Sean Coleman’s The Unified Field, is the first book in the canon, Tree Of Everything.
The Unified Field
What is The Unified Field? In short, it’s the fundamental reality that gives rise to all the levels of existence in the observable universe. On the grounds of sounding a bit conjectural, now it should be asked, does The Unified Field even exist? Considering a real answer starts with hypotheses that require proper respect and investment and when done correctly, the experiences are the greatest journey anyone could ever go on. How do I know this? This book started out as a blog called, “What is the Unified Field?”, to go along with the release of my ten song concept album, “Unified Field”. I didn’t know how many blogs I was going to write. It was more let’s see how far I can take it. I eventually realized I had started something I can’t stop and that there would be a book. The blogs were just a beginning frame work and the trigger for what was to come. An escapade had began and along the way I would find out I wasn’t alone on this adventure. As time went on I would see something even bigger and it includes the concept of a new field. This has everything to do with striving to understand the biggest questions and how far you’re willing to go for answers. It’s a way of life.
Theory Of Everything
The Holy Grail of modern physics. A single framework that encompasses all. A cosmic code. The final result of theory shaved down by Occam’s Razor. A recipe for the universe. The mystery of creation solved by a single theory. One language for all of science. A base theory. Instructions for everything. A mathematical formula that links all the aspects of the universe. The idea behind a reproducible experiment successful at proving a Theory Of Everything. The bedrock of reality.
The thought that there is a fundamental explanation for everything has been around for thousands of years, the thought that it can be mathematically represented is a modern idea that has largely taken form in the 20th century and the expression Theory Of Everything, has only been popularized since the 1980’s. Bertrand Russell is credited with coining the phrase “Theory Of Everything”, in his book The Analysis of Matter, published in 1927.
For starters, a Theory Of Everything (TOE) will have to explain General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. In other words it needs to include a theory of quantum gravity.
The phrase, Theory Of Everything, raises questions like, does the universe have a beginning or an end and if it does, what happens before or after? Is there more than one type of beginning or end? If there isn’t a beginning or an end, how does that work? If the universe comes from something else, what is it and where did that something come from and so on? Did the observable universe come from nothing and if so, how does that make sense? Are there parallel universes or a multiverse? Is there even an ultimate plan and if so can it be exhibited in a coherent blueprint? Can we know the mind of God?
Some modern candidates for a (TOE) are, M-Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity. At present the Standard Model is the closest thing to come to a (TOE) when satisfying the scientific method.
“How can we understand the universe, is it arbitrary or is there a grand design, do we still need a God?”
Steven Hawking (1942-2018)
The Tree of Life
The tree of life, also associated with the world tree, cosmic tree and tree of knowledge, is in many cultures throughout the world and human history. A common theme is of a sacred tree that spiritually represents a connection with divinity and all forms of creation. Strong in Celtic tradition the ancient Celts called the tree of life, crann bethadh and it symbolizes natures forces combining to create balance and harmony.
Sometimes the tree of life refers to an actual physical tree. In Bahrain, an island country in the Persian Gulf, there is a four hundred year old tree called Shajarat-al-Hayat. There are some people that believe this is where the Garden of Eden existed and thousands of people come to Bahrain every year to see this tree. The baobab trees, native to the African savanna, are a symbol of life because they thrive and provide food, water and materials in places where little else can survive.
“As buds give rise by growth to fresh buds, and these, if vigorous, branch out and overtop on all sides many a feebler branch, so by generation I believe it has been with the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the earth, and covers the surface with its ever-branching and beautiful ramifications.”
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Forces of Nature
All the known particles in the universe are classified either as a boson or a fermion.
Bosons in quantum mechanics are what the fundamental forces are exchanged through. Bose-Einstein statistics is a theory of boson behavior. One amazing property is that multiple bosons can occupy the same quantum state.
Fermions don’t occupy the same quantum state simultaneously, this is why matter/materials have the characteristics of substance. The Pauli exclusion principle is a mathematical representation of this phenomenon.
The four fundamental forces of nature that are supposedly of The Unified Field are gravity, the strong force, the weak force and electromagnetism.
- Gravity is the effect of fermions and bosons following the geometrical curvature in the fabric of space-time. It’s the mass and energy of matter that warp the fabric of space-time. The more mass and energy there is, the more curvature there will be and the stronger the gravitational field. This is why when objects interact with other objects, the ones with more mass and energy dominate the attraction of the ones with less, like the Earth does to people or the sun to the Earth.
- The strong force binds quarks/fermions to form hadrons. Common hadrons are protons and neutrons, which are also called nucleons, because of the role they play in the nucleus of atoms. A residual from the bond of the strong force also binds protons and neutrons together to form nuclei. The force carrier/boson for the strong force is called the gluon and there are eight different types. Most of the mass in matter comes from the strong force.
- The weak force is the interaction and mechanism that causes the decay of particles. A couple examples are alpha and beta decay radiation. Alpha decay is when an atom releases two protons and two neutrons, which is also a helium nucleus. Alpha decay is the process of fusion. Beta decay is when a neutron decays into a proton, electron and anti-nutrino, also known as the process of fission. There are three force carrier particles for the weak force; the W+, W- and Z bosons.
