QUANTUM PHYSICS: Where the east met the west
In this edition of our newsletter we talk about 2 topics which are often considered to be stark opposites but may actually have certain overlaps -Quantum Physics and the Eastern Philosophy
Hey reader 🙌 , I am Aditya Khulbe, an engineer by education , but someone who has a penchant to talk, do photography and discover philosophies
Isn't it funny how the most elementary ideas can be delved in to discover a plethora of complex extrapolations? Engineer Explains is all about simplifying complex concepts and ideas for a layman while discovering novelties throughout the process.
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In our quest to know and understand our existence, we have delved way deep into the understanding of matter and manifestation around us. On a particle level we have gone deep inside an atom. We dissected it further to the nucleus and to protons and neutrons. We didn’t stop here but went a step further to further look inside the neutron to find tiny quarks and the buck stopped here and shaped the major part of 20th century physics. Then came something astonishing- STRING THEORY. String theory goes 1 step further to show what we find inside these quarks - filaments of energy like a string and just like a string of a violin produces musical notes when these strings vibrate they produce the particle themselves.
So it is fascinating to note that inside anything from a single electron to even human beings everything is just a vibrating dance of cosmic energy .The theory is so astonishing that it could possibly answer our questions (at least theoretically) about multiverses and wormholes, where Einstein’s theories stopped .Astonished already are you? But you must be wondering what is the connection of these theories with the East? What if I were to tell you that these seemingly modern theories were already present in the eastern cultures in their scriptures and commentaries and philosophies about the cosmos.
See for yourself
In the Shatapatha Brahmana (8.7.3.10) a commentary on the Åšukla (white) Yajurveda of the Hindu Vedic culture are mentions of similar ideas.Â
Sun and the rest of the universe are woven in string. What is that string that is Vayu."Â
Here Vayu doesn’t have the conventional meaning of wind but that which is all pervadingÂ
It is amazing to note that this characterization was given around the 7th century BC and matches with the modern concept of the filaments of energy in string theory.
Another theory comes in from the world renowned NATARAJA figurine-
NATARAJA is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine dancer.
According to the depiction in the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaran there are various significances of the figurine
First, his rhythmic or musical play which is the source of all movement within the universe. This is represented by the circular or elliptical frame surrounding Shiva.
Secondly, the purpose of his dance is to release the souls of all men from the snare of illusion. The illusion of a very rigid material experience of this world. This loosely points towards the argument given by renowned American physicist Brian Greene with regards to string theory that at a fundamental level an atom inside an orange or an atom inside the human body are fundamentally the same filament of energy but differ in their vibration patterns thus manifesting as 2 different things
This is just one of the many interpretations of string theory. Take a look at whatÂ
Renowned American Physicist Michio Kaku says about String theory. In his book ‘The God Equation’ he uses an 11-dimensional String theory and characterizes it as the final Grand Unified Theory of relativity and quantum gravity thus the name- The God Equation . Isn’t it interesting to note that even the work of physicists has mention of the term God, which seems contrary to the popular opinion that science and God don’t go hand in hand.
Now let us understand how String theory helps us from a physics standpoint. Einstein’s relativity theory tells us that we are like insects trapped on a giant soap bubble which is constantly expanding. String theory takes this one step further. It says there is a multiverse of soap bubbles and the new bubbles / universes are created by the collision or fission of these bubbles and these collisions or fissions is what we can call the big bang. Taking things one step further is the concept of wormholes which for a layman is basically a shortcut through space and time.Â
Fascinated by the time travel and multiverse argument are you? then fasten your seat belts(literally) coz even these theories find mention in olden scriptures
In the Bhagavata Purana which is speculated to be dated as old as 6th - 8th century BC is the following mention
There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called limitless.
-Bhagavata Purana 6.16.37
Amazed already ,there is more.
The concept of bubble universes can be found in some Eastern (mostly Buddhist) architecture .The Chaoyang North Pagoda, constructed by the Huayan school, has thirteen stories. On the base of the pagoda are two small reliefs of itself. These two reliefs have imagined smaller reliefs of itself, and go on seemingly forever. This reflects the Buddhist cosmology of the multiverse containing universes within universes.
It is amazing to see how even our ancestors with the lack of modern technology could even hypothesize such philosophies about the cosmos which we are just beginning to discover today. This really brings to mind the thought that maybe the holy scriptures of our past possibly hold answers to our futures and maybe modern science and ancient cosmology are ,but flipsides of the same coin of knowledge.
Maybe if we dwell deeper into the two streams and keep aside our egos or prejudices towards a particular field we may realize that mythology/religion and science may be more similar than different and that we could utilize both to our advantage to bring concepts from theory to actuality.
Who knows maybe the DeLorean from Back to the Future may very well be a reality but until then all we can do is look at the stars above not just in wonder but with the pride that even we, may be made of the same stardust.
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