Scientists and the Invisible World

"I abhor two things: an ignorant man - who is pious, and a scholar - who does not believe."

Muhammad

"In devoting oneself to scientific research one should strive to preserve freedom of reasoning and nothing should be believed too much. One should be always be prepared for the possibility that the convictions to which we have adhered for many years may be wrong."

Dirak

"Reality is behind what can be presented."

Max Planck

"What remains to those who cannot believe but wish to understand is doubt and skepticism. The whole Christian tradition is discarded as a pure fantasy. If faith is imagination and effort of will - without understanding, then I do not appreciate its inner value much."

C. G. Jung

Scientists were compelled to abandon the theories based on experience about the World in which we live. The world of science is a world of miracles, confidence in the Invisible and bringing into physical relationship what really exists and what does not exist.

Quantum theory convinces us that there exists "a world on the other side of the visible". While vacuum was interpreted formerly to mean a stage on which physical phenomena were taking place, now its role changes, because its properties and composition have decisive influence on correct describing of the interaction between the elementary particles. The standard model accounts for the interaction of one particle on another - by the particles, the carriers of basic natural forces. It is generally accepted that the standard model is not an all-embracing theory, since it anticipates the existence of particles - and speaks almost nothing about its essence. Science speculates about it.

What are - the forces of nature? Assumption that two particles act on each other "remotely", without any tangible connection, indeed cannot be ultimate step in the understanding of nature. Reflection of two electrically charged electrons was accounted for by the influence of their electric fields. According to Quantum theory between two electrons a brief exchange of photons occurs. Photons are packets of energy, and hence, due to the equation E=M they are some kind of matter. For the interpretation of the reflection of electrons due to electromagnetic "force" a new characteristic was anticipated, a new nature of particles of electromagnetic radiation - photons - the existence of photons - force carriers. About the forces, origin and action of their carriers - photons scientists are thinking like this: "It is possible that a packet of energy, a photon, spontaneously - out of nothing - begins to exist in a vacuum - until it again disappears for a short time, with the lifetime too short that the limitations of nature do not allow us to measure it." Meaning, that the length of life of energy is too short to be measured, its existence does not represent a violation of the law on preservation of energy according to which it is impossible to create energy out of nothing or to destroy it. Although this explanation also is far from "common sense" and the empirical understanding, same as the "remote" action under the influence of fields of forces, it allows physicists to - make calculations based on real photons. The received results were in concordance with numerous experiments. The question "Where do photons come from and where do photons, the carriers of force go" is accounted for by scientists in an unusual way: "These photons actually - do not exist." These nonexistent photons were called - "virtual" photons. Their role is quite different from the role of photons - packets of electromagnetic radiation energy. Quantum Electrodynamics theory has been extended to the understanding of action of other three forces of nature. The existence of new "virtual" particles - carriers of these three forces and their real existence in form of packets of a new type of radiation have been envisaged. Therefore, now "exist" particles - carriers of gravitational force and gravitational radiation. The assumption was confirmed by the results of experiments. Let us say - mass of quarks that constitutes protons presents only a half of the mass of protons. "Glue" holding together the quarks, hypothetical virtual particles of strong force, constitutes a half of the mass of a proton, which is - a very important fact for proper understanding of events in micro-world. "Virtual" particles - carriers of weak force have mass equal to the mass of seventy protons. And all that - does not exist, and does not exist "due to" the principle of uncertainty, according to which it is impossible to measure energy possessed by a body or a system - at a precisely defined point in time, and is therefore accepted as a hypothetical condition in which Space-Time "glitters" with the fluctuating, "virtual" particles that enter through tunnels, known only to them, into the existence and exit out of it.

The Energy of Radiation consists of single particles we call quanta. Atom is composed of quantum units of electricity, electrons and protons. Before Quantum Theory it was implied that every object could be assigned certain position, some point in space. It was implied that body was there and nowhere else. That interpretation was completely changed in Quantum Physics. A Quantum object is an object that is not localized. You cannot say for an electron that it is located somewhere there. It does exist as an electron but it has no unique and completely defined position. It cannot be assigned a precise location. On our physical stage that electron is "gifted" with some sort of presence on several places at the same time. For the location of a quantum object we can say that it is approximately at such and such place, but with certain degree of vagueness. For electrons it is said that they are neither particles nor waves, but can manifest themselves in different experimental situations. According to the uncertainty principle the position of a particle must be undefined if we know its velocity.

Physicists are even prepared to think this way: "Essentially, if we do not know where an electron is located means that it is located nowhere, or more precisely - it is not located on a defined place." Electron is not characterized by completely defined numerical values but rather by spectrums. It does not have one but several positions at the same time. Since a quantum object, for example an electron is characterized by its location on several places at the same time, it really becomes difficult to divide the world into small mutually independent parts. Nonlocalization of quantum objects results in certain correlation between physical phenomena that are very distant in space although being simultaneous. That is an astonishing idea from the point of view of traditional physics. A Quantum physicist experiences all this in a way that the traditional interpretation is vague to him. Every day in his laboratory he is faced with the properties of electrons, protons and all kinds of quantum objects of being located at several places at the same time. For him it is a true miracle that some object basically composed of electrons, protons and neutrons behave so differently from his components. Why do classical phenomena stand on a firm ground although they are based on so different Quantum Theory - modern physicists do not know yet. Therefore, the question of all questions for them is - how to correlate quantum and classical world?

Many physicists believe that their greatest success in the twentieth century from the wider aspect of philosophy was neither Theory of Relativity with its bringing together of Space and Time, nor Quantum Theory with its discarding of the laws of causality, or decomposing of atoms into its constituents, but rather the general confession that we have not touched the essence of reality yet. Due to the principle of uncertainty, or natural limitations it may happen that the essence of reality remains a secret for us - forever! The Quantum Theory has substantially contributed for scientists to hold such view.

