A PHYSICS CHALLENGE
James A. Putnam
ã 2003
Life and intelligence
appear to be attached to complex combinations of fundamental particles of
matter. Their cause should, therefore, be traceable to these particles. If the laws
that define the operation of the universe are named ‘physical laws’ then life
and intelligence are the result of the physical laws of the universe. Physical
unity must include us as a part of the physical universe. The current lack of
unity of mechanics, life and intelligence demonstrates that the laws of physics
are not the real physical laws of the universe.
Physics is the
development of mechanical interpretations of the operation of the universe. It
deals only with the study of patterns in changes of velocity. It does not even
include the cause of change of velocity. I do not deny the mechanical
usefulness of the mechanical laws of physics. My point is directed at
separating the study of change of velocity from the theoretical
interpretations, or inventions of the mind, that are attached to it.
Theoretical
physics has constructed a picture of the universe resting upon foundational
building blocks designed when we saw only very narrow views of the operation of
the universe. With the far better view we have today, it would be scientific to
review the correctness of the historic foundational building blocks. Instead
theoretical physics carries along unsubstantiated highly questionable
artifacts.
I
introduce the process of removing artifacts contained in today’s theories by
offering evidence of significant problems with theoretical physics. The
evidence is in the form of anomalies brought to light by new theory. There are
several of them, and they involve a wide range of theory. These anomalies are very
simple in form and contain only established numbers. It is obvious that the
units do not match. That is what makes them anomalies. They are:
DEFINITIONS:
radius of the hydrogen atom
magnetic permeability
electric permittivity
speed of sound
force exerted by the photon
energy of the photon
frequency of the photon
Planck’s constant =
(joule*seconds)
Boltzmann’s constant
= 
[joule/(molecule*degree_kelvin)]
electron charge
= 
(coulombs)
speed of light = 
(meters/second)
l
will discuss two of the anomalies. The first anomaly contains four important fundamental
constants. It says: Planck’s constant numerically equals Boltzmann’s constant
times electron charge times the speed of light. There is no way to deduce from
current theoretical physics that these constants have any chance at all of
forming an equation. Their units just don’t match. It should be a shock to
physicists to find out they do. These constants are very unusual numbers. They
are not the simple kind where coincidence might have a chance to occur. The
very fact that they form an equation challenges the credibility of their
theoretical interpretations.
Electromagnetic
radiation is represented by its speed. Electric charge is represented by
itself. Molecular kinetic energy and temperature are represented by Boltzmann’s
constant. Planck’s constant represents energy. Furthermore, relativity theory
is represented by the speed of light. Electromagnetic theory is represented by
electric charge. Molecular mechanics is represented by Boltzmann’s constant.
Planck’s constant represents quantum mechanics. If this equation has meaning
then it must be new meaning, because it doesn’t make sense in any of these
theories represented by the terms in the equation.
The
second anomaly says: The magnetic permeability of a material is numerically
equal to the speed of sound within the material divided by the speed of light.
Here are examples of putting this equation to the test:
The
typical speed of sound in glass is:
Substituting
this into the equation above:
This
is the correct magnetic permeability of glass. I will perform the analogous
calculation for the metals of gold, copper, and steel. The speed of sound in
gold is:
Substituting:
The
speed of sound in copper is:
Substituting:
The
speed of sound in steel is:
Substituting:
Each
of these answers gives the magnitude of the magnetic permeability of the
material. The anomaly demonstrates a connection between electromagnetism and
the speed of sound. Each of the seven anomalies threatens the correctness of
current theory.
The
mechanical usefulness of theory derives from the measure of how well its
interpretation adheres to empirically determined patterns of changes of
velocity. It is these mathematically describable patterns that cause our
equations to yield correct predictions. These patterns of the operation of the
universe are presented to us in the form of information containing measures of
distance and time. This is because our information is delivered by photons.
Their mechanical interpretation is that they cause changes of velocity. The
units of change of velocity involve only distance and time. We understand the
mechanical operation of the universe solely from the perspective of distance
and time.
