Collapsing soap bubbles, collapsing stars, and zero energy ontology

This post is about an amusing analogy between the evolution of conscious entities according to zero energy ontology (ZEO) and evolution of a soap bubble first expanding, reaching critical against collapse, and eventually collapsing (see this) . This applies in all scales, even to astrophysical objects like stars first growing from a seed, reaching the criticality against collapse to a final state of star, eventually blackhole like state, and then collapsing.

Zero energy ontology (ZEO) replaces standard ontology of quantum theory. One can roughly say that wave function at time= constant snapshot is replaced with wave function in the space of Bohr orbits which are preferred extremals satisfying the analogs of quantization conditions introduced by Bohr. This is generalized by replacing point-like particles with 3-D surfaces so that particle orbit becomes space-time regions represented as a 4-D surface in 8-D H=M⁴×CP₂ or equivalently in M⁸: these descriptions are dual.

The basic geometric entity in ZEO is the causal diamond (cd) of Minkowski space defined as the intersection of future and past directed light-cones. At the level of H cd is replaced with CD = cd×CP₂. cd has a spectrum of quantized sizes and CDs form scale hierarchy being analogous to charge pages forming an atlas of a manifold. Conscious “manifold” with conscious entities forming its fractal atlas with chart leaves with varying resolution forming a fractal hierarchy corresponding to the hierarchy of selves having subselves as mental images.

This picture leads to a quantum measurement theory in which one has two kinds of state function reductions (SFRs). “Big” SFRs (BSFRs) correspond to ordinary SFRs but change the arrow of time. “Small” SFRs (SSFRs) do not and correspond to “weak” measurements very much like classical measurements: no dramatic quantum leaps, just normal everyday life. The sequence of SSFRs defines self as a conscious entity. In BSFR self dies and reincarnates with an opposite arrow of time. This applies to selves in all scales not only to systems living in the biological sense of the word.

The geometry of cd brings in mind big bang and big crunch. First the system expands and then collapses: birth is followed by death. Even stellar evolution involves an expansion analogous to cosmic expansion followed by a collapse to the final state: does the collapse correspond to BSFR in which the arrow of time changes and expansion occurs in an opposite arrow of time. The expansion with an opposite arrow of time would look like a collapse to the final state for an observer with the standard arrow of time.

There is also much more everydaily analog. Soap bubble expands, becomes critical against collapse and collapses. Could the evolution of the soap bubble be more than an analogy for BSFR. Could also the soap bubble represent an example of self evolving and then dying as it bursts. I actually ended up with this analogy while thinking of superstring theory, which is certainly the greatest illusion in the history of theoretical physics and officially still continues to exist although every professional knows that it is dead as stone.

I realized that M-theory is like a gigantic soap bubble at criticality for a burst. Its proponents do its best to prevent the collapse by a harsh censorship of alternative theories as I know so well myself. Also 3 million dollar breakthrough prices for its gurus helped to preserve the grand illusion.

It is understandable that the fathers of M-theory do not want the embarrassing scandal during their lifetime so that we must still wait at least 3 decades before the bubble is allowed to burst. It might of course do it already before. One can indeed think of superstring theory as a conscious entity – not as a real theory but as a power hegemony – which was born, flourished, and will die.

For a summary of earlier postings see Latest progress in TGD.

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