Back at the Cusp of Forever: A Theoretical "Theory of Mostly Everything" Maybe

"The only thing I know for sure
is that I know nothing at all, for sure."

-- Socrates (470 BC - 399 BC), classical Greek philosopher

The more questions we answer, the more questions we discover.  The downside of intelligence is discovering how much you really don't know, about anything.  With this thought firmly planted in mind, consider the smartest people on the planet searching for an elusive theory to explain everything.   This "theory of everything" is referred to as ToE by the intelligentsia, so feel free to impress your impressables by letting it roll off your tongue while fishing with your buds and describing Billy Bob's new girlfriend as "simply a theory of everything."  They'll ask what, in God's name, are you're talking about, and this will be your opening to dazzle them with more useless knowledge.

I love reading theoretical physics.  I had contemplated, early on in college, majoring in the topic as it required no math.  I really sucked at math.  Mathematics frightened me and I'm not really sure why.  I always did poorly at it, yet I understood everything my son would bring for homework in algebra and geometry.  To this day I have yet to attain a degree for the simple lack of a basic college math course.  I have plenty of credits, just none of the required college level math.

I was reading some information, last evening, concerning the "theory of everything."  I copied an excerpt, shown below, and was going to highlight points I'd like to address.  Unfortunately, those points are rife through the short discussion.  Don't pay too much attention to the substance of it all, just consider the "negativity" they put forth concerning what they're discussing and remember this all comes from some of the most intelligent folks on the planet: 

Impossibility of being "of everything" 

Although the name "theory of everything" suggests the determinism of Laplace's quotation, this gives a very misleading impression. Determinism is frustrated by the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanical predictions, by the extreme sensitivity to initial conditions that leads to mathematical chaos, by the limitations due to event horizons, and by the extreme mathematical difficulty of applying the theory. Thus, although the current standard model of particle physics "in principle" predicts almost all known non-gravitational phenomena, in practice only a few quantitative results have been derived from the full theory (e.g., the masses of some of the simplest hadrons), and these results (especially the particle masses which are most relevant for low-energy physics) are less accurate than existing experimental measurements. The ToE would almost certainly be even harder to apply for the prediction of experimental results, and thus might be of limited use. 

A motive for seeking a ToE, apart from the pure intellectual satisfaction of completing a centuries-long quest, is that prior examples of unification have predicted new phenomena, some of which (e.g., electrical generators) have proved of great practical importance. And like in these prior examples of unification, the ToE would probably allow us to confidently define the domain of validity and residual error of low-energy approximations to the full theory.

Infinite number of onion layers

Frank Close regularly argues that the layers of nature may be like the layers of an onion, and that the number of layers might be infinite. This would imply an infinite sequence of physical theories.

The argument is not universally accepted, because it is not obvious that infinity is a concept that applies to the foundations of nature.

Impossibility of calculation 

Weinberg points out that calculating the precise motion of an actual projectile in the Earth's atmosphere is impossible. So how can we know we have an adequate theory for describing the motion of projectiles? Weinberg suggests that we know principles (Newton's laws of motion and gravitation) that work "well enough" for simple examples, like the motion of planets in empty space. These principles have worked so well on simple examples that we can be reasonably confident they will work for more complex examples. For example, although general relativity includes equations that do not have exact solutions, it is widely accepted as a valid theory because all of its equations with exact solutions have been experimentally verified. Likewise, a ToE must work for a wide range of simple examples in such a way that we can be reasonably confident it will work for every situation in physics.

-- Wikipedia, "Theory of everything"

The ToE is a "misleading impression."  Terms like "frustrated" and "mathematical chaos," as well as "limitations" and "extreme mathematical difficulty."  We are only two sentences into it.  "Only a few quantitative results have been derived," and "are less accurate," "even harder to apply," and "might be of limited use" all round off just the first paragraph.  You know what?  Bag it and go fishing.  It would seem one would have better chances of catching fish than catching this theory.  As I read all this, I had to ask myself, "What would be the point of this "theory" other than to point out the voluminous amount of crap we still don't understand?  If we ever did attain the knowledge of understanding, we would only realize that we don't.  This realization would be considered a triumph of science, a triumph of failure which moves us closer to realizing what next?

It would seem, as a layman reading this excerpt, that any "theory of everything" is a theoretical theory, at best.  It is the creation of a mathematical certainty, based on assumptions, like an absolute vacuum, which we well know are faulty by definition and even in the name which we give them.  They are the equations which only work if you add an x-factor to offset the non-absoluteness of the "vacuums" which must be used to prove the equation.  Use of this x-factor is an accepted admission, among their peers, that the equation really defies logic but it's simply the best we can do.  It is their "tap dance" entertaining a world they think buys into it.  It is trying to explain to the world that point nine multiplied by infinity, equals one.  There is an equation which proves this illogical conclusion to be true, without taking into account the point one multiplied by infinity, which is left hanging out in left field... just behind this equation; "smart" people understand this result is pure crap because good sense allows them the benefit of basic logic.

