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lee smolin: the new einstein? by Alex Burns (alex@disinfo.com) - January 30, 2002 |
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The basic idea is that black holes give rise to new regions of space and time, and that at these events, which resemble our Big Bang, the laws of physics can change. When worked out in detail, this idea leads to a scientific theory which makes predictions which are testable. The basic prediction is that no small change in the masses of the elementary particles or the strengths of the forces would lead to a world with more black holes than ours. So far, although a number of astronomers have tried to find counterexamples, this prediction has held up . . . What for me is most provocative is the possibility that, for this to work, we will have to extend the Darwinian idea that the structure of a system must be formed from within by natural processes of self-organization—to the properties of space and time themselves. Lee Smolin: The New Einstein? Penn State University professor and theoretical physicist Lee Smolin has written some of the most provocative theories about cosmology and theoretical physics in the 21st century. Once touted by Discover Magazine as "the new Einstein", Smolin's contribution to a cosmological Theory of Everything will redefine how you perceive time-space and the grand evolution of the universe. Early 20th century physics was shaped by two opposing models: Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity (which dealt with large-scale matter such as planets, solar systems and galaxies) and the quantum mechanics models explored by Niels Bohr, Erwin Schroedinger, Werner Heisenberg, Wolfgang Pauli and others (which dealt with small-scale atoms, molecules and subatomic particles). What complicated both theories were their different views on the geometric viewpoint of space-time: Einstein concluded that space arose out of object relationships whereas quantum mechanics defined space as a pre-existing entity whose rules could be uncovered and manipulated. The incompatibility of these two theories has doomed attempts to discover a cosmological Theory of Everything. The Event Horizon as Cosmological Sacrament Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking captured the public’s imagination with their respective theories. Relativity physicists such as Smolin, who perceive the universe as an unfolding of dynamic events and processes, are a professional minority. While many scientists treat matter in terms of quantum mechanics, they still define space-time in classical terms. Smolin entered the fray with his dazzling book The Life of The Cosmos (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), which posed an intriguing question: Could Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection be applied to cosmology and theoretical physics? His answer received critical praise and public attention. The centerpiece to Lee Smolin's answer to how cosmological evolution actually works was his "Theory of Cosmological Natural Selection." The general theory of relativity contended that time and space have a relational structure and that the universe evolves through changing relationships. Astronomers have discovered that chaotic dynamics and self-organizing systems (cycles and feedback loops) influence the evolution of stars and galaxies. Astrobiologists and biochemists have noted that the universe has been defined by narrow "laws" that support life. Smolin's insights about cosmological time merged these streams with theoretical biology and post-quantum mechanics. Smolin noted that when a black hole reached a state of infinite density/gravitational field, not only was the space beyond its event horizon unobservable, but also time essentially stopped. This configuration of space-time was possibly similar to the Big Bang cosmology and the Big Crunch scenario. If a "singularity" inside a black hole spawned a new universe, then this meant that universes were subject to Darwin's natural selection and self-organizing principles of complex systems. The new "baby" universe would have "laws" that were slight variations of its "parent" universe. Those universes with a greater number of star systems and black holes would create more "baby" universes, as Darwin predicted with biological life-forms, than those that didn't. Eventually the only universes that would survive would also contain stars. They would come into being ex nihilo: no need for an external creator, god or independent observer. The Secret of Quantum Gravity Black hole thermodynamics and information theory were one approach to a cosmological Theory of Everything. The second approach, perhaps the most publicly well known, is string theory, which contends that pulsating mathematical units spanning multidimensional space are the building blocks of reality. The third approach, which Smolin advocates, is quantum