Theoretical
physics is currently trying to describe the operation of the universe using
units that are themselves theoretical. Here is a simple example of what has
occurred with the units of physics. Whenever a change in velocity is observed
to occur we feel there must be a cause. Physics has never been able to
determine the nature of any cause of change of velocity. We proceed, in spite
of this, with choosing to give names to the causes that we decide must exist.
We name one of the causes as electric
charge.
Where
did the idea of electric charge originate? It came about because unidentifiable
quantities regularly appeared in the formula for electric force. Since they
only appeared in the measurement of electrical effects it seemed reasonable
that they must be representative of the cause of these effects. Nevertheless it
was only an educated guess. Once the cause was theoretically segregated and
named we needed to be able to uniquely quantify it. We did this by inventing
new units called ‘coulombs’. Afterwards we tend to forget we never discovered
the nature of the cause. We became so used to the name and units we began to
imagine the cause has been proven.
For
another example, it is observed that there are two different effects of change
of velocity, but physics knowledge is unable to account for both of them by
defining a single source. What should be done at this point in order to guard
against error while continuing to develop theory for the purpose of using it in
practical applications? After all, we can’t wait until we know all the answers
before we try to use what we do know. I say in a case such as this that we must
resist the temptation to imagine two different sources just so we can move on
with our theory. We don’t understand the cause of either effect, so we
certainly cannot know there are two different causes. The best, most useful theory
is the one that produces unity that begins at the fundamental level and
continues, in a clear logical manner, into higher level theory.
The
invention of two separate forces will sooner or later become an impediment to
discovering the single source. The more sources of force we add on, the further
away from the correct solution we will be. I am certain the separation of
forces existing today results from this practice being repeated throughout the
development of physics. Today theorists cannot unite gravity with the other
forces of physics because they have theoretically segregated it. It is treated
in a manner that makes it artificially incompatible with the other theoretical
forces. This impediment to unity consists of the unscientific practice of assigning
arbitrary names for unknown causes. This leads to the attachment of artificial
theoretical units causing permanent mathematical separation among these causes.
The damage is done long before we actually understand the real nature of the
causes.
These anomalies are telling us something very
important and pervasive. The anomalies say that our invention of units to
quantify unknown causes of physical effects works when theory is developed in
bits and pieces. When artificial units are invented to cover a portion of
theory, they work well in that portion. However, they become an impediment when
we try to put segregated portions of theory together into a unified theory.
This problem occurs because we made it occur. If all effects are the result of
the same primary cause, we have thwarted our opportunity to discover this. If
we are going to develop a unified theory of the universe that makes sense, we
must start right from the beginning using the true units of all measurements.
Concerning
the problem of units for the anomalies listed above, the problem is not that
the units are as incompatible as they are made to appear. The units defined as
being unique from distance and time are artificial. The theoretical causes of
change of velocity are defined from the perspective of inherent disunity on the
fundamental level. Therefore, the theorist causes the units to be unmatched.
The problem is that all these added on units beyond distance and time are
disjointed, nonphysical substitutions for the real units. We need to show them
in their natural form in order to know for certain when they do and do not
match. When we insist upon retaining units left over from earlier periods of
more limited knowledge, we cause our theories to stagnate. All real units
should consist of distance, time and complex combinations of these two.
We
know causes only through their effects. Our knowledge of their effects is
gained only from measurements involving distance and time. The artificial units
of our theories are not representative of this knowledge. These units such as
coulombs, joules, newtons and kilograms must be redefined in a manner showing
their origins in distance and time. This act is not just a matter of changing
names. There are ideas and theoretical interpretations attached to these names.
It requires a change of theoretical interpretation. It requires new ideas that
do away with theoretical segregation of causes. This is required to find
theoretical interpretations that can achieve fundamental unity. When this is accomplished
a major impediment to achieving a fully unified general theory is removed; the
units then match.