Will We Ever Have The "Holy Grail" Of Physics?

"The holy grail of physics research is a theory of everything. But we already have a pretty good model for such a theory. It is the Standard Model of particle physics. It describes all fundamental particles that we are aware of, and three of the 4 known fundamental forces, electromagnetism, strong, and weak interactions. It just doesn’t include gravity. 

"The simple equation and chart actually represent very complex mathematical equations that can take years of graduate level study to fully understand. It was developed by hundreds of scientists over several decades. In this video, I explain the math intuitively."

Click on the link below for an interesting video on the subject:

The THEORY of (almost) EVERYTHING Explained (almost) Intuitively

The Case FOR And AGAINST Fine Tuning

"Arguments for fine-tuning: Physics has many constants like the charge of the electron, the gravitational constant, Planck’s constant. If any of their values were different, our universe, as we know it, would not be the same, and life would probably not exist."

Click on the link below for one of the best cases for fine-tuning of our reality. The bad news for theists: it's still not enough to put God in the gap of our knowledge.

Is the Universe Fine-Tuned for Life?

Don't look to PragerU for an objective answer

Quantum Physics 101

If you think you understand quantum physics, you are in error. While it is confirmed by experimentation, replication, and peer review as much as any finding in science, it is SO weird that it defies common sense. Click on the link below for a fascinating discussion on the topic:

SIO283: Quantum Physics 101

Will Physicists Ever Put It All Together?

THE major goal of physicists is to find the Theory of Everything, a hypothetical single, all-encompassing, coherent theoretical framework of physics that fully explains and links together all physical aspects of the universe. The link below attempts to answer the question, "How close ARE we to this Holy Grail?"

How close are we to finding the Theory of Everything (TOE)?

Another Example Of The Difficulty Of Explaining Consciousness

"In this video I talk about a few approaches to mathematically describe consciousness and its shortcomings. I also briefly talk about what such studies could one day be good for."

Sabine Hossenfelder is a physicist who addresses the controversial topics within physics not only with knowledge but with discernment regarding the line between evidence and hypothesis. This video is a good example of her qualifications:

The Mathematics of Consciousness

A Clear And Unbiased Look At The Argument From Fine-Tuning

 "In this video, I explain how the argument that the universe is fine-tuned for life works, why it's wrong, how the mistake happens, and what that means for the existence of god and the multiverse."

Was the universe made for us?

Quantum Mechanics IS Weird (Where Is God?)

 "The most elegant interpretation of quantum mechanics is the universe is constantly splitting."

Most people who follow the findings of quantum mechanics are aware of the speculation of the multiverse. The speculation of parallel worlds is lesser-known by the public. The video below delves into the latter:

Parallel Worlds Probably Exist. Here's Why

We May Not Be So Special

"Was life on Earth a fluke? Perhaps not. New research suggests that the emergence of life on Earth, while far from a guaranteed outcome, was in fact a probable event – although the odds of intelligent life evolving remain rather less favourable."

I sure wish the religious who talk about "intelligent design" would learn more about physics, cosmology, mathematics, and how the natural world, the only one we really "know", operates.

Click on the link below:

Astronomer Calculates The Odds of Life Emerging on Earth

Are We Close To Having A Testable "Theory Of Everything"

"What is reality? What is the standard model trying to tell us? Are we living in the 11 dimensions of string theory?
"The holy grail of physics is a theory of everything. It may show the origin of all forces coming from one master force, and the origin of all particles coming from one super particle. It would be the ultimate answer to every question that asks why something is the way it is.
"We don’t have a theory of everything, but we do have something that comes close. This is called the standard model of particle physics. This model explains the subatomic makeup of all the atoms, explains chemistry, magnetism, nuclear physics, and many other things.
"But the Standard Model does not predict absolutely everything. There are 19 parameters that it does not predict. These parameters have to be calculated through measurement and put in as constants within the model."

Click on the link below:

What is reality? What our best equations may be trying to tell us

Is Our Reality A Computer Simulation?

There are many physicists who accept the possibility that our reality is a computer simulation, for example:  (link), (link), (link), (link), (link), (link). However, the link below reports the lastest research that challenges that speculation:

Mathematical roadblocks with quantum mechanics indicate that the so-called simulation hypothesis is impossible.

Why Magical Thinkers Need More Humility

The irony of science is that, although it is the best method to understand objective reality, it is humble enough to realize that, as it discovers more and more, it shows us how much more there is to know and how counter-intuitive reality is at its basic sub-atomic/quantum level.

Compare this thinking to religious/magical thinking that is "certain" about reality based on thousands of years of superstitious/pre-science influence. It is more than past time to stop the "God of the Gaps"-type arguments when hitting a barrier to our objective knowledge and admit that, at that point, "We just don't know."

Click on the link below, as it is emblematic of the knowns and unknowns of our reality:

Anti-Matter and Quantum Relativity

Quantum Physics IS Weird, But Real

"The quantum physics of large things: Macro quantum effect. Why don’t tennis balls behave like quantum particles? What happens to a baseball in a double-slit experiment? This experiment shows that atoms behave like waves of probability when not measured, and particles when measured. We also see that two quantum particles can be entangled, meaning that is connected through a sharing of one probability wave."

Why don't quantum effects occur in large objects?

