Progress in fundamental physics has been very slow. Satisfactory answers to the key questions listed below require conceptual breakthroughs. Mathematical efforts alone will not take us far.
- Why are there exactly 3 families (generations, flavors) of fermions?
- Can we explain the mass ratios of elementary particles?
- What is a particle?
- What is charge?
- What is time?
- What is dark matter?
- What is dark energy?
- Do we really understand gravity?
- is there an abstract realm?
- How does space-time-matter emerge from the abstract realm?
Scope of this article
This is a review of my own effort towards a new conceptual framework for physics. It is beyond the scope of this article to review others, but I will do my best to mention the ones that sound plausible to me.
Quantum Field Theory
QFT (Quantum Field Theory) is the most developed and the most successful theory framework in fundamental physics so far. In QFT fields are fundamental, particles are incidental. Field theorists say that elementary particles are ripples on the quantum fields. QFT claims that there are different fields corresponding to different particle types. What is an electron? Electron is a ripple on the electron field. What is a muon? Muon is a ripple on the muon field. This is not a satisfactory explanation. There was a failed effort towards UFT (unified field theory) to explain all elementary particles in terms of a unified quantum field. Practically nobody is working on UFT these days.
String Theory
String theorists think that elementary particles are extremely tiny vibrating filaments or membranes. But, so far, I have not seen anywhere a clean conceptual explanation of particle properties in terms of strings. Charge could not be explained, mass ratios of elementary particles could not be explained either.
String theory is pure dynamics. Can we explain the invariants such as charge using dynamics only? I don’t think so. See my view on the ontological categories below.
Supersymmetry
Supersymmetry hypothesis classifies all elementary particles as either fermions or bosons and claims that a particle belonging to one class has a superpartner in the other. These supersymmetric particles have the same charge but their spin magnitude is 1/2 less than that of the normal partner. Supposedly, the supersymmetric particles carry large mass, so if they exist, they could be candidates for dark matter. But, so far, there is no experimental evidence for supersymmetric particles.
There are theoretical reasons for doubting supersymmetry. I explain it in this paper.
Algebraic approach to particle physics
Geoffrey Dixon and Cohl Furey followed the footsteps of Feza Gursey and Murat Gunaydin and made progress in terms of algebraic approaches to particle theory. Along these lines, I pointed out that golden biquaternion can represent fermions.
Hypergraph
I find the hypergraph approach of Stephen Wolfram very compelling. Please find my comments on Stephen Wolfram’s approach here.
Primordial qubit network
According to this perspective the fabric of the universe is a network of primordial qubits connected to each other by quantum entanglement. Space and time emerge from this qubit network.
Primordial qubit network hypothesis is in the early stages of development. Note that the “primordial qubit network” perspective is not the same as the “universe is a simulation in a quantum computer” perspective even though they both assume qubit to be the most fundamental element. In the “primordial qubit network” perspective physicists are talking about the emergence of space-time-matter from the primordial qubits.
Simulation
In the “universe is a simulation” perspective everything happens according to the logic of the simulation code which can be very complex and sophisticated. The logic of the “code” is not necessarily expressible in terms of laws.
An important contrast between the “Simulation” and “Hypergraph” is that the “rules” of the Hypergraph are presumed to be very simple. In the Hypergraph universe complexity emerges from repeated application of the simple rules. In the Simulation universe complexity does not emerge, complexity is built-in.
Information is physical approach
Scott Aaronson has a long commentary on the slogan “information is physical” which originated in this article by Rolf Landauer.
Microvita
Microvita theory is not part of the scientific discourse yet, but I believe it will be. Microvita theory seems to be developing a new language not only for science but for spiritual philosophy as well. For the unification promise of the Microvita theory to be realized, researchers have to shrink the language gap by pointing out the correspondences as well as the differences between the developing Microvita theory and the existing theories of science. For more information on Microvita please visit the links mentioned in ‘Microvita links‘.
Evolution of my effort in chronological order
Over the years, I have pursued different conceptual approaches to fundamental physics. I am currently trying to unify them. The evolution of my proposals is presented here.
Primordial threads
I had the idea summarized in Prometheus and Cronos throughout my student days. The idea is to explain the basic properties of elementary particles in terms of twisting action and closed loop formation on primordial threads.
What is a primordial thread? Primordial threads have similarities to strings and fields but there are also major differences. Strings vibrate, primordial threads do not. Primordial threads are forms.
