by M I A Harba
‘This means consciousness plays a part in this. Once a conscious entity observes or measures these particles, they go from their wavelike form into distinct particles. This, of course, will take us into the domain of consciousness, the role it plays, and how we see reality in this world. This is a very specialised topic of research, and it's still not clear how consciousness plays a part in this. But it is something that is getting more interest in recent years.
‘Maybe we can talk about that later in a different session, or even better, discuss it with somebody with interest in psychology and consciousness. A meeting with Dr Al-Harith can expand on the influence of consciousness on the objective reality of this world.’
‘I heard about Dr Al-Harith and his research. I don’t think I have followed his findings, though,’ Sam said.
‘Another interpretation of this behaviour, which is acquiring more interest in recent years, is the so-called multiverse interpretation. This says there are infinite universes apart from ours, and these universes are being born all the time. So, when the particle is behaving as a waveform, and then detected, two different universes get created, where, in one universe, the particle continues to behave like a waveform, but in the other, it behaves like a particle. This ‘multiverse’ theory is gaining some track in the scientific world, and some very reputable scientists believe in it.
‘So what the theory says is that there is an infinite number of universes out there, and copies of us exist in these universes. Our actions decide which universe is going to contain the outcome if you see what I mean.’
‘I really can't visualise this multi universes concept. Do you mean that there are copies of me in different universes?’ Sam asked.
‘Yes, that's what the multiverse theory postulates. It needs imagination to really understand it better, but, as I said, some big minds believe in it.’
‘So which interpretation is the right interpretation?’ Sam asked.
‘Nobody knows. As I said before, Quantum Mechanics and the behaviour of particles at the micro-level is something we don't understand. Luckily, we have good maths to represent it, and the outcome is verified by experiment. Beyond that, we really don't know. Hence the concept of ‘shut up and calculate.’ In other words, stop bothering about the meaning of the behaviour. Use the formulas that we understand to be true and do the calculations. That's it.’
‘And you are saying that this has been an issue for the last 100 years?’ Sam asked.
‘Indeed, and there is a Nobel Prize out there waiting for the scientist who would come up with an understanding of this very confusing, and hard to imagine or understand, phenomenon.’
‘So what are we, and what is nature?’ Sam asked.
‘Well, we are a collection of particles at the fundamental level and are entirely empty space. There is nothing but vibrating strings of energy if the String theory is believed. Everything in the observable universe is built like this,’ Dr Talib explained.
‘OK, my next question is, if we are built of particles that behave according to the still not understood Quantum Mechanics, how are we here? I mean if the particles behave as waves or particles is decided upon detection or measurement by an intelligent or conscious entity, how come I see us as solid. I see this desk as a desk, not as a waveform.
‘Further, if we are not looking at something, does this mean that thing is behaving as a waveform? And therefore, completely undefined? When I don’t look at the sun, then it might not be there? I’m confused,’ Sam added.
‘Actually, even the big brains of the time, like that of Einstein, found it difficult to accept. Anyways, research is continuing and, hopefully, will have a better understanding in the future.’
‘Yes, I hope so, too. My brain has become too saturated with this new information, and I really just can't imagine what you're saying,’ Sam added.
‘Well, there is something more interesting perhaps, which is a direct outcome of Quantum Mechanics. It is the concept of entanglement. It's been discovered that when particles are entangled, they become somehow connected and their features are linked to each other irrespective of the distance between them.
‘Let’s take the electron as an example. If 2 electrons are entangled, they will have features related to each other. One example of such a feature is the spin, i.e. how the electron spins around itself, which could be clockwise or anti-clockwise. And the spin is usually in opposite directions between the two entangled electrons. If you measure the spin of one electron, then you can immediately deduce the spin of the other electron even if the two electrons are separated by miles or light-years distances.
‘Somehow, they know about each other. They know about each other instantaneously, so they are violating the speed of light as the maximum speed in the universe, as per Einstein and his Theory of Relativity. It is an accepted fact, light has a speed limit in this universe, and nothing can go faster than this speed. But entanglement suggests that the entangled particles convey information between them at speeds higher than the speed of light. There is no logical explanation for this.’ Dr Talib explained.
‘But isn't it possible that there's no information transfer between the two electrons? Because if you know the spin of one electron, then the spin of the other electron is known immediately without any information transfer? They possess opposite spins. Isn't that what we said earlier?’ asked Sam.
‘Indeed, many scientists came up with this argument. It's just like having two gloves, with one glove at one electron and the other glove at the other electron. If the glove you see in one electron is the right-hand glove, then definitely the one out there is the left-hand glove. There was a very long debate about this and eventually, an experiment was built to resolve the differences once and for all. I don't want to go into the details of this experiment, but it has been accepted, or its results have been accepted, as fact by scientists now. They discovered that it's not the left-hand glove and right-hand glove reasoning, but it's more to do with the fundamental nature of reality. So, entanglement is a concept nobody really understands, except as the outcome of Quantum Mechanics maths.’
