministic feature of nature. Instead,
discontinuity and probability are the standard features of nature, which are
fundamental characteristics of quantum mechanics. Another feature of quantum
mechanics, non-locality, is the manifestation of the perpetual wave-particle
duality that takes place simultaneously.
The Instant of
Time, the Wave Motion of Particles, Rotating Universe
The perpetual
creation and annihilation of particles give us the impression that time is
passing. The rate of perpetual creation and destruction is the underlying cause
of the speed of light. The irreversibility of the process determines the
direction of time.
The act of
creation and annihilation does not occur in time, but instead builds up time.
If the fundamental particles were created permanently, there would be no
instant of time. It is the mystery about the nature of time that has puzzled
humankind since the dawn of history.
What we
perceive as a permanent particle moving forward is, in fact, a series of
different particles that subsequently appear and disappear, analogous to water
wave motion in which individual water molecules don't move forward but are only
moving up and down.
The
3-dimensional interface between the two energies is dynamic. The repulsive
opposite energies rotate the interface in the normal direction to its plane,
the fourth dimension. This interface, the universal now, is not necessarily
flat but curving here and there, representing the local time. This space
perpetually appears and disappears concurrently with the ephemeral particles
that construct it.
Defying our
common sense, we should make up our minds that space is somehow built up from
particles, rather than particles inhabiting a spatial geometry. Roger Penrose
(5) remarkably described the Galilean dynamical concept of 3D space as akin to
the dynamical concept of ephemeral particles. He remarked that according to
Galilean relativity," the
physical space seems to be of something that evaporates completely as one
moment passes, and reappears as a completely different space as the next moment
arrives. There is no single space that serves as an arena for the physical
world's actions evolving; instead, there is a different space for each moment
in time, with no natural connection between the various spaces. There is no
dynamical meaning to saying that a particular point in space is, or is not, the
same point as some chosen point in space at a later time. Every succeeding
moment represents a new universe, similar to the preceding (vaporized)
universe, but also different."
Alas, he was
reluctant to accept the reality when confronted with the physical space's
ephemerality, with all its content as a physical reality. The perpetual
creation and annihilation mechanism under modern relativity theory aligns completely
with the relativity concepts from the time of Galileo.
The Flow of
Time
We are unaware
of those perpetual changes since the lapses of the individual sequence of
creation and annihilation are on the order of 10^-44 seconds, the Planck time
unit, the smallest universal time unit that nature allows. It corresponds to
the changes that occur in space at the speed of light. The ordering of time,
the essential ingredient of the dynamical concept of time, is precisely the
appearance of underlying sequences of creation and annihilation that take place
at the speed of light. When new particles come into existence, the unformed
future is transforming itself into the reality of the present. When they
vanish, the reality of the present is dissolving back into the past.
This perpetual
creation and annihilation underlie the reality of time's flow. The direction of
the said electromagnetic waves, and thus the irreversibility of the constant
change and transformation sequences, determines the direction of the time flow.
It is the intrinsic phenomenon that explains why the speed of any given object
in (three-dimensional) space cannot exceed the speed of light, which is the
basic foundation of special relativity.
As stated in
the foregoing, because of the repulsive force of the positive-negative
energies, the 3D interface (space) is rotating in the direction normal to its
surface (the fourth dimension). Roger Penrose firmly ruled out the closed
time-like direction curves as unphysical because they would violate causality.
We here emphasize, however, that a rotating universe around a closed time-like
direction does not necessarily violate causality, and it is highly plausible.
But one
question is still open. If the universe does rotate around a closed time-like
direction, then how could nature allow time to go forward on one side of the
universe while moving backward on the other side? The only explanation for this
is that only matters are created on one side and antimatters are equally
created on the other side of the universe, so that matters go forward in time
on one side. Antimatters move backward on the other side. The effect is that
time will pass forward on both sides.
As we can see,
the above elucidation answers the mystery that has long puzzled physicists
about the absence of antimatter in this corner of the universe, where we
reside, and the possible existence of "dark" antimatter on the other,
remote side of the universe. The concept of the revolving universe seems to
have been known since time immemorial, as schematically depicted in the
revolving globe of "yin and yang" that "we are all familiar
with, but without understanding the real meaning of it.
It is advisable
to abandon once and for all the futile debate about time travel and kindly
place Stephen Hawking's protection device in the museum, for there is no more
worry about someone who wishes to travel back in time to kill their
grandmother.
