I am not a quantum physicist.
Thus it is that with proper deference and respect to those who ARE, those who attempt understanding of things that they cannot see and can barely measure, I attempt to share some thoughts...
In the early part of the last century, people made some interesting and profound leaps in understanding about the nature of our universe. These observations were made not only on the celestial level, but on the level of things that were so small that a word for them had not been invented yet. It was discovered that very small particles of matter, atoms - made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, behaved in certain predictable yet astonishing ways. It was found that there was a connection between the atom and energy released from the atom, such that when a precise amount of energy was directed at an atom, predictable results would occur. There were all kinds of mathematical equations devised to show this correlation. But the most profound, simple, and beautiful of which is the famous E=mc^2. This equation, in one, simple formula, presents the grand conjunction between energy, matter, and time.
Wait - did I say TIME?
Yep.
See, all things exist in time. All actions/reactions are time dependent. So even though the speed of light is typically ignored in this equation, it is absolutely vital. Remember from your physics classes that speed is simply equal to distance/time (as in meters per second or miles per hour). The speed of light is such an enormous number that the human brain cannot really comprehend it (at least, mine cannot). For us, existentially speaking, it is all instantaneous. The vast distances involved in such a number just boggle the mind. Yet it is something that is quantifiable and manipulable, and so useful in these equations.
So I want to turn the equation around and solve for time. Assuming Einstein was right (go ahead and argue with him if you will, he's dead...) ;-) let us look at the equation:
E=mc^2
Where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light. Solving for c, we must first move the m to the other side resulting in:
E/m=c^2
Then we must take the square root of both sides:
(E/m)^1/2=c
We can then expand out c into its constituent components:
(E/m)^1/2=186,000 miles/second (enter the time variable)
Solving for the time variable (second) gives us:
Second=186,000 miles/(E/m)^1/2
This is astonishing. There is a direct correlation (mathematically proven here) between time, distance (space), energy, and mass. This is why what Einstein put forward was so revolutionary. It binds everything together.
Experiment on this theory is (obviously) difficult due to the types of energy required and the gauges needed to measure the results. Yet theorizing the results of such experiment are not. Adding additional energy to matter produces a reaction - heating up water causes it to boil, striking a match causes a flame, etc. All of these things are time dependent - there is a space between what is initiated and the resulting state. As the variables are manipulated, the whole is affected - time is increased where energy is decreased, for example.
Yeah - this is way out of my league. It starts to make my brain hurt.
But the take away from this morning's contemplation is that these things have an order. There is nothing random or circumstantial about it. I do not understand it fully, but I think it is beautiful in its elegance.
It's like looking into the face of God.
What the geniuses of the world are not capable of explaining is why. Why is the connection so clear? This is clearly not random - either the way it is or the fact that we can understand it. I guess some will throw up their hands and say that's just the way it is! Certain stimulus/input/parameters will always produce the expected results.
But the "why" is beyond all of this. It reaches into the realm of the unexplained. For me, this is the realm of the Divine Infinite, who comprehends such things and has ordered them for our benefit. While this cannot be quantified, it is nevertheless just as real to me as any other observational truth I've known. Perhaps more so, for while my eyes and senses can be tricked by crafty and cunning devices, my understanding of and experience with the Infinite are not/cannot be so manipulated.
Thus it is that with proper deference and respect to those who ARE, those who attempt understanding of things that they cannot see and can barely measure, I attempt to share some thoughts...
In the early part of the last century, people made some interesting and profound leaps in understanding about the nature of our universe. These observations were made not only on the celestial level, but on the level of things that were so small that a word for them had not been invented yet. It was discovered that very small particles of matter, atoms - made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, behaved in certain predictable yet astonishing ways. It was found that there was a connection between the atom and energy released from the atom, such that when a precise amount of energy was directed at an atom, predictable results would occur. There were all kinds of mathematical equations devised to show this correlation. But the most profound, simple, and beautiful of which is the famous E=mc^2. This equation, in one, simple formula, presents the grand conjunction between energy, matter, and time.
Wait - did I say TIME?
Yep.
See, all things exist in time. All actions/reactions are time dependent. So even though the speed of light is typically ignored in this equation, it is absolutely vital. Remember from your physics classes that speed is simply equal to distance/time (as in meters per second or miles per hour). The speed of light is such an enormous number that the human brain cannot really comprehend it (at least, mine cannot). For us, existentially speaking, it is all instantaneous. The vast distances involved in such a number just boggle the mind. Yet it is something that is quantifiable and manipulable, and so useful in these equations.
So I want to turn the equation around and solve for time. Assuming Einstein was right (go ahead and argue with him if you will, he's dead...) ;-) let us look at the equation:
E=mc^2
Where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light. Solving for c, we must first move the m to the other side resulting in:
E/m=c^2
Then we must take the square root of both sides:
(E/m)^1/2=c
We can then expand out c into its constituent components:
(E/m)^1/2=186,000 miles/second (enter the time variable)
Solving for the time variable (second) gives us:
Second=186,000 miles/(E/m)^1/2
This is astonishing. There is a direct correlation (mathematically proven here) between time, distance (space), energy, and mass. This is why what Einstein put forward was so revolutionary. It binds everything together.
Experiment on this theory is (obviously) difficult due to the types of energy required and the gauges needed to measure the results. Yet theorizing the results of such experiment are not. Adding additional energy to matter produces a reaction - heating up water causes it to boil, striking a match causes a flame, etc. All of these things are time dependent - there is a space between what is initiated and the resulting state. As the variables are manipulated, the whole is affected - time is increased where energy is decreased, for example.
Yeah - this is way out of my league. It starts to make my brain hurt.
But the take away from this morning's contemplation is that these things have an order. There is nothing random or circumstantial about it. I do not understand it fully, but I think it is beautiful in its elegance.
It's like looking into the face of God.
What the geniuses of the world are not capable of explaining is why. Why is the connection so clear? This is clearly not random - either the way it is or the fact that we can understand it. I guess some will throw up their hands and say that's just the way it is! Certain stimulus/input/parameters will always produce the expected results.
But the "why" is beyond all of this. It reaches into the realm of the unexplained. For me, this is the realm of the Divine Infinite, who comprehends such things and has ordered them for our benefit. While this cannot be quantified, it is nevertheless just as real to me as any other observational truth I've known. Perhaps more so, for while my eyes and senses can be tricked by crafty and cunning devices, my understanding of and experience with the Infinite are not/cannot be so manipulated.
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