Sam looked at Salaam with a smile.
‘How could the simulation theory account for this entanglement?’ Sam asked Salam.
Salam jumped in,
‘We need to go back to the concept of programmed reality and how a programme is constructed. In a programmed reality environment, all positions within the environment are equidistant from the CPU controlling this programme or the simulation. So, reaching one side of the programmed space is as easy as reaching any other. Processing one position and reaching the other position can be conducted within the processing interval of the CPU. It doesn't need to be conveyed at the speed of light across all the space pixels between them. So, entanglement is very easily explained in the simulated reality environment. There you go,’ Salam said.
‘You seem to have all the answers, Salam. Anything I throw at you, you seem to have the answer on the ready. You are really convinced of the simulation theory or programmed reality, and to be honest, I’m edging towards it myself,’ Sam said.
Dr Talib then intervened.
‘I just want to add a comment here. The fact that we still don't understand everything, does not mean that one theory is 100% correct compared to the other theories. The only issue I have with the Simulation Hypothesis is the nature of the simulation itself. When we don't understand something, we simulate it on a computer. We play with the parameters until we see a behaviour identical to what we are trying to understand. We then come up with an explanation for that particular concept we are trying to understand.
‘What I'm saying is, anything can be simulated. To understand reality better with reference to all the findings I mentioned earlier, simulation can do it like it can for any other problem one tries to understand.’ Dr Talib explained.
‘Wait, Dr Talib. I agree to a certain extent that simulation can be used to understand a multitude of physical problems. But we are not using s
imulation to understand the universe, we are trying to explain the universe as though it was a simulated environment. What we observe out there is identical to what is already in a simulated environment. And there is some serious research taking place at the moment to prove this simulation concept,’ Salam added in the defence of his belief.
‘Yes, Salam. I tend to agree to a certain extent but am keeping some reservations because it is still not very clear to me. But let me add something that probably will support the concept of simulation. When we simulate a physical phenomenon or a physical observation, we usually use mathematical models and some equations to represent the model. We also assume certain constants or initial conditions that we operate with. The combination of the equations or formulas and these constants, as well as the coding, will produce the simulation environment.
‘Now, look at nature and how much was discovered so far. The number of constants that we know in nature is limited. In fact, only 26 fundamental constants have been identified, like the charge on the electron, the mass of the electron, the plank constant, gravity constant, etc. The number of formulas or laws that have been discovered in nature is also finite. You can actually put them framed on a wall if you wanted. So here we go, we have a small set of laws and formulas and a finite set of constants that have been discovered so far.
‘Doesn't that give you the impression that somehow, somebody coded this environment that we live in? They used this small number of laws and formulas and a certain number of constants to do the trick. Doesn’t this give you an indication?’
‘This is very intriguing. Very, very interesting,’ Sam said.
‘Also, how nature conducts its procedures with living things also obeys certain rules and formulas. I'm not sure whether you are familiar with fractal geometry or not. For example, the sunflower seeds are organised in a spiral way across the surface of the flower. When you study it carefully, you find that there are simple rules governing how new seeds are formed and pushed against older seeds.
‘The number of petals in a flower also obeys certain rules. If you count the number of petals in a flower, you'll see that they fall within a finite set.’
Dr Talib stood up and went to his whiteboard. He started drawing flowers and putting some equations.
‘Flowers have either 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 or 55 petals. Isn't it strange that the number of petals is restricted to one of these? This is because they follow a simple rule. Have a look at this equation, fn+2=fn+1+fn, where n is the sequence within the series of numbers above. The next number in the series is the addition of the last two. For example, at the third index when n=3, f3=f2+f1. i.e. 5+3=8, and so on.
‘You would think nature is completely random and continuous, so there will be all kinds of varieties, not a unique fractal variety. Doesn't that give you the impression that whoever programmed reality used these simple rules?
‘Actually, this is not the only example in nature for such a simple rule. The spiral in a snail’s shell follows the same mathematical form as the spiral of the seeds in a sunflower. Did the programmer find it easier to use one rule in the simulation program? There are many other examples in nature.
‘Natural constants, such as π, appear here and there in nature. π, for example, appears in circles but also in other unrelated equations. It appears for example, in the estimation of the probability of a needle not crossing a line when it is dropped on parallel lines drawn on a piece of paper. It even appears in the ratio of the straight-line-of-sight length of a river with respect to its loops and turns.
‘Nature appears to use consistently simple formulas in its arrangements. Doesn’t it feel like those are stipulated by a programmer who's trying to make the coding easier?’ asked Dr Talib.
‘Indeed, this is mind-blowing. A world consisting of constants and formulas that are responsible for everything that we see. I'm so very grateful for all of this, Dr Talib. This will no doubt give me sleepless nights over the next few weeks, digesting what you mentioned. I think I need to understand more about consciousness, and what makes us see what we see although it's not out there,’ Sam said.
