RLT: A Superficial Universe

[Wick]

I’m starting this new thread on Resting Light Theory (RLT) to focus on a different aspect of the theory that might add some clarity to my thoughts. In this thread, I will focus on two simple ideas:

1. Space is a 3 dimensional surface;
2. Particles of matter interact with space and cause that 3-d surface to move.

The implication of the first of these thoughts is that space is something (vice nothing). If space is a surface (3-d or not), it is the surface of something. As a surface, it behaves as a surface, exhibiting properties like surface tension and fluid inertia. More importantly, as a surface, space moves and changes shape.

Einstein’s GR is one way of looking at the way that space changes shape. According to GR, when a massive object is placed upon the surface of 3-space, the space in that region stretches along a fourth axis. But while Einstein called this fourth axis the special dimension of time, RLT offers no special status to the fourth axis. The fourth axis is simply a spatial axis and describes the presence of an unseen part of the universe which remains largely unobserved from our vantage point in 3-space.

A surface of water (which is 2-dimensional) bends into 3-space all the time. Each time a ripple rises from its surface, or an object floating upon it deforms its shape downward, the surface has exceeded its plane of two dimensions and bent into the 3rd. Each time a frozen fragment of sea ice rises from the watery surface, it has stretched into 3-space.

In RLT we think of space like that—a surface that can be deformed or stretched into a 4-space. This deformation/stretching can occur either when an object of matter rests upon the surface, when an object of matter resting upon the surface moves or bobs upon the surface, or when an object of matter passes through the surface.

The implication of the second thought above (Particles of matter interact with space and cause that 3-d surface to move) is that particles of matter (whether microscopic or macroscopic) either float upon the surface of space or pass through the surface of space. As particles of matter float upon, or pass through the surface of space, only a portion of the entire floating particle is revealed upon the surface. The bulk of the floating particle rises above the surface or sinks below the surface. The surface alone is not able to fully contain the objects it suspends upon its surface. The surface can only encompass a cross-section of the whole particle.

So if a heavy spherical vessel were passing through a surface of water, the surface would only contain a circle of the sphere. The upper and lower portions of the sphere would remain outside of the surface, or if the spherical vessel were floating upon a single point, the surface would detect only a point particle where the sphere was floating.

Likewise, if a spherical stone were to be cast through the surface of water, the surface would hardly register the object itself, instead a ripple would propagate away from the point of impact. Similarly, if that same rock were to strike a ball floating on the surface, the ball would bob upon the surface causing a ripple to propagate away from its location on the surface.

[Wick]

Thinking of space and matter in this way forces us to reexamine that imagined property of energy and matter we call wave/particle duality. Heretofore, we have come to considered wave/particle duality as a foundational aspect of the nature of matter and energy. But in RLT we put that concept to the test. If very massive objects of matter can change the shape of space (as GR suggests), then why can’t very small objects of matter exert their tiny influence upon the shape of space. Might it not be that the wave we think is part of the spinor field or the electromagnetic field is merely a distortion of space and not part of the particle itself. In RLT the wave becomes the evidence of matter’s influence upon space. As tiny particles of matter interact with the surface of space, they break the surface and cause space to move/ripple/wave.

[Wick]

Keeping this in mind, let’s consider the idea of surface area:

When a lake’s surface is smooth and calm, its surface area is as limited as it can be. But if the surface is troubled by eight foot waves and a pelting of heavy rain, its surface area becomes much, much greater. Furthermore, when the water is troubled in this way, its ability to interact with forces above the water (air, wind and light) increase significantly. The point here is that an increase in waves and ripples increases the surface area of the lake and also increases the interaction of the surface with its surroundings.

[Wick]

Another metaphor that aptly describes the effect of an increase in surface area is the villi and microvilli of the intestinal tract of most animals. Were the intestinal tract smooth, the surface area inside the intestine would be less than a few square feet. But the intestinal tract is carpeted with elongated cells which have the specific function to increase the surface area by several thousand times and thereby increase absorption of nutrients.

[Wick]

With GR, we have come to describe space as a structure that bends smoothly around massive objects. Such smooth bending is thought to increase the 3-dimensional surface area of space, but only in a macroscopic way. Perhaps because we have attributed waves associated with light and particles of matter to wave particle duality, we have not considered how the 3-dimensional surface area of space would increase if we attributed these waving motions, currently assigned to light and matter, to space itself. I would argue that these waving motions are not aspects of particles, any more than the ripples left behind the path of a skipping rock are aspects of the rock which caused them. The ripples become aspects of the surface—they increase its surface area by a huge degree.

So I’ll argue that the 3-d surface area of space cannot be described by GR alone. The waves associated with what we refer to as light and matter increase the surface area of space many thousands of times more than gravity does. We have not yet accounted for this kind of spatial stretching.

