Zeno’s Motion Paradoxes and Modern Physics

The special relativity theory began with the initiative of Lorentz who suggested a general hypothesis, something crude, startling and bold. From Morley and Michelson’s experiments he concluded that any moving body must have undergone a contraction in the direction of its motion, and with a velocity v, a contraction in the ratio of 1: (1-v²/c²)^1/2. He assumed that molecular forces, like the electric and magnetic forces, were also transmitted through the ether. The translation would affect the action between two molecules or atoms in a manner resembling the attraction or repulsion between charged particles. Since the intensity of molecular actions ultimately conditions the form and dimensions of a solid body, there is a possibility to be a change of dimensions as well.

Combined with the hypothesis of time dilatation that Einstein subsequently put forward, Minkowski proved that, by unifying space and time called spacetime, the world configuration was 4-dimensional rather than the ordinary 3-dimensional. He demonstrated that the Lorentzian hypothesis was much more intelligible when explained under this new conception of space and time. For him, the length contraction was not to be looked upon as a consequence of resistance in the ether or anything of that kind but merely as a gift from the above, - as a companion circumstance to motion ³.

The problem of motion is not only the subject of modern physicists but had already become a brainteaser for the ancient people. For the ancients, the motion was different from the appearance they saw in daily life but rather the inner principle of change in nature. For over two millennia nobody offered better clues about more profound nature of motion than Zeno of Elea (ca. 490 - 430 BC) even over more modern scientist such as Newton and many others. Among his famous 60 paradoxes, only one of the most profound puzzles of mystery survives to our time, i.e., the flying arrow paradox, ^a) thanks to Aristotle who preserved them in his book of Physics.

Zeno raised the question about the continuation of space and time that even today's quantum physicists are struggling. Zeno saw that time consisted of a series of indivisible instants which make it impossible for something to move during a period at such an indivisible instant. He argued that an arrow would remain stationary if it occupied the same space at every indivisible instant. For Zeno, being at rest means that from one instant to another different instant, the body in question and all its parts occupy the same place ¹. Zeno hypothesized that for a motion to occur, an object must change the position which it occupies; thus, it should be shortening. 

However, still, Zeno missed the explanation on how the mechanism of shortening worked. We are not ashamed of helping Zeno by taking an example of a looper caterpillar’s motion. The method of this animal locomotion is incredible because of a walking style on two widely spaced groups of legs. At the front, just behind the head, are three pairs of small, segmented legs ending in tiny claws that help to grab onto plant material. Then, towards the end of the muscular and quite powerful body, a few more pairs of non-articulated fleshy lobes act as the hind legs. This set-up is perfect for creating the looping motion when the caterpillar is moving about on the plant. It stretches the front legs out to where it wants to go, grabs onto the plant material, then drags the hind legs up, while the body forms an impressive loop, like the U letter upside down or the Greek letter omega (Ω). As such, the contraction and straightening of the looper body make it advance. 

With such comparison, under our new interpretation of quantum theory, we can now illustrate the motion of an arrow flying ahead across its trajectory (Figure-1). Let l₁ be the length of the arrow flying following its path starting from an instant t₁ to another instant t₄.

Now, viewed at the quantum level in which the same arrow is the appearance of a series of different arrows consecutively created and annihilated (depicted respectively as the solid and dash-arrow). However, in such a moving body, the length of the arrow shortens to become l₂ in the subsequent creation the length of answers the fundamental question which nobody dares to pose as why the Lorentz contraction occurs. 

It is, therefore, imperative to see this phenomenon in the other way round. We used to see the motion of the body as the cause, and its contraction is the effect. We do not see as what Zeno did, that as far as the length of the body remains the same (no contraction) at any and every instant, then the motion is impossible.

We may, therefore, conclude that the contraction is the prerequisite for the motion to happen. The shorter the body has undergone a contraction, the faster the motion of the body would be ^c).