"I learned quantum mechanics the traditional 'Copenhagen Interpretation' way. We can use the Schrödinger equation to solve for and evolve wave functions. Then we invoke wave-particle duality, in essence, things we detect as particles can behave as waves when they aren't interacting with anything. But when there is a measurement, the wave function collapses leaving us with a definite particle detection. If we repeat the experiment many times, we find the statistics of these results mirror the amplitude of the wave function squared. Hence the Born rule came into being, saying the wave function should be interpreted statistically, that our universe at the most fundamental scale is probabilistic rather than deterministic. This did not sit well with scientists like Einstein and Schrödinger who believed there must be more going on, perhaps 'hidden variables'."

Parallel Worlds Probably Exist. Here's why

"Is our universe a definitive single reality or is it merely one within an infinitely branching multiverse? "

The Many Worlds of the Quantum Multiverse

"Why is an observer key to quantum physics? Does the act of observation affect what exists and what happens in the external world? Why is Observation in the quantum world a mystery?

Observing Quanta, Observing Nature?

Have We Reached The End Of Physics?

The above question is seriously discussed among physicists. The 11-min video below presents to the lay-person what we know and don't know, as well as the prospects of learning more in what areas.

Click on link below:

**Why Do People Say We've Reached the End of Physics?

**Oh, remember that we DO know all of the forces that can affect us in our classical physical reality and there is NO evidence for anything supernatural, let alone an "Omni" God.

A Humbling Perspective

I challenge any theist to support the claim that an "All Omni" God is controlling our reality after watching this. Oh, add the fact that physics tells us that we know ALL of the forces that can affect us and that there is no evidence for any supernatural effects from an entity inside or outside our reality.

Visualizing Infinity. Is the universe infinite? the largest scales

The Present Knowledge Within Physics

There is much misunderstanding and resistance regarding what is happening in the complicated field of physics. The video below is a little over an hour-long but is fairly complete on the present state of human knowledge (and speculation) in this basic science:

Mysteries of Modern Physics

No Soul, No Afterlife

There are many ways to falsify religious claims. Sean Carroll always seems to be able to communicate ways of doing so with succinctness, clarity, and humor. Here in this video, he presents the following FACTS:

• Our reality involves atoms (chemistry) ONLY.
• Life emerged from chemistry.
• At death, our atoms disperse from our bodies and stay within our natural reality.
• Thus, there is no support for a supernatural "Soul" or for our brains being conduits for a universal "Consciousness."
• Free Will: Humans can't overrule the laws of physics but are rational agents with the ability to make choices.

Sooooo, to religious apologists: Why do you ignore reality understood by science?

Click on the link below:

Has Science Refuted Religion?

This link is also worthwhile to watch:

You don't have free will, but don't worry

If A Word Describes Your Position On A Topic Use It

Why are some scientists reluctant to use descriptive words to present their opinions on some topics? Leonard Susskind is a noted physicist who does an excellent job in this 8-minute video of countering religious dogma. He clearly is an atheist and an agnostic but will not declare himself as such (see beginning at about the 6:30 point in the video).

Why do I think this issue is important? Language is how humans communicate with each other and every word has a meaning. Atheism and Agnosticism are words that can stir up negative emotions and, thus, some influential people who know better fail to use them. Until this changes, it is my opinion that the route to acceptance of science-based thinking will be significantly impeded.

Time Is Mysterious

Intuition/Common Sense break down not only in the findings within Quantum Mechanics but Time as well:

"What is Time? Tackle one of the greatest problems in all of science—the nature of time itself—in "Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time," a groundbreaking course by Dr. Sean Carroll, one of the foremost researchers in this field. In this second video from the 24-video series, Professor Carroll approaches time from a philosophical perspective. “Presentism” holds that the past and future are not real; only the present moment is real. However, the laws of physics appear to support “eternalism”—the view that all of the moments in the history of the universe are equally real."

Click on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAScJvxCy2Y

Faith vs Physics

Theistic religions claim that faith trumps reason and science. Roman Catholicism, which claims it began science, proclaims this "Truth", as can be seen in The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

• Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. To be sure, revealed truths can seem obscure to human reason and experience, but "the certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives."³¹ "Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt."³²

Science does not accept this claim from religions. First of all, "certainty" is a laughable word to science, as science is based not on certainty but on probability and plausibility. Second, contrary to religions that have rigid dogmas that don't change in the face of evidence, science changes its views with changing evidence.  Because of such, science has made great strides in helping us understand reality better, as well as improve human well-being. What progress in anything has any religion offered humanity? I can think of several actions of religion that impede progress.

A good example of how science is expanding our knowledge is physics/cosmology efforts. While this podcast has some speculation, such is the bedrock of the fruits of science:

• "In this episode of the Making Sense podcast Sam and Annaka Harris speak with Donald Hoffman about his book The Case Against Reality. They discuss how evolution has failed to select for true perceptions of the world, his “interface theory” of perception, the primacy of math and logic, how space and time cannot be fundamental, the threat of epistemological skepticism, causality as a useful fiction, the hard problem of consciousness, agency, free will, panpsychism, a mathematics of conscious agents, philosophical idealism, death, psychedelics, the relationship between consciousness and mathematics, and many other topics."

*It is humbling to know that our concepts of causation, time, and space probably are not fundamental to our reality (link)(link)(link). "Certainty" is so pre-scientific.

* Take that, Kalam Cosmological Argument.

The Arrow Of Time Is Real, But Still A Mystery

"We do understand the arrow of time from a thermodynamic perspective, and that’s an incredibly valuable and interesting piece of knowledge. But if you want to know why yesterday is in the immutable past, tomorrow will arrive in a day and the present is what you’re living right now, thermodynamics won’t give you the answer. Nobody, in fact, understands what will."

An analysis of this major issue in physics.

Where Does Our Arrow Of Time Come From?