- Electromagnetism consists of waves in electric and magnetic fields, simultaneously propagating together and alternating with each other through space-time. When electricity and magnetism each complete their own wave, they intersect with each other and the electric wave turns into a magnetic wave and at the same time, what was the magnetic wave turns into an electric wave. This alternating process is a constant that will go on forever at a speed of approximately 186,000 miles per second in a vacuum, as long as nothing interferes with it. In electromagnetism the fermion is the electron and the force carrier is the photon. By orbiting the nucleus, the electron is also an essential building block of the atom.
The weak and strong forces are short range, because their effects are internal to the atom. Gravity and electromagnetism are long range forces, because their effects can travel billions of light years. You may have noticed there was no mentioning of fermions or bosons for gravity. This is because although it makes sense that the fabric of space-time consists of these, experiments capable of detecting them haven’t been created yet. The postulated fermion is simply the gravity particle and the boson is the graviton.
Keep in mind this description is brief and within the modern paradigm, there has been unification bringing us closer to The Unified Field. More pieces have been added to the puzzle. Newer mysteries for gravity include dark matter and dark energy. Among other recent historical discoveries is the Higgs Boson in 2012, which is a key player in the standard model of particle physics, and gravitational waves in 2015, predicted by general relativity. All these exciting details and more will be covered in later sections.
Art Form
It has the power to move our emotions and shape ideals. It can be thought provoking and it’s even capable of transforming what it means to be human. Sometimes it’s intended to convey reality and other times it’s a way to escape it. Through its many diversities and commonalities around the world, it shows us how we’ve evolved in time. From hunter gatherers and the rise of civilization into the industrial revolution, art has remained eternal and by nature, a representation of culture and a way to preserve history.
For the artist, creation comes from an abstract, inner sense of self with the desire to express. The art experience can come from any of the senses and no two people will perceive an identical form. Art is universal, in that it can take on a life and form of it’s own, living beyond the time, place and mentality of its creation. It’s not clear what the original purpose was for the oldest forms of what we now call art. In many cases it was probably more for ritualistic symbolism then it was for aesthetic pleasure. It’s worth noting that when creativities started coming about, it’s because the human mind was evolving in important ways. The ability of creativity is a distinguishing feature that separates humans from the rest of the animal life on the planet.
A long time ago some of our distant ancestors crossed over from a life style of only doing the things needed to survive, to a developed urge for something more. Artistic expression might even predate homo sapiens by a few hundred thousand years. The discovery of shells, believed to be engraved by Homo erectus date back as far as five hundred thousand years, although most experts seem to disagree with classifying this as art. What we at least have are the early stages of innovation.
Prehistoric art refers to artifacts that predate writing and have no existing records from other cultures explaining it, and ancient art refers to artifacts from cultures with some form of writing or records pertaining to it. The Chauvet Cave located in France, contain some of the best preserved prehistoric cave paintings in the world, with radiocarbon dating putting some of the paintings at over thirty thousand years old. The Minoan civilization, known for their paintings, pottery, jewelry and metal vessels, flourished on the island of Crete from about 2700 to 1400 BCE. They have a far reaching influence in ancient art, that includes ancient Egypt through trade, and the Mycenaean civilization of Ancient Greece, who absorbed the Minoan culture after it’s decline around 1100 BCE.
In its most stripped down form, art is about freedom for the artist as well as the art appreciator. Freedom to express oneself or receive expression, however anyone wants to. Art form needs no explanation. 100% creative control is non-conformism, 0% creative control is conformism with a whole spectrum in between. Competitiveness brings on a paradox in that it doesn’t make sense to compare one work of art to another, when each one is supposed to be its own expression. From this point of view all art is created equal, because their qualities are based on what they’re achieving, instead of what they’re not. It’s only after a style movement happens, that rules come into play for that particular art form. Artists can be rated on how well their technical ability achieves what they’re trying to do. The opinion of the masses create popular art and the trained critic’s opinion comes from a small percent with an expertise in art form. Other influential opinions come from people who are willing to pay millions of dollars for art, but not everyone will agree that means it’s the best. Then there’s the bigger picture beyond human understanding, perhaps God’s opinion.
In our current times if you enter a contest for some form of art or try to appeal to someone in the business that could provide opportunity, the opinion of the judges or the business person are obviously important in those particular moments, but remember in the end, opinions only speak for the individuals making them. Art form also usually suffers when it becomes about the money. One reason for this is, the business of anything wants no risk situations and that means giving people more of what’s already working. This is when art form becomes a product. With music for example, what we’ve seen time and time again is supply does not meet demand, because there will be complete saturation of the popular style. Creative wells dry up and as a result, quality diminishes. Another problem with only doing more of what has already been done is that pioneering gets suppressed.
In the most extreme sense being an artist isn’t just about whether someone puts paint on canvas, plays an instrument, sculpts or work with any other particular medium. It’s about how an artist eats, sleeps, and dreams creativity; everything they do is an artistic expression. It’s in the way they get out of bed, the way they make a meal and eat it, the way they have conversation and the way they deal with whatever comes their way in the course of a day. This is when art defines who we are as individuals.
“In the early stages of creation of both art and science, everything in the mind is a story.”