We should, also, scrutinize the second part of Zeno argument which holds the indivisibility of instants during which motion is impossible to occur. Such argument was correct if such a series of instants continued with no gaps in between two consecutive instants, which is not the case ^(d). We have elaborated in the previous articles that the perpetual creation and annihilation, the underlying quantum mechanism, resulting in a motion-pictures-like which is a series of time gaps separating the ephemeral spaces (Figure-2).

We should, therefore, make up our mind that the arrow ^e) existing in any instant is entirely different from that of immediately annihilated in the succeeding instant. As such, the newly created arrow can always take a different position from that in the previous instant.

It is unbelievable that a man who lived in such olden time may have such a deep insight puzzling the reality of motion that can only be answered by the relativity theory and quantum mechanics ^f) which, alas, nobody is aware.

The 2500 years old Zeno flying-arrow paradox is in its every respect, thus, comprehensively solved.

Notes:

a)   Most scholars regarded that motion had fully explained and calculus could explain the dichotomy paradox. Some philosophers, however, say that Zeno's paradoxes and their variations are still relevant to metaphysical questions. The mathematical models of motion, space and time are merely intellectual constructions built for the convenience of simple calculations, not for the broader purpose of representing the structure of reality. The underlying reality that the paradox addresses is, thus, evaded.

b) The Lorentzian hypothesis is entirely equivalent to the conception of Minkowski spacetime which makes the hypothesis much more intelligible.

c)   The relativity theory asserts that a rigid body is shorter when in motion than when in rest. In this theory, the speed of light c plays the part of a limiting velocity, which can neither be reached nor exceeded by any real body.

d)  It is how we have to interpret the underlying reality that Zeno addressed in his dichotomy, one of Zeno's four famous paradoxes, which was expressed in ordinary [non-relativist] velocities, thus, easily refuted by anybody.

e) Against Zeno’s theory of the continuation of time, Aristotle argued that if time is continuous and the points of time are represented as points of space, then the point's position must be represented by both the past and future. For him the point of division lies in one segment or the other, but not in both. If a white object were changing to black in a period divided into two intervals – A, during which it is white, and B, during which it is black – then there must be some instant C when it is both black and white ²⁾.

f)      This problematic, contradictory situation that C belongs to both A and B was not learned as it is repeated in modern time by the similar proposition of Schrodinger's cat paradox where the cat was potentially found both dead and alive at the same time.

g)     Microscopically prevailing over its quantum kinds of stuff.

h)   A newly interpreted quantum theory with the constant creation and annihilation of matter, to and fro energy, as its fundamental mechanics.

References:

1.     Mazur, J.: "The Motion Paradox," Dutton, New York, 2007, p. 41.

2.     Ibid, p. 40

3.   Einstein et al.: "The Principle of Relativity," Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1952, p. 81

Zeno’s Motion Paradoxes and Modern Physics

Eternalism vs Presentism

The relativity theory unifies space and time into a single 4-dimensional continuum called the spacetime.  Albeit their unity, however, the theory inexplicably assumes that the nature of dimensions at every point in the continuum differentiates into those of the space and time.

Such concept of spacetime sometimes is referred to as the block time, block universe or eternalism. We have considered time as having similar ontology to that of space, that future events are already there, and that there is no objective flow of time. The spacetime is viewed as an unchanging 4-dimensional block as opposed to the view of the world as a 3-dimensional space perpetually modulated by the passage of time ¹.

This concept of the block universe adopted by mainstream physics makes the physics now in trouble. This concept is wrong both physically and philosophically. A continuum should have inherently similar dimensions at its every point, except there is a discontinuity or boundary ^a) along which the block's dimensions are transformed into spatial (Figure-1).

In our daily life, one observes the difference between the past, the present, and the future. One perceives that as time passes, the moment that was once the present becomes part of the past, and part of the future, in turn, becomes the new present. As such, we experience or at least perceive the passage of time, with a present moment moving forward into the future and leaving the past behind ². Philosophically, such a view of time is called presentism.

As we explain in the previous articles, our concept about the spacetime continuum is in line with this presentism, except that everything exists ephemerally. As such, when the part of the [nebulous] future transformed into the new present, the moment that was once the present is annihilated into part of the [void] ^b) past. In this view, only the present is real, as opposed to eternalist idea that all points in time are equally real.

