Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Mooney
This thread is on the ontology of spacetime, and often will focus on the component parts, like "What is time, really?"
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I would expect such. As I have said earlier, there is a distinction between the concept
of time (as we view it) and time itself (if there is an itself per se). The passage of time
is ascribed by people by agreement. We all agree to what value is one second. As a
representation of what we view, we can consider time as an additional coordinate (with
the appropriate conversion factor - c). Time then just becomes another form of space.
This notion is Not an "is", instead a working principle to view the world. In this way
we can label this "spacetime" as "space" and "time" combined. It is the Ontology of
what this represents I think is what you have attempting to get at. I am maybe others
here have been confusing what you were driving at as to "what is [the representation]
'spacetime' really?" Where we differ is you use the "glasses" of Euclidean Geometry to
perceive that Reality, I allow the possibility of a Differential Geometry with some local
Radius of Curvature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Mooney
Do you actually think that dropping the phrase "Higgs field" explains where everything in the universe came from.... as in "someting from nothing?" This is the most elementary level of ontological absurdity. "Ontology 101" starts with the obvious fact that everything in the universe (the real stuff) did not magically appear "out of the Void of Space." It all actually had to always be in existence. None of "it" is created or destroyed. It just constantly changes form.
Seems that this discussion must start in ontological kindergarten and then progress toward more complicated *theories* like the Higgs field.
If that is your a-priori assumption... that the Higgs field is the cosmic "Magic Hat", then we left serious science behind before the ground rules of ontology were even established.
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Your version seems a bit Aristotelian doesn't it ? Actually the notion of "something from
nothing" or Vacuum Fluctuations has strong theoretical grounding and can happen.
The probability is low so as to be inconsequential yet is why you can never attain a
temperature of exact Absolute 0 degrees Kelvin.
As for the Higgs Field, I am not sold totally on the idea. I am aware it is part of the
current Standard Model (it took me more that 10 years to warm up to QCD...
... ).
It is not a "Magic Hat", did not come from a Harry Potter novel. It is a sombrero and
is a representation of Symmetry Breaking. I just wonder if some other mechanism is
going on here.
maddog
