(Advertisement)

Explaining ‘Theory Of Almost Everything’

RECENT DISCOVERIES MAY MEAN PHYSICISTS ARE CLOSE TO UNLOCKING THE KEY TO THE BIG BANG

By ART HOBSON

Posted: September 16, 2012 at 3:48 a.m.

Science has had a sensational summer.

This story is only available from our archives.

Opinion, Pages 11 on 09/16/2012

(Advertisement)



« Previous Story

Taking A Shot At Preparedness A Challenge

What if you wanted to take a date to the movies, but were concerned about recent acts of violence occurring at theaters, and wanted some protection? Read »

Next Story »

A Hundred Bucks Motivates Students

Let’s say your pastor made the following announcement: “We don’t look as good as we should from the highway, and that discourages passersby from visiting. Please help spruc... Read »

Comments

To report abuse or misuse of this area please hit the "Suggest Removal" link in the comment to alert our online managers. Please read our comment policy.

Terrific column, Professor Hobson.

The Higgs boson has finally been found, and the Standard Model bears up beautifully; this critical prediction confirms the elegance and symmetry of the equations.

This simple explanation for the layman gives us a mental scaffold for thinking about these concepts in a very rudimentary way, but it should be mentioned that the actual language of the researchers is not English, but mathematics.

While reading through, it occurred to me that other readers will find the entire research effort to be enraging. They will forever hate any mention of the Higgs boson. They hate any mention of the Big Bang. They hate the unresolved questions about dark energy and dark matter. They hate anyone with the mental ability to think in the language of mathematics.

Cosmology and quantum theory join the theory of biological evolution and climate science as fields representing malevolent evil.

Maybe dark matter will eventually be found to be a evil aggregation of Beelzebub bosons, confirming the hater's superstitions.

Posted by: FrankLloydLeft

September 16, 2012 at 12:19 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

RE "This means that every fi eld comes in indivisible bundles or packets, called 'quanta' (the plural of 'quantum')"
And the plural of "quanta' must be "qantas". Whenever I find an anti-science zealot of some sort railing against the latest devilry in scientific endeavor, I recall that old TV commercial with the koala peevishly whining, "I hate Qantas."

Posted by: AlphaCat

September 16, 2012 at 1:13 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Thank you Art -- This is the clearest, most accessible explanation of quantum reality that I've ever read. Great for those of us who are not physicists.

As a religious person, I trust that every step toward understanding reality and learning truth is a step closer to God. I believe in God as Ultimate Reality and Divine Mystery -- perfect Truth, perfect Goodness and perfect Beauty.

Thank you for shedding light so beautifully on emerging the truths and the tantalizing mystery of the physical reality of the universe.

An exquisite column for those of us who are religious and for those of us who are not.

Lowell Grisham, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Posted by: LowellGrisham

September 18, 2012 at 9:09 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Now, if someone would only come up with a unified and comprehensive theory to explain human behavior, we'd really be in business... .

Great article, Prof. Hobson.

Posted by: GenBuckTurgidson

September 18, 2012 at 10:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

RE:
"Now, if someone would only come up with a unified and comprehensive theory to explain human behavior, we'd really be in business... ."

That's really much easier, it all condenses down to "Continuation and Propagation of the Self".

Posted by: Nilatir

September 18, 2012 at 11:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Registration is required to make comments. Click here to LOGIN.
You can register for FREE to post comments and receive alerts.