This act of perpetual creation and annihilation gives us the perception of time passage. This modified presentism accentuates the actuality of the present and its obvious difference from the potentiality of the future and the nullity of the past. Matters which exist only in the present are exerted by the gravity and held together as a single whole on the plane ^c) of the present.

In order that the cause and effect principle prevails in their "chaotic" block universe, the physicists are forced to set up a light-cones system in which the individual light-cone may have a different orientation (Figure-2). However, such a concept may lead us to a chaotic closed timelike curve ^three that questions the integrity of such physical edifice.

The physicists are unaware that in such a symmetric block universe, which is timeless and eternal, no matter can exist, neither movement nor changes can occur. Sooner or later the mainstream physicists should abandon their concept of the block universe which has led us to many misinterpretations such as determinism, time travel, many-worlds interpretation and so forth.

In the presentist universe, the block is spontaneously broken ^d) in two halves, creating a 3-dimensional interface in between the two as it is transforming the dimension along the interface into spatial. Space and the present time are, in fact, two different aspects of the same thing which is the smallest unit of time. The eternity is, thus, broken bearing perpetually the present moment which splits the past barely from the future.

Notes:

a). Such as an interface or a surface in the case of liquid-like or a fissure in the case of a solid-like continuum.

b). Void of matter but not of energy.

c). or a wavy surface or interface in order to be in line with the general relativity theory.

d). It may happen because of the segregation of a pair of energy's opposing elements: the positive and negative energy.

Reference:

1.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_universe

2.  Ibid.

3.  Penrose, R.: "The Road to Reality," Vintage Books, London, 2005, p. 409.

Eternalism vs Presentism

The Physics and the Origin of Species

We may describe the whole universe as a composite of universal essential substances namely the intelligence-consciousness, reflected by the highest dimensional spacetime which lies at the outermost of the system, embedding the information and matter-energy "residing" in lower dimensional spacetimes. Figure-1 shows the different presentations of such structure in terms of multidimensional worlds (macro-cosmos) with its possible projection to the micro-cosmos representing the metaphysical structure of human beings ^a).

As does energy, these fundamental properties of the universe, i.e., the universal intelligence-consciousness and information ^b) permeate throughout the whole universe which the brain or some other nerve systems may intercept. Certain parts of the brain or other particular nerve systems should function like a biological receiving radio or a processing computer with quantum "internet" access which antennae can receive those "metaphysical" waves either universally or particularly.

The kingdoms other than that of human beings, i.e. animals, plants and matters have lower capacity on receiving such waves. The human beings' metaphysical structure is the most complex and perfect compared to the others. Human possesses intelligence, consciousness, on top of information, energy and matter properties. The animal kingdom has a similar structure, but intelligence, while the plant kingdom has neither intelligence nor consciousness. The material kingdom possesses only matter with its associated energy without information property ^c)  (Figure-2).

Each species within a certain kingdom may evolve ["vertically"] toward more complex molecular or biological structure ^(d) toward the ultimate perfection but cannot evolve ["horizontally"] across and beyond its metaphysical structure. Charles Darwin ⁽¹⁾ shocked the world when he declared that human had originated from an ancestor of ape-like and was merely the representative of one among many Families of the order Primates in the class Mammalian.

Indeed when he studied the origin of species and their biological evolutions, Darwin ignored these non-physical structures which differed substantially to each other and wished to discover the missing-link which never occurred.  

Notes:

a)     The ancients phrase for such projection was "as above so below."

b)   The basic premise of the existence of Universal Intelligence-Consciousness permeating the whole universe as elucidated in this and previous articles may lead to the idea of what is popularly called Intelligent Design (ID).

c) With this information property, the plants possess some awareness toward their environment such as among other gravity, light and in particular plants (for example mimosa pudica) friction.

d)  Material kingdom evolved from a simple molecule consisting only a few atoms to the most sophisticated but unstable molecule of high number atoms. The plant and animal kingdoms evolved from one single cell toward the most complicated biological body. The evolution of human being is not physical but metaphysical leading to a higher degree of consciousness and intelligence (from 7-D up to 10-D?)