‘Rest assured, you're not the only one getting sleepless nights. We still can't understand or comprehend who we are. And, of course, there are still other things that I could explain to you, but let's keep that for another meeting. I think you have enough to digest for the time being,’ Dr Talib said with a smile on his face.
They continued to chat for a short while and then said their goodbyes to Dr Talib and left. They were both quiet on the way home, completely submerged in what Dr Talib has explained to them, especially entanglement and the mathematics of nature.
The Desert Underestimated
The next few days taught Sam a lesson that the desert should never be underestimated. A little unplanned excretion could have serious consequences, and Sam learnt this the hard way. It was a humiliating experience that made him strive for survival, a scenario he would never have envisaged.
The building project had been progressing well, and they were ahead of schedule. It was the end of the fourth week, and the labourers were due for a one-week holiday. On Thursday, the last day of the week -- Friday and Saturday are weekends in Iraq – the day felt unusually different. It started as usual, but the labourers were ecstatic in anticipation of going home for the one-week holiday. Everyone was excited, and the work finished early that afternoon.
Breakfast started a little earlier that day, and the work started at 7:00 am to compensate for the early finish in the afternoon. Of course, their pay would continue as normal over the holiday; this is their agreed contract.
Sam woke up early in the morning, as usual, to enjoy the early sunrise and watch the sun rising golden above the remote horizon. Its rays painted golden orange the little bumps that spread across the flat terrain in front of him. He thought this was exactly what made his project worth it. The early rise in the morning with the peace it brought with it, gave him time to ponder over the swirling thoughts that clouded his mind.
The atmosphere within the camp was joyful. Smiles, for a change, were on the faces of the labourers, and even Zak, the cook, made a little extra effort to make breakfast an occasion for celebration. He cooked their favourite meal and made sure it was served an abundance. Sam prepared the tea and coffee as usual. He poured himself a cup of coffee, made a sandwich of a boiled egg and tomatoes, and sat on a wooden chair by the water tank, away from the rest, to enjoy his morning solitude.
Sam was torn apart between wanting to go with them to Rawa, for a one-week holiday, and perhaps travelling to Baghdad to see his family, and staying at the camp. He knew loneliness in the camp would be soul-destroying after the happy gathering. It also meant boring days ahead, with nothing to do but wait for the return of the labourers. However, he was not sure if it was safe to leave everything in the camp unguarded, even though there were no habitations within hundreds of kilometres. But anything could happen, he thought.
That wasn't the real reason for his decision to stay, and he knew that deep within. He knew if he went to Baghdad, to see his wife and lovely daughter, he might not want to come back to the camp. It was a struggle between the two desires, to stay at camp or visit his family. Eventually, he resolved it within his heart: he was going to stay at the camp.
Even Mo, the foreman, was asking Sam whether it was a good idea for him to stay and be by himself. Wouldn't it be better to come along at least for a few days holiday, to break the monotony of the last gruelling weeks in the camp? Sam could see sense in this, but being the stubborn person he was, he decided to stay.
They finished early in the afternoon, and the transport lorry was due to arrive soon. It was the usual lorry run of resources and supplies, but this time, a larger lorry than usual came. It would transport the labourers back to Rawa, and a larger space was required.
Work on the house had progressed significantly over the last few weeks. The walls started taking shape, and the overall plan of the house was identifiable. Openin
gs in the walls, to cater for the main door and the windows, were already in place. He designed the house as a one-bedroom house. The main door led directly into the living room, which, itself, led into the bedroom, the bathroom, the small internal kitchen, and the storeroom. A back door connected the storeroom to the outside, north of the house. It was a simple design, and he was not expecting visitors or well-wishers.
He wanted it small because it was easier to cool in the hot summer or to heat in winter, on the desert cold nights. The only power source for the air conditioner would be the solar panels that eventually would be moved to the roof. For heating, he planned to use a paraffin-based heater, for which he had organised a good supply of paraffin to last him months.
He didn't need bright electric lighting at night. First, they would drain the batteries of the solar panels, and second, they would be a beacon for unwelcome people, and perhaps predators. So, it was best keeping it dark during the night. He would use paraffin-based lanterns, set at minimal lighting, in certain places like the bedroom and the bathroom. He had purchased two LED light bulbs that were used specifically for illuminating the dining area for the labourers. He could wire them in the living room when needed later.
He was already feeling melancholy in anticipation of the lonely week ahead of him. So far, he'd been surrounded by 12 people and felt secure amongst the group. They supported each other in times of trouble. By himself, he would have to fend for himself and rely solely upon himself at such times.
Lunch was served a little later that day and was the last thing to do at the camp.
This supply lorry arrived a little earlier than expected. The driver, the cook, and Sam helped unload the supplies into the store tent and the fridge and freezer. The fridge materials were less in quantity than usual because they catered for one person only.