Quantum concept of reality is not causal and does not represent any complete causal indication of what can happen in the future based on available knowledge in the present. The outcome of an experiment is limited, although generally not determined by the application of Quantum Theory laws. This means that any observation of a certain system brings new information about its state, a state which has never existed before, and which could not have been reached on the account of analysis and mathematic calculations. Mathematical theories speak nothing about the essence of things, but rather about how they behave! Designing models or figures, in order to explain mathematical terms - is not a step towards reality, but a step away from it. Expanding further from a mathematical expression, we would always run a risk that the essence will escape from us. And energy itself, the basic product of the Cosmos, should be considered as a mathematical abstraction!

In the world of particles of small mass, their wave nature is realistically felt. When wave characteristics are real, there are no simple particles, there are no trajectories, and uncertainties occur. The laws of probability - and chance are stepping on the stage. Where there is chance there is no place for the traditional connection between cause and effect. Chances exist because there are plenty of possible answers to one question. You cannot escape this reality by cunningness.

A whole pleiad of prominent physicists claim that events in the world of atoms are conditioned or caused by nothing. However, the collapse of traditional causality does not mean the end of causality. Chance is not arbitrariness, and it does not create chaos. Nature keeps chance under control by its laws of probability. There is a plenty of possibilities concerning the motion of waves - particles, regardless of laboratory experiments, and the distribution of probability among these possibilities can always be measured by laws. Physicists hardly accepted this departure from the previous images. That is nature. It has "determined" the maximum possible speed at which electromagnetic radiation travels, known as - the speed of light. At the same time, it has "established" three prohibitions for the material bodies to move at that speed. The mass of the body moving at the speed of light would become indefinitely large, its one dimension would be realistically lost, and time would disappear!

From physicists Boor's statements we can understand that the smallest events in nature cannot be represented within the Space-Time framework. Four-dimensional continuum of Relativity theory is suitable only for some phenomenon in nature, those including phenomena on a large-scale, and radiation in free space. Other phenomena can be represented only out of that continuum. The events completely out of continuum are thought of to determine what we call the course of events inside the continuum, and that apparent uncertainty in nature originates only out of our attempts to compress events that occur in many dimensions - into smaller number of dimensions.

When scientists added Time, the fourth dimension of reality to the three-dimensional space, they had to change their perceptions about nature radically. A series of, at that time incredible conclusions had to be accepted. For example - in Space-Time distance disappears for the orbits of light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation, namely, in Space-Time, the orbit of light has a zero speed. For a photon there is neither speed nor time, the way we experience them. Einstein claims that measurements of Space and Time depend on motion of the observer, and that under certain circumstances, events nearer in time - may appear to one observer as one sequence, and to the other as another sequence. To accept these claims a solid confidence in science is really needed, because it is something that cannot be confirmed by the senses. How can one force reason, accustomed to three dimensions, to accept that a particle of light has precisely defined speed in relation to us, and that it has no associated time in relation to us. Photon comes out of a star, which is billion years away from us, and having traveled for billion years - approaches us, yet for that photon the departure and the arrival are simultaneous - because on this journey throughout space no time elapsed in Space-Time.

"Culture that applies the principle of separation of the Church and state, pushed the religion out but failed to replace it with some secular categorical imperatives and thus converted the inner moral code into an empty space. That moral vacuum defines the most important sense of the term spiritual emptiness, the emptiness that gradually is penetrating into what is called the Western Civilization. The greatest victory of the premise that God is dead did not occur in Marxist countries, which politically preached atheism, but in the Western, liberal, democratic societies... The questions that have to be answered as soon as possible because of their outstanding importance are: What is man? What is the crucial characteristic of human authenticity? They will probably become the most important questions in the developed countries in the next decades. In the developed world the boundaries of science will be tremendously shifted and expand the inner and external dimensions of life so much that it will transform almost the very nature of human existence.

We must hope that in the distant future, as a reaction to spiritual emptiness of modern abundance and new challenges of science, modern society will perhaps understand again the importance of philosophical and maybe even the spiritual aspect of life."

Zbigniev Brzezinski

"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity! What advantage does man have of all his work which he does under the sun?

One generation comes, and another generation goes away, but the Earth remains forever. The sun rises, the sun sets down and hurries to its place where it rises. The wind blows toward the South, then turns towards the North, whirling to and fro, and returns again in a new whirl. All the rivers flow into the sea, and yet the sea is not full; from where the rivers come they flow again there to start their flow.

Everything is wearisome. Nobody can tell that the eyes had enough seeing and the ears had enough hearing. What has been, will be again, and what has been done is that which will be done again, and there is nothing new under the Sun. Is there anything of which some will say "See this, it is new!" Everything existed long time ago, before us. There is no remembrance of the past, and also there will be no remembrance of the things which will come later.

I, the Preacher, have been the king over Israel in Jerusalem. I tried with my wisdom to explore and seek all that has been under the sky; oh, what a grievous task God has given to the sons of man. I have seen all which have been done under the sun: what a vanity and striving after wind! What is crooked, cannot be straightened; and what is lacking cannot be counted.

Then I said to myself: 'Look, I have acquired wisdom more than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. My mind has collected enormous wisdom and knowledge.' I studied wisdom closely, as well as stupidity and madness, but I realized that this is striving after wind.

In much wisdom - much grief; more knowledge more pain."

The Preacher

Timeo hominem unius libri.

I fear the man of one book.

St Thomas Aquinas