References:
1.  Darwin. C.: "On the Origin of Species," A Mentor Book, New York, 1958

The Physics and the Origin of Species

The Physics and Mind-Body Problem

The Grand Relativity theory as we have discussed so far is now about to enter into what we recognize as metaphysics. We describe the interrelationship of intelligence-consciousness with matter-energy and space-time which represents the properties of a universal primary substance comprising the whole existences within the universe.

We have shown that matter is not tangible and persistent as what most people perceive. Deep in the quantum realm, a matter is perpetually created and annihilated to and fro energy resulting in a series of a broad gap of nonexistence separating two successive existences.

To avoid total disorder, the energy as the only substance which persists through such successive [material] existence-nonexistence, should be able to carry, store and process the information from the annihilated [physical] existence to the newly created one.

The information and energy are, in fact, two different aspects of the same thing. The information like energy is a primary entity, the foundation that builds physical reality ¹⁾. Both of them together dare metaphysically recognized as conscience-intelligence ^a).  As does the energy, the information, as well as intelligence-consciousness waves, permeate throughout the whole universe. Being different aspects of the same substance, they are the primary property of the universe being present at, before and after the beginning of the [four-dimensional] physical world creation.

This paradigm shift radically changes our perspective on the nature of the subjective consciousness that human and other animated beings possess. The consciousness is not a merely biological phenomenon which is caused by a neurobiological process in the brain as most modern scientists hold ²⁾. They consider consciousness and life as an evolutionary process which occurs by mere accident.

On the contrary, the consciousness in its most profound reality is the primary entity which permeates the whole thing which the brain and some other nerve systems may intercept. Certain parts of the brain should function just like a biological radio device, or a processing computer with quantum “internet” access ^b)

Dissecting the brain to search the seat of consciousness is like dismantling a radio to find the source of voices, without knowing the function of the antenna. It is therefore imperative to discover a sort of biological antennae in the brain and other particular nerve systems.

We may recall that the structure of biological cells, especially those having membrane potential, allows the cells to function as a battery. It provides power to operate a variety of molecular devices embedded in the membrane or used for transmitting signals between different parts of an excitable cell.

Researching the phenomenon similar to the action potential occurs in excitable cells in which the electrical membrane potential of a cell rapidly rises and falls may eventually lead us to the discovery of such biological antennae.

The concept of the intelligence-consciousness realm independent of the physical world was in line with the old belief in Middle Age when Descartes postulated the dualism nature of consciousness (mind) and matter. For him, consciousness exists on a separate, non-physical level ^c), which elements had no spatial characteristics.

Berkeley went to the extreme proposing that even if the material world was not there and only rational world ^d) remained, everything would continue to appear as usual even though there would be nothing in reality but mental experience.

 Notes:

a.  We refer here to the universal intelligence-consciousness termed as a primary entity which permeates the whole thing, not exclusively the one that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts, except otherwise specified. The nature of intelligence is superior (having higher dimensions) than the consciousness similar to what the energy to matter or time to space (Figure-2).

b.  On top of consciousness waves having more general in character, there are countless particularized consciousness waves permeating the universe, each appropriate only for a particular individual depending on his or its "fingerprint".

c.   What Descartes meant by "non-physical" world may be interpreted as the world having higher dimensions than those of our ordinary four-dimensional physical world.

d. Berkeley's mental world is the same as what Descartes meant by the non-physical world. 

References:

1.  Davies, P. et al.: "Information and the Nature of Reality," Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2011, p. 75.

2.  Penrose, R.: "The Emperor's New Mind," Oxford University Press, Oxford UK 1999, p. 492 - 496.Bottom of Form

The Physics and Mind-Body Problem

What is life? The Energy and Consciousness

Energy is widely used in our daily life and fundamentally termed in physics, and yet hardly anybody knows its actual reality. It becomes more and more evident that energy is the bedrock of all reality dethroning matter from its prestigious position.

The materialistic idea which depends on the premise that the world consisted of matters complying with locality and the deterministic laws, was no longer capable of sustaining the radical development of modern physics.