E.O.Wilson (1929- )
Art and science are interconnected by creativity and this is the driving force in all discipline fields. It’s also been shown that people with a music class in their daily curriculum do better in their other classes. While people are being artistic, they’re usually experiencing a higher level of brain functioning and this can help achieve things other than art.
From prehistoric creativities to modern films, art has been a portal for concepts, storytelling and the conveying of human relationships with their environment, world and universe. Art is the expression of humanity.
“The noblest art is that of making others happy”
P.T. Barnum (1810-1891)
Paradigm
A world view or model. The prevailing system of knowledge. A common pattern of thought or example. Popular belief. An axiom or postulate. A mind set based on leading theories. Reality defined by established science. People sharing the same understanding. The word paradigm is commonly used in the academic world in referring to a standard view or set of ideas. In science, the paradigm is a distinct set of concepts and theories used in any given field. Observing the world through the paradigm is to approach things with a perspective that refers to what is known and accepted. When new theories are proposed, if they don’t match up with the paradigm, they usually get rejected.
A paradigm shift is when a new way of thinking comes into play. This happens when a theory is modified or replaced by a better one. It usually starts with a point of view outside of the paradigm, although sometimes it begins from anomalies within it. When a new theory enters the picture there’s almost always a vicious backlash from people who don’t want to let go of the old paradigm, resulting in a scientific revolution. A shift can also happen from technological inventions; radio, television, airplane and the spaceship, are some examples.
Truly amazing, natural wonders exist in the universe and they’re waiting for the right mentality to discover them. Science has come a long way and the information it’s providing is too important to ignore. History has given us many gifted thinkers who have provided great knowledge and their philosophies along with modern findings are coming together. This new awareness needs to be made available for anyone who is interested in it. Through a growing global awareness, the world could potentially be on the verge of a great paradigm awakening, compliments of a logic supreme. The latest interpretations are truly that big of a deal. When people are blinded to advancements, it is usually used against them and this is why it’s very important to keep the human race up to date and aware. If the mentality of humanity can properly grow, the paradigm will not only help us take on new challenges, it will help us prevent history from repeating in ways we wish didn’t but quite often has.
The Unified Field might seem intangible to your senses and at times counter-intuitive. If you’re wondering why you even need to know about it, my first thought is if it exists how could you not want to know about it? How could you not want to know the truth about reality, whatever it is, at least to the best of your ability? Wouldn’t knowing any less be cheating yourself, especially if it could help you live a better life? It’s been said ignorance is bliss, but isn’t that a bit phony? Learning about reality might even be a cosmic obligation. The universe is in motion and our origin is a vast mystery. If there’s anything that’s certain, this enigma has set many on a course looking for the answers. There are always going to be the curious ones who want to know why and how things work and people will continue to discover and learn. It should be in your best interest to know about these advancements, as well.
For the pessimist existing in a static mentality, not believing the answers are obtainable, I suggest breaking out of those mundane patterns, because it’s just as much about the experiences along the way as it is reaching the destination. If you’re skeptical to the point of always wanting more proof before believing, you should try to identify and question whatever it is that’s stopping you from giving new concepts a chance. Otherwise you’ll be wasting valuable growing time. On the other hand, as you form your own perception of reality, you don’t want to base it on assumptions. Try to be less subjective and more objective. Question everything, but don’t come from the angle that it’s wrong with the expectation that someone else should prove it to you. Figure it out for yourself. Be open minded and take your time, because there will be a lot of information to cover. The cool thing is, when you go about it the right way, it’s actually really fun. Best of luck in achieving a coherent understanding of what is real.
“I don’t want to believe, I want to know.” Carl Sagan (1934-1996)
Nothing ever stays the same but are you ready for change? If you pursue understanding The Unified Field, it should provide healthy conditions to grow in, offering a continued richness as knowledge and wisdom become increasingly intuitive and comprehensible. You might even find The Unified Field is tangible to your senses. All you have to do is become part of the quest. From my own experiences, I can tell you this is nothing short of epic!
It’s through The Unified Field the dawn of a new age is beginning to shine.
Ideology
Reality rendered intelligible. A doctrine, credo, tenet or Weltanschauung. Without ideologies we wouldn’t have opinions, convictions, attitudes or principles. They influence expectation and aspiration, shape how we interpret and react to situations, and define our relationships. Ideologies guide us with an understanding of the world and how we fit in it.
In it’s purest form, an ideology is a deep foundational belief within a person. It’s the characteristics of an individual’s thoughts on life. They’re also shared between people in groups, societies and nations. Where a paradigm is more a science based belief, an ideology is more a creation of culture and its evolution. Nurture or the manner in how we’re raised, has a huge impact on our ideologies. We could take it one step further with nature, which involve the genes we inherit from our parents, but this would be more related to personality traits influencing how we interpret, choose and invent ideologies. This is a modified concept of ideology because originally influences were based on the information that come in from a persons senses.
Quite often ideologies are assumptions with little or no thought put into them, that may or may not have factual basis. These ideologies become coherent through repeated, subjective choices where further thoughts grow. People can be anywhere from dogmatic to passive when expressing them. It’s not only taken on multiple meanings throughout the years, there are many different kinds within each type. To be extreme for a moment, there are probably millions of ideologies. Hundreds of political ideologies alone exist. To name a few more; sexual orientation, economic theory, religion, myths and discrimination are all ideologies.
