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Infinites in the Real Universe?


gray wolf

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I was doing some reading on the Kalam Cosmological Argument recently.  It is a very good argument but there are some objections which I think lead to a Scottish Verdict:  not proven.  Two of the assumptions of the Argument are that there are no infinites in the real universe and that all events must have a cause.  But some physicists, most notably Victor Stenger, object that in quantum mechanics there are truly infinities and cases where there is no cause.  This got me interested in some of their cases and a couple are very interesting:  radio active decay, which is relatively easy to grasp.  Then I read a description of the Casimir Effect which gives compelling evidence that there do seem to be infinites in the real world.  It is not any easy topic.  I am not a physicist. . . I didn't take physics in college; physics took me.  Later in physical chemistry I did absorb a smattering of quantum mechanics and relativity and it has always been an interest of mine.  Is anyone aware of other "evidence" of these strange ideas in reality other than in mathematics?

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Yes if you remember the conversation I had with Alpha a few days ago we were talking about that.   But I thought according to Mitso Kaku those infinites are mistake or defect in the theory and not something that is real.  The equation or theory is failing or "having a nervous breakdown" as he put it.

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Yes if you remember the conversation I had with Alpha a few days ago we were talking about that.   But I thought according to Mitso Kaku those infinites are mistake or defect in the theory and not something that is real.  The equation or theory is failing or "having a nervous breakdown" as he put it.

Did you get a chance to check out the Feynman lectures? Honestly, I would not form my opinions about physics based on popular shows. It's true Kaku is a genuine physicist, but the shows he does are very dumbed down and I don't think they are doing you justice.

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I was doing some reading on the Kalam Cosmological Argument recently.  It is a very good argument but there are some objections which I think lead to a Scottish Verdict:  not proven.  Two of the assumptions of the Argument are that there are no infinites in the real universe and that all events must have a cause.  But some physicists, most notably Victor Stenger, object that in quantum mechanics there are truly infinities and cases where there is no cause.  This got me interested in some of their cases and a couple are very interesting:  radio active decay, which is relatively easy to grasp.  Then I read a description of the Casimir Effect which gives compelling evidence that there do seem to be infinites in the real world.  It is not any easy topic.  I am not a physicist. . . I didn't take physics in college; physics took me.  Later in physical chemistry I did absorb a smattering of quantum mechanics and relativity and it has always been an interest of mine.  Is anyone aware of other "evidence" of these strange ideas in reality other than in mathematics?

The Casimir Effect shows that virtual particles really exist. If you take two conducting plates, put them in an absolute vacuum, there is still a mysterious pressure which seems to want to push them together a little bit. This is due to the virtual particles on the outside of the plates outnumbering the ones on the inside. As far as there being infinities there, that is a QED effect and quantum electrodynamics is renormalizable. That is, I don't think that case brings up worrisome infinities.

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I started looking at the dynamics one :)

 

 

And saw the short one where he talked about his views as far as the existence of God is concerned. 

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I started looking at the dynamics one :)

 

 

And saw the short one where he talked about his views as far as the existence of God is concerned. 

Ah yeah- enjoy. I recommend the QED series if you have the time. I'm afraid belief is not too common in the physics community.

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I was doing some reading on the Kalam Cosmological Argument recently. It is a very good argument but there are some objections which I think lead to a Scottish Verdict: not proven. Two of the assumptions of the Argument are that there are no infinites in the real universe and that all events must have a cause. But some physicists, most notably Victor Stenger, object that in quantum mechanics there are truly infinities and cases where there is no cause. This got me interested in some of their cases and a couple are very interesting: radio active decay, which is relatively easy to grasp. Then I read a description of the Casimir Effect which gives compelling evidence that there do seem to be infinites in the real world. It is not any easy topic. I am not a physicist. . . I didn't take physics in college; physics took me. Later in physical chemistry I did absorb a smattering of quantum mechanics and relativity and it has always been an interest of mine. Is anyone aware of other "evidence" of these strange ideas in reality other than in mathematics?

The Casimir Effect shows that virtual particles really exist. If you take two conducting plates, put them in an absolute vacuum, there is still a mysterious pressure which seems to want to push them together a little bit. This is due to the virtual particles on the outside of the plates outnumbering the ones on the inside. As far as there being infinities there, that is a QED effect and quantum electrodynamics is renormalizable. That is, I don't think that case brings up worrisome infinities.
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I was doing some reading on the Kalam Cosmological Argument recently. It is a very good argument but there are some objections which I think lead to a Scottish Verdict: not proven. Two of the assumptions of the Argument are that there are no infinites in the real universe and that all events must have a cause. But some physicists, most notably Victor Stenger, object that in quantum mechanics there are truly infinities and cases where there is no cause. This got me interested in some of their cases and a couple are very interesting: radio active decay, which is relatively easy to grasp. Then I read a description of the Casimir Effect which gives compelling evidence that there do seem to be infinites in the real world. It is not any easy topic. I am not a physicist. . . I didn't take physics in college; physics took me. Later in physical chemistry I did absorb a smattering of quantum mechanics and relativity and it has always been an interest of mine. Is anyone aware of other "evidence" of these strange ideas in reality other than in mathematics?

The Casimir Effect shows that virtual particles really exist. If you take two conducting plates, put them in an absolute vacuum, there is still a mysterious pressure which seems to want to push them together a little bit. This is due to the virtual particles on the outside of the plates outnumbering the ones on the inside. As far as there being infinities there, that is a QED effect and quantum electrodynamics is renormalizable. That is, I don't think that case brings up worrisome infinities.
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The wavelengths outside the plates are a greater infinity than the infinity between the plates them as I understand it. I'll stick with the macro worlds for now. ;)

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The wavelengths outside the plates are a greater infinity than the infinity between the plates them as I understand it. I'll stick with the macro worlds for now. ;)

You can only  have so many virtual photons whose wavelengths can fit inside (they have to be integer values involving the distance between the plates), on the outside there is no such boundary condition.

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