Quantum mechanics reduces the concept of matter as a tangible and persistent thing into that of ephemeral stuff perpetually appears and disappears out of and into energy. The existence of matter is intermittent in which a gap of non-existence separates two successive existences.

As such, the state of incoming existence would become the successor of that of the previous existence if and only if there is a transfer of information from the previous to the next existence ^a). The information transfer across the gap of non-existence could only be carried out by the energy; the only medium presents in such non-existence (Figure-1).

The energy has, therefore, an inherent capability to register, store and process the information. In metaphysical term, we may refer such capability to what we recognize as awareness or consciousness. The higher the number of energy dimensions the higher the degree of consciousness would be ^b). The energy and consciousness are two different sides of the same coin.

The physics is barely capable of revealing the nature of energy as the peak of the multi-layered "iceberg." The deeper realities underlie the energy are successively information, consciousness, and intelligence. The totality of those, the most profound reality of all, is the life itself in its grandest and absolute existence (Figure-2).

Most scientists regard the existence of life, consciousness, and intelligence as an accidental evolutionary process which occurred merely by chance. On the contrary, the life, consciousness, and intelligence are the essential aspect of the existence just as fundamental as the attributes of energy-matter and space-time, forming with them an interdependent process of ongoing creation that has resulted in our present universe ¹.

The future research of physics would undoubtedly be able to cross the boundary known as the domain of metaphysics. The nature of the information which is another aspect of the energy is now about within reach of physicists. Some of them are now researching the development of the quantum computer. Later on, hoped that they would also be able to reveal the underlying reality of consciousness, intelligence and ultimately the life itself.

 Notes:

a.  At the quantum level, the information mentioned above might be decoded as a [quantum] bit of the alternation of the creation and annihilation of fundamental particles forming a combination of 1 (creation) and 0 (annihilation). It could be the underlying dynamic mechanism on how the universe works like a large digital computer.

Every elementary particle, atom, molecule and all physical systems register bits of information. Every interaction between parts of the universe processes the information by altering those bits. They evolve in time by continuously transforming and processing the information that makes up the dynamical evolution of the universe ².

b.  We may subdivide the supra-universal consciousness into but not limited to earthly four distinct degrees of consciousness. The material kingdom corresponds to the lowest degree of consciousness or practically none (4D-energy), successively followed by floral (5D-energy?), faunal (6D-energy?) and human at the top which exclusively has the faculty to increase their degree of consciousness (from 7D up to 10D-energy?).

The Kingdoms of matter, flora, and fauna, each may have many varieties of forms evolving from a very simple to the most sophisticated one, but cannot increase their degree of consciousness across and beyond the boundary of their kingdom. The most sophisticated animal (6D), an ape for example, undoubtedly cannot evolve to become a human being (7D or higher) albeit the resemblance of their physical body.

Darwin regarded human as having an origin from an ancestor of ape-like to be placed in the same group with the existing great apes. For him, the man could no longer be regarded as having a special status in the Creation but was merely the representative of one among many Families of the order Primates in the class Mammalian ³.

Moreover, the theory still misses the evidence linking the two kingdoms. There is, apparently, no such a missing link between the two as there is just no link at all.

References:

1. Blomquist, R.: "Integrated Theory of Intelligence," http://www.Supra consciousnessnetwork.org/Download.htm

2.        Lloyd, S.: "Programming the Universe," Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2006, p. xi.

3.        Darwin, C.:" On the Origin of Species," A Mentor Book, New York, 1958.Bottom of Form

What is life? The Energy and Consciousness

Superstring Theory and the Seven Heavens

The superstring theory indicates for the first time the existence of multidimensional universes. It is supposed to be able to provide a comprehensive explanation of all known physical phenomena and answers the questions that the Big Bang theory cannot do: What happened before the creation (Big Bang)? Why did the universe explode?