I should note here that the disturbances I’m describing are not the theorized Planck-scale disturbances sometimes referred to as the quantum foam. I’m not talking about that at all. I’m talking instead about the actual waves associated with what we currently refer to as electromagnetic waves and as the localized spinor waves associated with fundamental particles of matter. Such waves are motions of space, not matter.

[Wick]

At this point it becomes necessary for me to point out that in RLT light should not be thought of as a particle of energy or as a wave of energy, but rather as a particle of matter (however refined). Imagine if you will a very tiny stone penetrating the surface of 3-space and passing through to the other “side”. In this case, the particle itself would never actually be contained inside the surface of space, but it would cause a ripple on the surface of space—an expanding spherical ripple, propagating away from the point of impact which causes the surface of space to undulate. The cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) serves as a good example for the kind of light I’m talking about here.

Sorry for the blast of posts. I'll stand back now and see if there are any comments.

Regards!

Wick

[labelwench]

Imagine if you will a very tiny stone penetrating the surface of 3-space and passing through to the other “side”. In this case, the particle itself would never actually be contained inside the surface of space, but it would cause a ripple on the surface of space—an expanding spherical ripple, propagating away from the point of impact which causes the surface of space to undulate.

The ripples become aspects of the surface—they increase its surface area by a huge degree.

My mind wants to re-order these comments of yours, Wick, the better to ponder this metaphor.

Thank you for this thread start. I need to contemplate your metaphors for a time, no matter that we have yet to agree on what 'time' may be, lol...

[Wick]

I like the way you ordered my thoughts, LW. We may not agree on what time is, but I think we can all agree that things change!

Best regards!

Wick

[labelwench]

As tiny particles of matter interact with the surface of space, they break the surface and cause space to move/ripple/wave.
Originally posted by Wick

Using this metaphor causes me to think of water as merely 'heavy space', confined by the geography of stream, river, lake or ocean.

Given that water has a surface tension, does your concept of space also have a surface tension?

Regards,

Labelwench

[Wick]

Using this metaphor causes me to think of water as merely 'heavy space', confined by the geography of stream, river, lake or ocean.

Given that water has a surface tension, does your concept of space also have a surface tension?

Regards,

Labelwench

Yes. Its the surface tension that makes the surface of space pliable enough to bend because of the mass of heavy objects (stars, planets, etc.). In this way, space is a bit different than water. For instance, you can carefully place a paperclip on the surface of water and it will float, and there is a slight deformation of the surface, but nothing like the kind of deformation we see around very massive objects in space. And eventually the paperclip breaks the surface of water. The surface of space while being very pliable is also very strong.

Another difference between the surface tension of water and the surface tension of space is that while water has a two-dimensional surface that bends into the third dimension of space, space has a three-dimensional surface that bends along a fourth axis.

Perhaps the most paradoxical aspect of the surface tension of space is this: the tiniest objects (the quanta) can break the surface with relative ease. Yet the massive objects that are woven together from these tiny quanta cannot break the surface (with the possible exception of black holes). Light, for instance, which is thought to be the least massive of quantum particles breaks the surface of space at a constant rate in the form of cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR). But there is a reason for this.

Imagine, if you will a surface of water. I want you to imagine this surface as a surface only. The water has no depths--it is only a surface. The surface of water floats along a horizontal plane in a vast expanse of space. This is a wierd image, I know, but please try to imagine it.

Now I want you to imagine that tiny particles of luminescent dust are floating in a relatively evenly distributed manner both above and below the surface of water as far as the eye can see. Some of this lightdust settles on the water, but because the dust is 3-dimensional in nature, the surface of water cannot contain it--or in other words, if you look closely enough, you will see that the particles of dust protrude, however slightly, both above and below the surface of water.

Now I want you to imagine that the surface of water is falling through the clouds of luminescent dust. It falls slowly at first, but with each passing second it picks up speed. As the surface of water passes through the lightdust, it gathers the particles upon its surface to which the particles cling. The particles also cling to each other (look up Cheerio effect on wikipedia) and where a large number of particles accumlate on the falling surface of water, they actually begin to resist the falling motion of the water which causes the surface of water to bend upward in regions where the lightdust has formed islands.

What's more, as newly acquired particles strike/attach themselves to the falling surface of water (which falls at an an ever increasing rate of speed) they cause the surface to ripple. As the surface ripples, the other particles already integrated onto the surface of water are energized by the rippling motion and begin to interact with all the other lightdust.

Eventually, the surface of water falls swiftly enough (at the so-called speed of light) that the particles of lightdust through which it falls no longer cling to the surface, but instead penetrate the surface, leaving only a ripple behind (cosmic background radiation). Once this velocity is reached particles of lightdust no longer adhere to the surface, but instead pass through and the amount of matter on the surface of water grows no greater. But the matter/lightdust does continue to reconfigure itself and the shape of the surface of water.

Don't know if this makes sense. Throw a shoe or something at me if it doesn't and I'll try again.

Wick