Mar. 5, 2008/CUPS A Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson 1 A Critical Point for Science? Lecture to the Cambridge University Physics Society March 5th., 2008 Brian D. Josephson TCM Group, Cavendish Laboratory Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK http://www. tcm . phy .cam.ac.uk/~bdj10
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Mar. 5, 2008/CUPS A Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson 1
A Critical Point for Science?Lecture to the Cambridge University Physics Society
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Physics has always presumed matter
Newtonian mechanicse-m theory/classical mechanicsBasic QMQuantum field theoryString/M theory
• Matter (‘things’) features at every stage
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What is/may be left out
• Observer problem• Life (complementarity)• Higher cognitive capacities• Paranormal phenomena
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Observer issue
What we see is not what we get (from thetheory)
[many worlds problem: the statisticalinterpretation helps only if one avoidslooking too closely!]
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Life issue
Measuring a biosystem may change itsproperties (Bohr)
QM provides no clear specification fordealing with ‘unprepared systems’;there is no clarity regarding ‘quantumorganisation’.
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Higher-capacities problem
Again, there is little clarity as to how onemight explain, e.g.:
• Mathematical insight• Musical appreciation• ESP, etc.
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Gravity problem
• Gravity can’t be fitted into StandardModel
• Extending this to fit makes ‘What YouSee’ still further from ‘What You GetFrom The Theory’ (many extradimensions)
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The epicycle saga
• Epicycles gave quantitatively correctresults but were ultimately seen not tobe the right approach: ‘magnitudes arenot everything!’
• Might science similarly be wrong remind and life?
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Which is more fundamental?
• Usual view: matter is more fundamental,and life emerges from it
• Alternative: life, mentality etc. emergefrom a more fundamental level ofexistence
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Wheeler’s picture
• Cosmos > Life > Mind > CosmosPicture based on ‘participatory observers’Problem: idea too vagueRemedy: find a more advanced
formulation of the idea!
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How to make life/mind fundamental?
• Start with a fundamental theory of life Use this as the basis for everything
(instead of starting with a conventionaltheory)
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The spinoff, given a proper theory:
• ‘Mind’ would decide what a universeshould be like, not ingenious schemesdreamt up by physicists following thelatest bandwaggon!
• Mind decides on basis of what wouldbest support life, > biofriendly universe.
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The Critical PointOrigin of critical-point idea: Samantha Parton on musical
creativity (from interview with Triste magazine):“when you stare into that space and that deepness, you get
close to the place where things begin, and that's a [good]place to be … [for making music]”
Tc
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Then ...
… an article by Stuart Kauffman et al. inNature reminded me that I had in myoffice a copy of Kauffman’s book ‘TheOrigins of Order’!
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A different order of things
• Kauffman proposes that life happens at‘the edge of chaos’, a situation poisedbetween order and disorder
• Bohm refers to ‘unmanifest order’becoming manifest
• Rosen refers instead to ‘apeiron’, a‘primal chaos’, from which order springs
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Some key concepts
• Edge of chaos• Structures• Differential stability• Attractor• ‘Smart systems’
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Smart systems• Stable• Cooperate to form smart complexes• ‘do things’, compute (= I/O + dynamics)• Communicate, make requests, anticipation• Mutual support in a group• Societies live longer• Melt-freeze strategy at edge of chaos• Development of specialisations
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Manifestations of mind
• Direct; or• Indirect via universes
universemind
manifestations
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Minds and universes
• ‘Deep’ life can use mind to builduniverses
• Mind needs universes thata) It knows how to build (symmetry?)b) Are useful
• Elegance as such is not of interest!
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Space and time
• Space: a resource that things can movearound in, provides proximity,separation, place
• Scientist time: a resource that assistssynchronisation, ‘being on time’: timelike that shown by a clock, not ‘actualtime’
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Space and time are non-trivial!Space: act of becoming separate
Time: cycles
Space and time represent organisation(Rosen, after Heidegger)
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Space-time going cheap!S
pace-time
Universes are created, and organised — somehow!(cf. flocking of birds, termites’ nests)
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ESP
deep level(‘pre-space’)
space
M1 M2
universe level
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Creativity
• Can all of creativity (e.g. higher maths,subtle music) be understoodbiologically?
• Does it instead come from our deepersource?
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Source of music?
• Place where things begin• Comprehensible ‘germs’• Like a gene, function in a computer
program• Elementary components that can
perform tasks and which we can learnto combine
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What are the components of mind?
• Atoms of mind are the units of intelligence,elementary ideas, are ‘physical’ at this deeplevel, come from self-organisation.
• Ideas are systems with a specific innerdynamics, manifesting in their ability toorganise and to create.
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In conclusion
• We have proposed an extension ofscience
• Where will this lead?• Will strange, taboo ideas become a
respectable part of science?
Occult Sciences Tripos? CU Institute of Astrology?
Telepathy, ‘memory of water’, ‘cold fusion’?Scientific theology, intelligent design?
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References (books)
• Stuart Kauffman: the Origins of Order• Paul Davies: the Goldilocks Enigma• Steven Rosen: the Self-Evolving
Cosmos
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References (web)• Video lecture: Can the Physicists' Description of
Reality be Considered Complete?• Limits to the Universality of Quantum Theory• Beyond Quantum Theory: a realist psychobiological
interpretation of physical reality (with Michael Conradand Dipankar Home)
• String Theory, Universal Mind and the Paranormal• What can Music tell us about the Nature of the Mind:
a Platonic Model (with Tethys Carpenter)• “The place where things begin”: Samantha Parton