It’s so broadly used, it helps to know where it originated. Antoine Destutt de Tracy is the creator of its first meaning and he coined the term “ideology” in 1796. He got his inspiration for this during the French Revolution, when irrational mob impulses almost killed him. After this experience, Tracy’s goal was to create a system of ideas or ideology, to form a foundation for the moral and political sciences, by examining the sensations people experience as they interact with the material world, and the ideas that form in their minds due to those sensations. His concept of ideology was a liberal philosophy that provided a powerful defense of an individual’s liberty, property and free markets. It also put constitutional limits on state power.
After Tracy’s first view, Napoleon Bonaparte came to view ideology as a term he used against the liberals of Tracy’s Institut National. Napoleon described his opponents as the ideologues, meaning someone who is adherent of an ideology, especially one who is uncompromising and dogmatic. Through out history the term would move back and forth between positive and negative connotations.
David W. Minar describes six different ways in which the word ideology has been used.
- As a collection of certain ideas with certain kinds of content, usually normative.
- As the form or internal logical structure that ideas have within a set.
- By the role in which ideas play in human-social interaction.
- By the role that ideas play in the structure of an organization.
- As meaning, whose purpose is persuasion.
- As the locus of social interaction.
“Ideologies are patterned clusters of normatively imbued ideas and concepts, including particular representations of power relations. These conceptual maps help people navigate the complexity of their political universe and carry claims to social truth.”
Manfred Steger(1961-) and Paul James(1958-)
A great paradigm awakening should usher in an ideological shift as well. Adapting to this could be even more of a challenge because where a paradigm is a scientifically established belief, an ideology is a deeper belief that most people just react off of, apposed to thinking it out. The common theme that needs to be revisited over and over again is, don’t be so convicted in your beliefs that they can’t be changed. Remember humanity is a work in progress, not only because it’s always evolving, but because there is an overwhelming majority’s opinion that there has to be a better way for the world to live. When and if a shift happens, I believe it should start with individuals making their own personal decisions and then through mutual agreement, spread to the masses.
If a shift does actually begins to happen, let’s never forget, it is diversity that makes planet Earth such a beautiful place and any kind of change should try to preserve that.
Knowledge
To know, experience, understand or be aware of something. Having scholarship, mastery, enlightenment or wisdom. Access to information, data, facts, statistics or case studies. Being sagacious. Proof, evidence or documentation. To have perception, memory, recognition, familiarity or realization. The ability to reason. Having intelligence, sensibility or insightfulness. To be a mentor, coach, guru or professor. Philosophical and scientific theories. All of these things touch on knowledge, but barely get the ball rolling.
If you’ve ever operated a vehicle, traveled somewhere new, driven by the rules of the road, found your way home and told someone about the events of your day, that was an exercise of many kinds of knowledge. Plato defined knowledge as justified true belief. Sir Francis Bacon said knowledge is Power. There are so many different types of knowledge, explained in so many different ways, with subtle differences and varying interpretations, that we have a treasure trove to work with when defining it. Although, the best understanding of it might just come from leaving it in the melting pot.
Around the world throughout history, the concepts of knowledge are immense. Some of the earliest thoughts on this were probably projected through knowledge deities, which existed by the dozens. Ancient Egyptian Seshat, goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and writing. West African Orunmila, god of wisdom, knowledge, and divination. Chinese Laozi, God of wisdom. Greek Metis, the Titan goddess of wisdom. Hindu Hayagriva, god of knowledge and wisdom. Japanese Fukurokuju, god of wisdom and longevity. Middle Eastern Al-Kutbay, Nabataean god of knowledge and writing. Persian Ahura Mazda, Zoroastrian god of light, benevolence, creation, truth, and perfect wisdom.
Ancient history shows us an impressive intellect did exist. Greek episteme, the domain of true knowledge. Mathema, that which is learnt. Philosophia, love of wisdom; the intellectual and erotic path which leads to virtue and knowledge. Polymath, having learned much. Polymath was later used in Europe and interchangeable with the expression Renaissance man, meaning a person with many talents or areas of knowledge. Latin Sapere aude, dare to know. Scire, to know, understand. Homo universalis or universal man, a person who is known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.
There are some cultures that have more than one word for knowledge in their language. Some examples are, Spanish saber and conocer, French savoir and connaitre, and German kennen, wissen and konnen. I’ll leave it up to you to educate on their differences. The English language combines all different kinds of words with knowledge when describing the endless concepts.
A priori knowledge is based on pure reason. A posteriori knowledge is deduced from evidence. Knowledge by acquaintance is experience-based and obtained through interaction. Descriptive knowledge is expressed in declarative sentences or indicative propositions. Information that is readily available in forms such as newspapers, manuals, textbooks and encyclopedias, is referred to as explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is knowledge that is difficult or impossible to convey explicitly, like how to ride a bike or play a musical instrument. With implicit knowledge a person isn’t necessarily aware they have learned something, like when someone is working with there hands and they have gotten better at something they know how to do. General knowledge covers topics like, current affairs, fashion, family, health, sports, arts and science. World knowledge is information a person accumulates throughout life. When we’re cognitively recalling knowledge of facts, ideas, meaning and concepts, they come from our semantic memory and autobiographical events come from our episodic memory.