In my younger days I had great excitement about this approach because a cancelation of the “time effect” would be possible (see the “Higgs Boson’ section in Prometheus and Cronos). In my older age, however, I did not have time to develop the primordial threads approach.
Golden biquaternion
In “Golden Biquaternions, 3 Generations and Spin“, I showed that the interpretation of golden biquaternion as fermion provides a natural explanation of the 3 generations of fermions.
Cognitive Cores
In my later years, I focused on the concept of cognitive core.
Elementary particles have intrinsic properties such as charge and spin that determine the particle behavior as much as the surrounding forces. Charge and spin constitute the cognitive core of elementary particles. Similarly, the nucleus of an atom, the nucleus of a biological cell, the nucleus of a galaxy functions as the cognitive core.
Cognitive cores interact with each other. Any explanation of change (evolution) requires both concepts: cognitive core and interaction. One obvious example is the evolution of organisms. DNA is the cognitive core. Environment is the interaction. Evolution of an organism is partially determined by its DNA and partially by the environment.
Attributes are the resultants of interactions among cognitive cores. Attributes manifest in the arena of space and time hence dynamics.
Categories
Cognitive cores and dynamical laws belong to distinct ontological categories.
cognitive core category: space-invariant and time-invariant (conservation laws, invariants)
interaction category: time-dependent and space-dependent (dynamical laws, attributes).
Can we explain the formation of cognitive cores using the dynamical laws? The answer is no. Dynamical laws expressed by Maxwell or Dirac equations are not enough to explain the formation of electrons. These equations describe the dynamics of a charged particle, but they do not explain what “charge” is.
Agency category: Agency emerges from matter and becomes a causal factor influencing matter. This ‘agency effect’ is ontologically distinct from the categories mentioned above.
Agency: causal aspects of individuality.
Individuality: a temporal expression related to structural integrity over time. In Individuality and Collectivity I suggested that the ‘cognitive core’ constitutes the minimum degree of individuality.
What is matter? My answer is that matter is a collection of cognitive cores and their interactions. Recall that ‘interactions’ refers to the dynamical laws.
What is mind? Mind is the functional aspect of agency. What is agency? Causal aspect of individuality. What is individuality? See above.
Confinement and Liberation
In the paper mentioned below, I summarize the conceptual framework of the Confinement/Liberation hypothesis and show that it can be useful in elementary particle physics.
https://www.academia.edu/71902886/Confinement_and_Liberation
I have been developing the Confinement/Liberation hypothesis in the blogposts shown below. The paper mentioned above develops it further and establishes connections to physics.
- Ignoring Agency is Ignorance
- Confinement and Liberation
- Individuality and Collectivity
- Semiotic Closure
- Tropes in Physics
- Orthogonality
- Coupling
- Duality Rotation
Mind Atoms
The fabric of the universe is the substrate of all physical phenomena, but it is also the repository of abstract elements that can be described as mind atoms.
Objective portion of the Cosmic Mind is known as Cosmic Citta. The fabric of the universe comes into being in the Cosmic Citta. Cittánú is the quantum of Citta.
The physical universe is created out of the Cosmic Citta. All particles and forces, atoms and molecules are condensed states of the Cosmic Citta. Cittánú play a role in the process of condensation. I theorize that this condensation (emergence of space-time-matter) is facilitated by interaction among cittánú via microvita. See this article for more.
Few comments
The biggest deficiency of algebraic or diagrammatic approaches to particle physics is the lack of differential equations describing the evolution of the state of the system in space and time. When we focus on the ‘cognitive cores’ (charge, spin, …) category we neglect the ‘interaction’ (dynamics) category which deals with space and time.
The Confinement/Liberation approach is trying to find the modalities of the inter-play between the Confinement and Liberation principles. Knowing the modalities would provide a complementary perspective providing a view above the categories. The ‘time efect’ is a big mystery. I strongly suspect that spin is the necessary condition for the ‘time effect’ but how do we proceed from there? What about space? I think that “space” is related to the primordial fabric. In physics the same view is expressed with different words by saying that particles are created out of the quantum field fluctuations. The concepts of primordial fabric and quantum vacuum are related. I have been stressing the modalities of the Confinement/Liberation inter-play but I also acknowledge the presence of the primordial fabric. Confinement and Liberation principles are operating on the substrate of the primordial fabric.
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