 According to the superstring theory the universe initially existed in ten dimensions. However, because the ten-dimensional universe was unstable ^a), it creaked into two pieces, i.e. a four- and a six-dimensional universe ¹. The ordinary four dimensions well extended while the other six extra dimensions shrunk and curled to an incredibly small size (10^-33 cm), the reason why humans can not reach it.

Most physicists have deeply penetrated the mathematical aspect of the theory, but when come to translate it into physical reality it happened that they did it very lightly and carelessly. How come that a ten-dimensional body can be split in two to get a four- and a six-dimensional body? Surprisingly, nobody challenges and fixes such a bizarre idea. The perturbation theory, or whatever theory it is, would certainly fail to break a ten-dimensional body down to a four- and a six-dimensional body.

Let take an example of a three-dimensional body, say a cube of cheese. If we split it in two, indeed we did not get a thin piece of cheese and a fiber-like cheese (Figure-1A). In order to get a fiber-like form, we should make a series of slices; the first slices produce thin pieces of cheese, and the subsequent slices produce fibers of cheese (Figure-1B).

Now, how do we get a four-dimensional universe from the original ten-dimensional one? As the string theory postulated, the original ten-dimensional universe was so unstable that it broke in two parts. However, instead of creating one four- and one six-dimensional universe, a nine-dimensional universe was created in between the two separated parts of the original universe ^b). A series of subsequent splits took place successively in a similar way from higher down to the lower-dimensional universe.

In the end, we have a total of seven universes ^c), the one embedding the other in a successive lowering order of their dimensions.  As such, there is a ten-dimensional universe at the outermost embedding nine-dimensional one, the later embedding eight-dimensional one and so forth. At the end of the series we get the four-dimensional universe embedding a rotating ephemeral three-dimensional space, where we live in, perpetually appearing and disappearing across it (Figure-2) ^d).

Each universe contains the qualities and interactions of the one above, so that each descending level of the universe is in turn under more laws, more complex, and having much more varieties of kinds of stuff. It is the underlying purpose of the grand unification which hardly any physicist is aware. Regressing such cosmic creation process to the original condition of the ten-dimensional universe would give us a much simple physical law with fewer quantum kinds of stuff in it ^e).

Why, then, we cannot directly experience these extra higher-dimensional worlds? Just because the extra dimensions are temporal, not curly spatial dimensions as what the superstring theory hypothesizes. Each universe has its owned light ^f) with its corresponding speed (c_i), Planck constant (h_i) and gravity constant (G_i), depending on the degree of its dimensions.

The brane theory, as the extension of the superstring theory, should be adjusted accordingly. We better regard a brane as an interface lies between two [liquid-like] bodies, instead of a piece of paper floating in thin air. The brane’s dimensions which extend along its surface are spatial and off of it temporal.

The gravity fields propagate along the surface of the brane and not in the direction off of it as the brane theorists hypothesize ². We should, therefore, regard parallel branes as two sides of the same brane; otherwise, they coexist in different time which is absurd.

Notes:

a)    The superstring theory cannot elaborate on the reason why such a universe is inherently unstable. The bold answer to that is that the energy intrinsically consists of the opposites, the positive and negative energy. These two parts tend to segregate arousing [rotational] opposite motions within and eventually the universe creaks into two pieces.

b)  We may easily imagine this phenomenon as a separation of oil and water creating an interface in between. However, instead of three-dimensional, we have here ten-dimensional oil-water system.

c)    The ancient term of such worlds was the seven heavens

d)    The knowledge of such cosmic structure has been known since the antiquity but degraded as time evolves to become just that of the planetary orbits of our solar system. The conflicting misinterpretation of such gigantic macro-cosmic concept, which was beyond both the church and Galileo's imagination, had tragically taken Galileo's life.

e)   Peter Freund, one of the pioneers, worked in multidimensional space, even though he did not know about the geometrical structure of such worlds, accurately stated that the laws of nature become simpler and elegant when formulated in higher dimensions.

f)    In the ancient relative term: light upon lights.

References:

1. Kaku, M.:" Hyperspace," Anchor Books, Doubleday, New York, 1994, p. 195, 207.

2. Randall, L.:" Warped Passage," Harp

Superstring Theory and the Seven Heavens