“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”

-- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), poet, playwright

This kind of thing boggles the mind of any "smart" person.  It is a way for "smart" people to understand the difference between being smart and being "intelligent."  Intelligent people come up with this crap, and smart people understand it's just crap.  "What is one plus one?"  "Uhhhh..., you're kidding, right?"  Well, to some folks, one plus one isn't always two (Are you nodding your head or scrunching up your brow?).  What difference does any of this make in your life, anyway?

As I look into the abyss at the Cusp of Forever, I'm reminded of the atheist who insists proof of God is the responsibility of deists when, for the deist, God is a matter of having faith in something for which there is no proof.  The deist has no reason to prove that which they already know, in their heart, to be true.  The atheist cannot prove the non-existence of God any more than the deist can prove the existence, the difference being that the deist, having faith, simply doesn't care because proof is not required for faith.  They feel the responsibility for proof lies with those who have no faith, and the League of the Perpetually Offended.  The rest of us simply accept the existence of a high power in the universe regardless of hard proof.  Atheists berate the deists while the deists simply say, "We shall see what we shall see."  It is the difference between being intelligent and being smarter. 

For me, faith is proof that common sense isn't that common.  One plus one will always equals two, or you're adding one plus something else, like a vacuum.  Abigail Van Buren, "Dear Abby," once wrote, "The lack of faith is not doubt. It is certainty.”  With all I've put forth, here, the "certainty" of this is also in doubt.  What a person knows and feels can be fleeting, as it is based on experience, and we will continue to experience even after we shuffle off this mortal coil.

God looks back at our blank stares into the abyss, and winks.

“Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing. I have only begun to learn content and peace of mind since I have resolved at all risks to do this.”

-- Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895), biologist, aka, "Darwin's Bulldog"

If you stare into infinity, your first realization might be that infinity, by its very definition, should be our reminder that nothing is absolute, and the lack of an absolute vacuum should prove to us that "nothing" isn't absolute, either.  There will always be something which we don't know, don't understand, or simply haven't considered; questions which beget answers which, in turn, beget more questions.  Unless you have a good grip on your reality, you can consider the abyss for only so long, before you either turn away or puke.  For the Cusp novice, "Mental Dramamine" is included in any good Cusp Survival Kit.

What we discover at the abyss is different for each of us; it can be the discovery of a path, a change of path, or the affirmation of one's current path.  For me it has been the realization of infinity, the knowledge that there are many more lives to live and so much more to learn.  There are no mistakes one needs to dwell upon, only choices and consequences which can be changed and remedied as we feel moved to do so. 

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

-- Mother Teresa (1910-1997), "Saint Teresa of Calcutta"

Time is a human construct which gives structure to physical existence, understanding that time, itself, does not exist.  The stress and worry of love, hate, success, and failure, are inconsequential as anything more than lessons to be learned to facilitate our moving forward through higher planes of existence.  Had this been explained to us, ad nauseam, from childhood, our lives would probably be better served as we would not be carrying around a butt load of useless baggage.  As it is, we spend two-thirds of this life collecting all of it and one-third, toward the end, in the realization it was a waste of "time" we might have spent better living for each moment, had we only known.

Life is not as difficult as we insist on making it.  We constantly worry over things of which we have little or no control.  We feel compelled to "keep up with the Joneses" by loading our charge cards up with debt of the latest and greatest which will be out of vogue next month.  We worry about our looks, instead of our health, and concern ourselves with our outward appearance, how we look to others, instead of surrounding ourselves with people who truly care about who we are inside.  Without imperfection we would not exist nor, do I think, we should want to.  How boring would that be? 

“Try and penetrate, with our limited means, the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible laws and connections, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend, is my religion. To that extent I am, in fact, religious.”

-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955), theoretical physicist

For the spiritual or religious, our heaven and our hell exist right now.  It is our life as we define it in the moment.  The choice is ours to live in a heaven, or hell, of our own making.  No one can force it upon us, unless we buy into it.  Darkness cannot enter a house to which it has not been invited, and neither can light.  You, alone, hold the decision to throw open the curtains and welcome each new day.

The so-called "theory of everything" would seem, from the excerpt, to be theoretical, at best.  The theory creates more questions and issues than it seems to solve and, for those frequent visitors to the Cusp of Forever, this makes perfect sense.

“While we are looking for the antidote or the medicine to cure us, that is, the 'new', which can only be found by plunging deep into the Unknown, we have to go on exploring sex, books, and travel, although we know that they lead us to the abyss, which, as it happens, is the only place where the antidote can be found.”

-- Roberto Bolaño (1953-2003), novelist, poet

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.