Tag: Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics · science fiction · String theory

I have a rant; please, just hear me out.

Joe Hallett3 Comments

I have strong feelings about things that most people would ignore or do not care about. More than likely, most of the world wouldn’t even think about it. I have been thinking about this from a character’s point of view (that will be one of the main characters in a future story). It didn’t start there, but it reignited my own passion, and today I feel the need to put in my two cents worth (or your equivalent nations denomination)

Ready? Here it is. (and this really drives me bonkers) It is the careless and flippant misuse of the term ‘Dimension.” The problem is that people tend to mistake it for the many-worlds theory. The Many-Worlds theory and dimensions are two concepts that are often confused with each other. While both concepts deal with the idea of parallel universes or alternate realities, they are fundamentally different.

The Many-Worlds theory is a theory in quantum mechanics that proposes the existence of an infinite number of parallel universes (or worlds) that exist simultaneously. In this theory, each time a quantum event occurs, the universe splits into multiple universes, each with its own version of reality. For example, if you were to flip a coin, in one universe, it would land heads up, and in another universe, it would land tails up. This theory is often used in science fiction as a way to explore the consequences of different choices and actions. The many-worlds theory is a great tool to avoid paradox in time travel science fiction  (if they get the nomenclature right!)

On the other hand, dimensions refer to the physical and mathematical properties of space and time. (And this is the important part people!) The three dimensions of space are length, width, and height, while time is considered the fourth dimension. However, some theories propose the existence of additional dimensions beyond these four, such as the string theory’s ten dimensions. In science fiction, dimensions are often used to explain the existence of alternate realities or parallel universes. I think that the confusion between these two ideas arises from the misuse of the term “dimension” in science fiction. In popular culture, the term dimension is often used interchangeably with parallel universe or alternate reality. For example, in the TV show “The Twilight Zone,” characters would often travel to a “fifth dimension,” which was portrayed as an alternate reality. However, this usage is not scientifically accurate, and it can be misleading to those unfamiliar with the actual meaning of dimension, and that really bothers me. Even hard-core science fiction novelists get it wrong.

I know that it might seem like a petty argument, and to be honest, it doesn’t change anything. It is just my own pet peeve, but anytime someone says something like “from another dimension,” I cringe.

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Quantum Mechanics… If you’re not confused by it, you don’t understand it.

Joe HallettLeave a comment

A deep goal of theoretical physics is to unify the fundamental forces of nature, gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces into the theory of everything (TOE).

The Theory of Everything, namely M-theory, string theory, and quantum field theory (and interactions with geometry and topology) is a tasty cosmic stew that to me are topics that are too tempting to not be used as a backbone or structure in the subtext of my story.  String theory specifically has been calling my name for a number of years now, and despite the controversial nature of the theory I am on “Team String”. Lucky for me I don’t have to back anything up that is to say with a “Ph.D.” or citations to peer-reviewed articles, because, hey I write Fiction! One of the issues I have with science fiction (more to the point the uber-nerd readers) is a suspension of disbelief gets lost in the mire of “I know more than the author of the story I am picking apart” (Come on I am not writing a dissertation, just a fun story, just go with it). That little thing has cautioned me to do my research, lest I get flamed somewhere on the internet. But it also gets in the way of artistic license…. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah String theory.  Essentially it is the idea of vibrational frequencies (the strings) that make up all matter and energy in the universe. Man, that is good stuff. How could one not use that in a science fiction book? It’s the ultimate tool to describe why the magic in my stories has a connection to reality.

I know that this may not entice anyone to read my next book, but hopefully, if you read “Emergence Collective” with this in the back of your mind it might make it a little more interesting. (and not to mention prepare you for the next one) I have written in previous blog posts that I create a rule set for each story, that helps maintain the continuity, of a concept or even the behavior of the characters. The theory of everything, M theory, quantum field theory, and String theory is my basic rule sets for my WIP. Don’t worry, you really do not have to understand any of it to enjoy my stories which are pure and utter fantasy. If you are the uber-nerd, I will go toe to toe about why my rule sets do or don’t work. I would enjoy that conversation.

writing

Wild speculations on Recursive time loops

Joe HallettLeave a comment

Imagine if you will, that time is shaped like a vinyl record and we all sit in our groove. But the record is liquid, a still pond. When you toss a stone the surface ripples outward in all directions. The ripple expands and eventually comes into contact with your groove. What happens? Now, we have not experienced the event of the stone striking the surface (event) but only the ripple of the event, a collective emotional energy wave crossing time-space.  Perhaps, for whatever reason, some people are subtly aware of the ripple. Maybe they get a strange sensation of unease, but since they did not experience the event itself, they have no awareness of the details of the event, just that they know that something did/will/had happened. Also depending on the extreme nature of the event, or events, that happen all the time to some degree or another (like raindrops on a pond, and then the large event like a stone) most people may or may not notice the ripple at all. How far did the ripple travel before it came to our awareness? Do the ripples from the past get negated by the future ripples, fading them from our memories?

 I remember, for a long time (6 months) before Covid, that I had an intense sensation of some coming dread and doom that increased in intensity. I could not pinpoint the feeling nor could I possibly know, but when the pandemic actually happened, that sense of dread sort of caught up and I no longer had the weird sensation. I am not saying I predicted anything, or that there is a correlation to the pandemic. But this sensation got me to think about potential future events that may have people feeling the same thing I did.  I am again feeling that weird unease feeling like something is building, another big event that is going to create chaos.

Honestly, I am on the fence about precognition or psychic ability. I have a scientific mindset and a non-theist, all the woo woo hippy stuff, I tend to disregard, but the irony is that the more we learn about how the universe works the more connections can be made that could prove that some of these phenomena have less to do with chanting Latin and burning sage. To my writer’s mind, these musings give me material to work with. The concept of casual and recursive time loops has given me a few story ideas that I am excited to get down on paper.