Traditional Knowledge, explained by the International Council for Science is “a cumulative body of knowledge, know-how, practices and representations maintained and developed by peoples with extended histories of interaction with the natural environment. These sophisticated sets of understandings, interpretations and meanings are part and parcel of a cultural complex that encompasses language, naming and classification systems, resource use practices, ritual, spirituality and worldview.”
Without the desire to learn, the human race would be among the animals on the planet with no real differences in life style. I wouldn’t be surprised if developing our strong ability to imitate each other is when our path began to diverge. At any extent, the big changes came with the formation of language and writing. When humanity developed the ability to pass on information, our knowledge became an entity of its own, separate from the individuals that contribute to it, growing almost as if it’s a being in itself. This body of knowledge is also a timeline that provides a detailed, understandable look into our history.
If we can acknowledge a spectrum spanning from knowing nothing to a (TOE), then it should be easy enough to see our current knowledge is somewhere in the middle. From this point of view we’re all learning and it’s really about being less false. The important idea here is that we’re moving towards an ultimate knowledge. In the past, true knowledge has been an expression used in a religious context. I would like to add, that in science, knowledge is truth waiting to be discovered.
“The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.”
Confucius
A fixed mind-set is when someone believes intelligence is something you can’t change very much, even if you learn something new. An open mind-set is when someone believes you can always change how intelligent you are, no matter how much you start out with. A person’s experiences filter through a frame of mind based on their knowledge. This profoundly influences our actions and reactions to the world. Naturally, a good filter is valuable for navigating through life. If you can live life with an open mind-set, the possibilities will be endless.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandala
This book is about asking big questions and getting big answers, which means there is an emphasis not only on the importance of accurate information, but also on how to correctly interpret it and use respectfully. With knowledge comes a great responsibility to use it properly.
Whether we’re studying it, contributing to it or just reaping the benefits from it, we’re all connected by knowledge.
Epistemology
One of the problems with defining the word knowledge is that it needs to include a very broad scope of ideas. Higher levels of it are tacit. The challenge here is not only to convey what it is, but to create a vocabulary that can explain it and be universally accepted.
What makes justified belief justified and how do you know that you know? In philosophy, epistemology is the study that tries to understand what knowledge is. It’s basis, form, nature, validity and limits are widely debated. One of the things epistemologists do is to investigate the justifications supporting various beliefs of knowledge and then try to trace them to their origin. There are many different theories of knowledge and methods used to cross reference the findings, in hope of distinguishing true claims from false ones.
Epistemological knowledge foundations and structures are built from two opposing beliefs, empirical and rational. Empiricism is the view that experience and observation should be the means of gaining knowledge, a posteriori knowledge. Rationalism is the standpoint that knowledge can be discovered through pure reason and thought, a priori knowledge.
Skepticism is another issue and study in epistemology to deal with, because knowledge believed by one person isn’t necessarily believed by another, even when it’s widely excepted. There’s a whole spectrum of skepticism ranging from people that can eventually be convinced, to extreme skepticism that no matter how much evidence is presented, they won’t believe it. Skepticism has also been used constructively in epistemology.
Philosophical skepticism questions the possibility of certainty in knowledge. Methodological skepticism systematically scrutinizes knowledge claims by sorting out true from false claims. One form of methodological skepticism is Cartesian doubt, named after Rene Descartes. This is to doubt the truth of all beliefs at first, in order to determine which ones are true. This is the approach Descartes used to derive his statement, Cogito ergo sum. This translates to I think, therefore I am.
In spite of the many different opinions in epistemology, it still helps form strong ideas of what knowledge is. When answering the big questions, an epistemic criteria for what constitutes knowledge will be a prerequisite.
Axiology
There are many dimensions to our sense of value. We have it for the physical objects we possess and desire to have, it’s in our self-esteem, our empathy, how we choose to live our lives and how we treat others. It is intrinsic to our quality of life. It’s the blend of different values that form our standards of behavior. The many different types of value are a multiplex that require balance and harmony. Without values, knowledge would be in vain.
In philosophy, axiology is the study of the nature of values. Investigations include examining the principles that support values as well as the judgements that come from them. Where epistemology is the concern of why a person thinks they know what they know, axiology is the concern of why a person has the values they have. In axiology it’s common practice to assess a researcher’s own values at every stage of their research process, because a person’s values will affect why and how they conduct their research as well as how they interpret the findings. While axiology is important in all fields of the academic, professional and personal world, it’s foundational in the branches of ethics and aesthetics.
Ethics is the philosophy that deals with moral principles. There are three major studies within ethics; meta-ethics, normative ethics and applied ethics. While these three studies have relations that form ethics as a whole, there are also many different theories within them and sometimes they conflict with each other.
Meta-ethics is the study of the fundamental properties of good and bad. Main concerns focus on the meaning of a person’s moral views and how to determine true values. Normative ethics is the study of right and wrong in a person’s actions. Some theories that can apply to normative ethics are virtue, teleological and deontological. Virtue ethics focus on the morality inherent in a person’s character. Teleological ethics base right and wrong on the consequences of actions. Deontological ethics use predefined sets of rules and if actions follow policy it’s right and if they don’t, it’s wrong, and consequences in this case don’t matter. Applied ethics are the practical application of moral considerations in real-world situations. Some examples are decisions that effect the environment, health care, education, law, professions and technologies.
