Is universe a blur?

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Kasuha
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Is universe a blur?

Post by Kasuha » Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:16 am

There's a (silly) idea that struck my mind few days ago.

Generally one of "problems" in quantum physics is collapse of wavefunction - maybe I'm wrong but I imagine it as while particle propagates through universe it exists as a wave running from the origin in all directions - and once it interacts this whole wave displaced over large area just "disappears" and the particle "materializes" at the interaction point.

Quantum physicists seem to have no problems with it but for general audience it's a bit counterintuitive. My idea is, it might be not problem of quantum physics but how we perceive the universe. Maybe what we perceive as local phenomenon (particle interacting in particular point of space) is not local at all?

From image processing many of you have sure heard about deconvolution algorithms - generally algorithms that can remove blur from a blurred image. They work well if an image got blurred by faulty optics (e.g. in early Hubble data) but they also work on data that are not result of faulty optics. If you get any blurry image even if manually created with smear brushes, these algorithms create a crisp image from them too - but this time they don't reveal any real details because no such details were ever there.

Maybe similar kind of deconvolution is what's in fact running in our brains too, making points out of things that were useful seen as points for our evolution ... but they don't really have to be points?

Imagine every point in our universe being a closed curve on paper. They may be arbitrarily long - even infinitely - and they may cross any number of times with other curves. Things that are close to each other in our universe are curves of similar shapes lying near each other on this paper. Moving particles are curves that change their shapes over time - and interaction occurs if the curve matches exactly with another curve. Things lying far apart in our universe don't have to be curves far apart on this paper universe, they just need to be dissimilar enough - time needed for a photon to mediate interaction between distant parts is equal to time that photon's curve needs to change shape appropriately.

If we live in such universe, we may continue discovering smaller and smaller particles indefinitely. We can always find a deconvolution algorithm that would resolve certain set of shapes as points and we may continue making the original blur crisper and crisper thinking we are discovering something new - without discovering anything real.

Shadowdraxx
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Re: Is universe a blur?

Post by Shadowdraxx » Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:23 pm

this kinda reminds me of that "are we living in a holographic universe" article a few years back, certainly interesting to wonder about this different idea's, I mean everything is from a certain point of view, and interestingly or view might be looking from the wrong side.

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chelle
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Re: Is universe a blur?

Post by chelle » Tue Apr 27, 2010 5:42 pm

Kasuha wrote:If we live in such universe, we may continue discovering smaller and smaller particles indefinitely. We can always find a deconvolution algorithm that would resolve certain set of shapes as points and we may continue making the original blur crisper and crisper thinking we are discovering something new - without discovering anything real.
You're right, but you make it sound complicated, one of the algorithms you are referring to is Quantum Mechanics, making from our blurred understanding of matter; atoms and electrons, sharpening our understanding, as of there our understanding becomes again blurred. Once you start looking for what is reality you end up doing metaphysics. And to comeback to the tittle of this topic, the universe will always be a blur to us, we will always be part of something of which we can't see the whole, or when it comes to tinniness we can't look any further down the hole. The last step for human evolution is to start accepting this, and enjoy life.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room.
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mrgumby
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Re: Is universe a blur?

Post by mrgumby » Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:21 am

Kasuha......A number of people have wondered about the possible fractal nature of the universe.

Chelle... you said "Once you start looking for what is reality you end up doing metaphysics"

No. Sorry.

Metaphysics is what people resort to when they cannot handle reality.

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chelle
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Re: Is universe a blur?

Post by chelle » Wed Apr 28, 2010 8:03 am

mrgumby wrote:Chelle... you said "Once you start looking for what is reality you end up doing metaphysics"
No. Sorry.
Metaphysics is what people resort to when they cannot handle reality.
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that investigates principles of reality transcending those of any particular science. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysics

I believe that Kasuha was 'transcending' in his post what we know. I guess it are mostly people with a certain curiosity and imagination who do so, most of them can handle reality quite well I suppose. If not pinching yourself always seem to do the trick :)
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room.
Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann - Mary Schmich

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mrgumby
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Re: Is universe a blur?

Post by mrgumby » Wed Apr 28, 2010 8:15 am

thank you for your definition.....I am well aware of what metaphysics is......it is also the refuge of technophobes. Which is a shame as genuine metaphysics is fascinating.

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