Dave Barwacz and I have been consistently discussing the roots of physics for over two decades. Underlying this protracted dialog is a presumption we share – the nature of the universe is both less physical and less complex than present theory suggests. This is a position that I quickly inherited early in my discussions with Dave. In probing possible paradigm shifts, we have traveled through many mind-bending thought experiments and challenged assumptions and thinking at every step.
All physical theories are “explanations.” By this I mean that no theory is “true” to the exclusion of others, except to the extent it has a wider gamut of predictions or that it can more accurately make particular types of predictions. A theory is deemed objectively better if it more compactly expresses such explanations and delivers more predictive power and accuracy.
This aspect of our existence and the universe is clearly featured in Einstein’s famous blind-watchmaker quote. The universe may not “be” one way or the other, in an absolute sense. We are simply in the search of the most easily communicated and predictive set of theories that encompasses all that we can observe. Ultimately, we would like one comprehensive, yet manageably small, theory of everything. However, in my opinion, no such theory can be said, in principle, to correspond to “actual” reality.
This “unreality” presumption, which does not imply that we exist in an unstable environment or speak to mystical beliefs, opens doors to alternative paradigms and gives us the ability to navigate the alternatives with relative ease.
Dave has a commitment to a mathematical theory – a backward compatible theory that supplants or extends much of modern physics. This distinguishes the theory from “philosophical physics,” which also often results from the “unreality” assumption and has not provided the predictive aspects needed in a meaningful theory.
To navigate through Dave’s theory, you will find that it is helpful to remind yourself of the “unreality” assumption and necessary to challenge long-held assumptions at every step. Some basic assumptions, particularly those involving time, may not seem like assumptions at all, yet they need to be revised as they have helped pave the way to excessively complex and convoluted theories in the present standard model.
Dave’s major breakthroughs in this arena have become very obvious to me as years of thought and effort coalesce into his present papers. Dave’s series of papers and the resultant work will transform these breakthroughs into a major contribution.
I invite you to critically review Dave’s work and join in this fascinating and important journey. Beware, however, that the journey takes you through cherished assumptions and the road still has a few difficult sections. As with all great thinkers and great changes in our theoretical past, it may takes decades before the clarity and simplicity are apparent to more casual observers. There is great satisfaction in being on the leading edge of this change.