Aesthetics are subjective and sensori-emotional values. These sentiments have the capacity to elicit pleasure. It refers to a quality in things like art work, music, movies, poetry, literature, architecture and landscapes. Sometimes people can feel a unity with the medium that is creating the aesthetic pleasure. When it happens through culture it can build a sense of social identity. The philosophy of aesthetics is the study of the properties, appreciation and over all nature of art, beauty, creativity, inventiveness and the emotional experiences involved.
In aesthetics, an axiological approach is to pursue answers to questions like, why do some people have a sense of beauty in things while others don’t and what are people actually feeling and why? Other studies look into the processes of an artist’s imagination, creation and performance. Aesthetic ethics is the idea that acceptable moral behavior should be beautiful and attractive.
Applying axiology is another requirement on this trip, because it will keep us morally in check while we are working towards answers and it will help us apply the knowledge properly when it is obtained.
“Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Science
Discovering, learning and using knowledge. The systematic study of the natural world and universe through observation and experiments. Mathematical prediction and verification. The process and results of research. Explanations based on reasonable evidence. The collection, organization and unification of knowledge. All academic disciplines and professional fields are science.
Credibility for scientific accusations require that tests are repeatable through independent investigations. Theories need to be submitted for peer review. Universally accepted measuring systems should be used when at all possible. Findings from information are desired to be condensed into the simplest understanding with the most yield for maximum effectiveness. Successful science provokes new ideas.
Technology has evolved throughout the ages because people have applied creativity to being more efficient in doing the tasks that help us survive. If there’s one important lesson to be learned from our history, it’s that we’ve been good enough at problem solving to get where we are now. Engineering at its core is about applying science in the process of creating new technologies.
Science predates the awareness of doing it. We could say it started with the use of tools, which are methods and physical objects being used to help accomplish goals, but we don’t know if there’s ever been a time when humans didn’t use them. Using tools also isn’t exclusive to just us. Chimpanzees, gorillas, dolphins, and crows have all been observed using tools in one form or another.
Hunter gatherer societies have proven to have all the technology they’ve needed to survive and this kind of culture is estimated to account for about 90% of the time homo sapiens have existed. The Neolithic Revolution refers to a shift into agricultural societies that took place approximately between ten and eight thousand years ago. Different locations in the world independently started at different times. People began to domesticate plants and animals, resulting in a local food and material source, in contrast to traveling to hunt and gather wild resources. This would also lead to the first civilizations. Since this shift, technology has continued to evolve at an accelerating rate and science is at the heart of it all. The first industrial revolution starting in the 19th century is another turning point in technological evolution. These advancements have unfolded so quickly they have even influenced the world population, growing from about one billion in the year 1800 to eight billion in 2022.
In ancient Greece a small group of presocratic philosophers from Miletus were the first ones known to describe natural phenomena in ways other than using deities. Now known as the Milesian School of philosophy, this is the mindset that paved the way for what would become known as Natural Philosophy, which in large part, was influenced by Aristotle. Although the term science wouldn’t appear for another two thousand years, this is where its roots would grow out of. Natural Philosophy is the study of nature through empirical methods. Some of the subjects included were astronomy and cosmology, probability and randomness, motion and change, space and time, matter and physical entities. Theses studies were conducted in the fashion of what these days would still be considered philosophy, not science.
It wouldn’t be until about the 17th century that performing what we now refer to as science would get its momentum. Mathematics was essential to this change. As evidence continued to disprove Aristotle’s theories, there was an increasing dissatisfaction with the expression Natural Philosophy and the word science, derived from Latin scientia, meaning knowledge, was applied more and more. As new and distinct disciplines began to branch out, it no longer made sense to use the expression Natural Philosophy. Physics was the first of the new fields to grow out of this shift. The release of Sir Isaac Newton’s book Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, in 1687, is a good marker in time for this scientific revolution, not only because it ended up being the foundation of physics for the next two hundred years, but because not to long after, new branches began to flourish, among the first were Chemistry and Biology.
In the 19th century the expression Natural Science was popularized by professionals and institutions. Natural science would eventually be divided into two more main branches, life science which include the biological fields and physical science which include fields such as physics, chemistry, astronomy and earth science.
“We need very much a name to describe a cultivator of science in general. I should incline to call him a Scientist. Thus we might say, that as an Artist is a musician, Painter or Poet, a Scientist is a Mathematician, Physicist or Naturalist.”
William Whewell (1794-1866)
Whewell is not only credited for coining the terms scientist and physicist, he also coined the term consilience, which is the ability to bring together results and to make predictions in other fields of science. Whewell believed when a theory designed to explain one thing also explained something else without originally trying to do so, this is evidence the theory is true. He felt that good scientific theories unify science.
Besides learning science to understand the origin and processes of the universe it can also play an important role with achieving a quality of life in daily activities. James Trefil and Robert Hazen the authors of Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy, give four principle reasons for the importance of scientific literacy.
- Scientific literacy helps consumers make informed decisions.
- Today’s workplace depends on science.
