Ruminations on Reality: Mathematics

The Aether, Time, Consciousness, Intelligence, Matter and Energy

Part VI of a multi-part discussion

The ideas in this article are dependent upon concepts which were introduced in Part I, The Aether; Part II, The Three Faces of Time; Part III, Consciousness; Part IV, Intelligence and Part V, Life.

Mathematics

Mathematics is a useful tool with which to explore reality, but because it allows for computations in the imaginary such as imaginary numbers and Non-Euclidean Geometry, it should be closely monitored lest we pollute our understanding of reality with that which should remain purely within the realms of imagination.

When imaginary math is combined with maps not grounded in reality, sci-fi worthy concepts like black-holes, time travel and universe-sized electrons are the result.

Note: If one has to create extra dimensions out of thin air in order to make an hypothesis function — unfortunately for much of currently accepted mainstream cosmology — there is something wildly inaccurate about the map being used.

A bad map, if not corrected when the route starts to become implausible, will lead one quite astray.

Dark matter and dark energy are prime examples of this phenomena — neither are the result of careful consideration about the nature of the universe or reality — rather, they are the mathematical reactions of narrowly focused physicists and mathematicians blind to the limitations, inconsistencies and outright failings of the current model/map.

They are defacto Deus ex Machina, Ghost in the Machine, or Hand of God explanations for scientists — literally anything that cannot be adequately be explained under the current model such as missing or unexpected energy, velocity or mass can be conveniently ascribed to either of the two and, of an instant, those failings disappear and are then considered appropriately accounted for. They are the rugs under which inconvenient flaws are swept.

These ‘hypotheses’ are the direct result of, and the gaffer tape on, an old, torn and disintegrating map.

What’s worse is that because the scientific community has not thrown out the old map, younger generations of scientists will be misled into futilely looking for next ‘Boson-Higgs’—another particle that is somehow miraculously the size of the entire universe—that will finally — finally! — solve all of the glaring holes in their current model.

The role of mathematics in physics and cosmology should be confined to modeling observed data and making predictions. Those predictions should then be verified by observation or experimentation before being accepted as fact. If that is not possible, then the imaginary should be purged from the calculations before being considered as possible hypotheses.

As with any science, when new information comes to light that is in conflict with the current theories, the map should be re-examined and modified to account for the new data. In some cases, this might mean completely re-drawing the map.

Science, by definition, demands the map be redrawn to its most accurate state whenever disqualifying new knowledge is gained. Anything less is not science, and those who fight those updates are not scientists—rather, they have crossed the line from scientists into cultists.

Here ends Part VI of my Ruminations. Part VII, Matter, can be found here.