loop gravity: that space-time units have a lattice-like structure and have discrete variations. Quantum loop gravity goes beyond John Wheeler's memorable description of the subatomic structure of space-time as messy "space foam" and David Bohm's holographic model of the universe. Rare and special events, unlike classical physics, can occur in isolated regions. These networks of space-time emerge from chaotic structures. If Einstein formulated a quantum theory of light, Smolin wondered, what would a quantum theory of gravity resemble? His next book, Three Roads to Quantum Gravity (London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 2000), outlined the key theories, scientists, and how scientific research actually occurs. Like Einstein and philosopher Paul Feyrabend before him, Smolin recognized that the quest for scientific knowledge (the much-fabled "scientific method") unfolds in spurts and jumps, not always by doctrinaire orthodoxies or heterodox revolutions. He grasped that the three approaches were complementary. While they undermined some religious tenets by shifting away from an absolutistic universe with a boundary-defining creator-god, all three approaches needed funding, even while the public doesn’t grasp the sociopolitical implications of such research. The Sociopolitical Implications of The Third Culture Perhaps this is why Smolin has played a crucial role in the movement by scientists to explain their research to the general public, summarized by uber-book agent John Brockman in his anthology The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995). Brockman believes that the emerging sciences will redefine the 21st century's cultural landscape. Smolin agrees--the aesthetic discipline and intellectual rigor that is required by post-quantum physics may be the perfect antidote to the extreme relativism and subtle reductionism of some postmodern exponents. The critical thinking skills taught by the scientific method, when combined with the perceptual focus of the arts and humanities, may also be a key to reinvigorating political democracy and a sense of communal belonging. Smolin’s collaborations and multidisciplinary research has exemplified this synthesis. He has frequently teamed up with Stuart Kauffman, who has written about theoretical biology, cosmology and self-organizing principles. His current appointments include the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Philosophy of Science and The Bios Group, a Santa Fe (New Mexico) firm that deploys innovative research (in agent-based modeling, Bayesian and neural networks and data mining software) for Global 1000 companies. There may only be a minority of scientists who understand the dense mathematics at the heart of quantum gravity research yet Smolin has successfully translated these hermetic mysteries into a secular form for profane readers. |
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Penn State University: The Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry University of Pittsburgh: The Center for the Philosophy of Science NASA Astrobiology Institute Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Bios Group Lee Smolin: Curriculum Vitae Los Alamos National Lab E-print Archive Qgravity.org: Lee Smolin Lee Smolin: Bio Stuart A. Kauffman Homepage The Road to Quantum Gravity: Contents The Road to Quantum Gravity: Prologue: The Quest for Quantum Gravity OUP Publicity: The Life of the Cosmos "A Theory of the Whole Universe" Prime Time Replay: Physicist Lee Smolin On His Book The Life of the Cosmos What is Time? What is the Future of Cosmology? Time is Relative “Art, Science and Democracy.” A Possible Solution for the Problem of Time in Quantum Cosmology “Technical Summary of Loop Quantum Gravity” The Present Moment in Quantum Cosmology: Challenges to the Arguments for the Elimination of Time A Spin on Spin Foam The Life of the Cosmos Quantum Leap Explaining the Universe: It’s Child’s Play Three Roads to Gravity NF Reviews: Lee Smolin A Critical Review of Lee Smolin's Three Roads to Quantum Gravity Philosophy of Science Journal International Studies in the Philosophy of Science Journal Disinformation Dossier on Richard Dawkins Disinformation Dossier on Nanotechnology Disinformation Dossier on The Mind of God Disinformation Dossier on Howard Bloom Disinformation Dossier on Mark Pesce Disinformation Dossier on The Physics of Immortality Disinformation Dossier on Futures Research: Engineering Human Consciousness Disinformation Dossier on Buckminster Fuller Disinformation Dossier on Robert Wright Disinformation Dossier on Ken Wilber Disinformation Dossier on Peter Russell: Awakening the Global Brain Disinformation Dossier on Douglas Hofstadter Disinformation Article on Weird Science Disinformation Article on I Have Met God and He Lives in Brooklyn Disinformation Article on the Expanded Spiral Dynamics® Bibliography |
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