- Scientific literacy provides a foundation for teaching children.
- Scientific literacy allows you to share in the joy of science.
Mathematics
It is a collective creation from cultures around the world and very well could be the oldest discipline. Recognizing patterns and sequences in nature with a desire to make sense of the heavens and our place in the universe might be where it all started. In the simplest of terms, it’s the science of numbers but more realistically, has become one of the most important tools to be used in science. Mathematics is involved in all fields and is also its own field. In the modern era, math not only helps formulate conjectures, it’s a key player in the scientific method when confirming and disproving them.
The importance of mathematics cannot be over stressed and we usually take it for granted. It’s in the infrastructure of our towns and cities, in hospitals with doctors and nurses saving lives and in times of war, it has made the difference between winning and losing. Cell phones, computers and the Internet, the modern home with all the luxuries, our various means of transportation and money are only some of the things we wouldn’t have, without mathematics.
There is no universal definition for mathematics. For instance, there’s a common feeling among mathematicians that new formulas and maths are discoveries of something that already existed, but if you’re an intuitionist then you believe these things are only a construct of our mental activities. There are even philosophical consideration that mathematics might be created like art. Axioms or postulations are beliefs, also known as self evident truths, that are based on common sense or logic, which by definition are not proven. The foundation of mathematics is created from axioms. Although mathematics as we understand it, consists of a sophisticated and highly respected structure, because it is built on axioms, it leaves itself open to a full array of debates and challenges from various opinions.
Math is even involved in the wild kingdom. Animals instinctively calculate amounts when they decide to fight or run if they are outnumbered. They are calculating distance when they decide it’s feasible to attack pray and they calculate the size of other animals to determine the amount of danger a potential interaction could have.
The Fibonacci sequence is an endless string of numbers where each number in the sequence is the sum of adding the two preceding numbers. Example, 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5, 3+5=8, 5+8=13, 8+13=21 and so on. From the mating of rabbits to the sequence of seeds in a sun flower, the Fibonacci sequence is found all over the place in nature.
First steps leading to the concept of mathematics began through enumerating, where quantities of objects were matched one to one, for example, pebbles or cut notches on a piece of wood. People also enumerated by matching them to body parts. Left five fingers, wrist, elbow and shoulder, counted for eight objects and on the right side, they would count eight more. It’s suggested these counting methods predate language, because in some of the oldest known dialects, the first names for the numbers now known as one, two, three, four, and so on, were the names of these body parts. When people began naming different amounts, which is called numeration, another step towards mathematics had been taken.
In the early stages of numeration the concept of numbers weren’t separate from physical objects. Eventually the knowledge of knowing how many object there were would evolve into numbers that were separate from anything physical. This was when numbers began to existed on there own in the abstract mind of humans. The next step from here was to create numeration systems. This was when symbols were created to represent each abstract number. There are many ancient numeration systems, Roman numerals are among the most known.
The first numbering system is called natural numbers. This involves counting, one, two, three, four, into infinity. By 500AD, the Hindu Indians had invented the modern concept of zero. When the zero was incorporated into the natural numbers, they became known as whole numbers. The next step from here was to realize negative one, two, three, four, into infinity. The negative numbers with whole numbers are called integers.
Rational numbers are fractions or decimals. These are the numbers to the right side of the decimal. Rational numbers can have terminating or repeating decimals. Terminating decimals have an end number. Repeating decimals have a number or group of numbers that repeat infinitely. Irrational numbers are decimals that don’t repeat and go on for ever. Some irrational numbers are the square root of two and pi.
In ancient Egypt and Babylonia they used arithmetic, algebra and geometry for taxation, financial calculations, building construction and astronomy. Throughout the years the topics and formulas in mathematics would soar into the thousands. These days, after learning the basic arithmetic operations addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, the educational road to becoming a mathematician will run you through algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus. If this sounds like a long trail it is, but it’s also just the beginning of what the world of mathematics has become.
In 1900, David Hilbert published a list of twenty-three mathematical problems. In one of them he challenged researchers to find an axiomatic basis to all of physics. In this problem he’s asking for what today would be considered a (TOE).
Because of the success it’s had in explaining reality, there is a strong belief that mathematics is the language of the universe. If it is, the formula for a (TOE) is still a vocabulary waiting to be revealed. This brings us back to the opening statement of this book and the story that leads to an interpretation and how it will be deciphered.
Experiment
A planned course of action attempting to validate a hypothesis. An innovative procedure designed to provide insight. Researching the relationship between variables. Investigation into cause and effect. Usually experiments are performed to test an expectation or question about how a particular phenomenon works, but occasionally used to demonstrate known facts and sometimes done just to see what happens.
Experiments and their results not only build credibility in the scientific community, they capture the attention of the general public. Whether we’re watching, performing or hearing about the results from an experiment, we’re intrigued because they can create a visual and give us a sense of something tangible in the material world. Experimenting exists in many form and most of us perform them in one way or another, especially as children. Have you ever tapped on something to get an idea of what its made of, sniffed something out of curiosity or changed a recipe? How about playing with a garden hose as a kid, taking something apart to see how it works or stepped out of your own personal mold to try something new? If so, you’ve experimented.
On a serious level, experimental research varies widely across the disciplines. Common in psychology but not restricted to other fields are laboratory, field and natural experiments. Laboratory experiments are highly controlled environments where variables are taken into consideration in great detail. Field experiments are controlled but take place in real-life settings and have a higher level of uncontrolled variables. Natural experiments are observational studies of unplanned, naturally occurring events.
Thought experiments have also proven to be valuable in understanding reality. As the title suggests, this method consists of an imagined scenario. This helps build concepts and it comes in handy when scientists aren’t sure how to test their theories, otherwise. Many of Albert Einstein’s success came from his ability to conduct thought experiments and in his case, some of them did lead onto verifying mathematical equations and physical experiments.
There are all kinds experiments in many different forms that I will be covering in future sections. There’s also the realm of new experimentation. As a tool to be used in the pursuit of answers, experiments potentially have the capacity to yield the most transparency when providing evidence in support of understanding questions. This is another important factor in achieving our goals. Don’t be afraid to experiment, with the right imagination it will take you anywhere.
Scientific Method
The methodology of scientific inquiry. A positivistic research paradigm. It’s a cyclical self improving process. Approaches vary from one field to the next, but also share features. Systematic observation and conjecture, intuitive and creative questioning, a proposed hypothesis for investigation, mathematical reasoning, experiments thought up and brought to fruition, data analyzed and generalized. Once a determination has been made as to whether or not the original hypothesis needs refinement, alteration, expansion or rejection, the process starts over again. If tests results continue to match the concepts and mathematical predictions, a new theory will become established. Although formulation and testing vary, precise measurements and carefully controlled experiments are of the utmost importance.
A central concept in the scientific method is that it must be empirically based. Scientists trust evidence observed by the senses, opposed to depending solely on rationalism. This stems from an Aristotelian point of view, but where their empirical information from the senses was based on common everyday interactions, the scientific method bases it on mathematics and physical experiments. Mathematics is considered to be an abstract entity but it’s included because it helps us understand the physical world.
The scientific legacy that spans from Ancient Greece to the European Renaissance and beyond is an extraordinary story that will be told throughout this book. There are many important similarities and influence to the scientific method that should be known and the endeavors of the people involved deserve to be recognized. They are the predecessors in one of the greatest on going human adventures.
Another reason why everyone should put an effort into becoming scientifically savvy is because of the variety of questions and ideas that will arise. Time and time again the new great ways of thinking have come from unsuspected sources. This shows us that the scientific enterprise grows from diversity. It will probably be new way of doing the scientific method that will lead to making future discoveries.
By design the scientific method listens to new ideas. This means everyone should have the opportunity to be heard. This also requires a lot of patience. It might not be obvious at first but this opens itself up to argumentation. Sometimes referred to as a lost art because it’s very rarely done correctly. When someone wants to express their thoughts it’s important to listen, establish a premise, give new proposals a chance and if you find yourself being quick to disagree, first do your best to understand it before denouncing.
These guide lines are important because it is common for people to try to counter everything the other person is saying while they’re saying it. That’s poor argumentation and more resembles a fight. It’s proper argumentation for the person doing the listening to make sure they understand what the person expressing them self is trying to say. Even ask questions if necessary. Try to do away with biases, discrimination and the tendency in human nature to be competitive, because these things will only cloud judgement. Other key components to keep in mind are honesty and ethics. Once a person has had a chance to be heard you’re entitled to the same and this process should be able to continue in a civil manner. Everyone should be allowed to state their opinions without fighting.
My exploration has used a variety of approaches in pursuit of the best answers possible for the questions does The Unified Field exist, either way how do we understand what does and what does it mean for the human race? Along the way I became increasing aware of a synergy that can achieve anything and that’s when I began building a model that can answers the big questions. I want to share this story with everyone because the answers are absolutely incredible. If you stay with me on this you’ll create your own story and answer the big questions for yourself.
With the scientific method as my guiding light I’ve covered many theories based on information provided by thousands of people over thousands of years through conceptualizing, mathematics and experiments. I’ve also learned it’s important to be open minded to any possible means that might present evidence towards discovery. There will even be times when I cross into non-scientific territory, but no matter where it leads I’ll always come back to the scientific method.
I’ll be covering a lot of material while trying not to lose sight of the bigger picture and you should want more of a description for some of the things I mention. As this saga continues elaborations will be provided but you should still seek out multiple sources of information on your own to learn more about the various topics, then form your own opinions. When you set out to verify an accusation, if you find yourself wanting it to be true, to avoid confirmation biases, try to disprove it instead of proving it.
In the name of understanding truth what are you willing to subject yourself to for answers? The paradigm and ideology of the human race is destined to evolve, if you choose to do so you can be part of this. I hope you at least tag along to find out more. If you come with me unconditionally get ready to push the envelope and be extreme. The ride of a life time is coming. To take a glimpse into the real goal, most importantly this entails not only securing the longevity of the human race but doing so with equality and a mentality that is socially just for all. This pursuit is a membership everyone has a right to and obligation unless you would rather close your mind and let others run the show.
Layman and expert alike please join me on this journey, as explorers for human kind, in search of The Unified Field, using it to live life to the fullest, being open to learning from your experiences and sharing with others what you learn. Our future and the world our children inherit are depending on how successful we are.