Postings

This is somewhat different from previous postings. It discusses a new theory of the nature of light based on revelations in The Urantia Book. Since we became thinking beings thousands of years ago and until this very day we have attempted to understand light. There are equations and some understanding about how light acts, however the current scientific explanation of light has flaws, as we shall see.

This new theory of light is based on references in this revelation, The Urantia Book; the resulting theory will be stated simply and then the appropriate references will be introduced for an expanded version. Finally there will be a proposed experiment to prove this theory.

New Theory of Light – Condensed Version

Every moment of our waking life we see objects because of light. It defines our world and allows us to interact with objects near us and to observe objects farther away. We think we know light and science knows light, but do we?

Revelations in The Urantia Book present a different explanation of light than is embraced by our scientific community. Since this revelation has accurately predicted other scientific advances accepted only after its publication in 1955, such as continental drift, there is strong reason to feel it is correct on this matter. With this in mind, a new theory of light based on revelations in The Urantia Book will be presented.

Imagine a small lake with no wind when a speedboat goes past and waves spread out behind it. These observed waves are not the boat; instead they are a consequence of the boat moving through water; they are actually water that has been disturbed by the passing boat.

To expand on this analogy in a way to illustrate this new theory, imagine we cannot see the actual boat or the water, but they are still present. When the boat passes by we know it is there, perhaps we hear it, so when visible waves appear we incorrectly conclude the boat has become a wave.

Invisible boats do not exist (yet), however this description gives a hint of a new understanding of the nature of light. The expanded version below gives Urantia Book references^[1] to all aspects of this theory, but first a condensed statement of this new theory.

The first aspect of the new theory is the existence of a background energy composed of many components permeating all space; the second aspect is that a photon proceeds in straight lines as a particle; the photon is a particle and only a particle. As the invisible photon passes, the background energy enters an excited state which we observe because it has become visible wavelengths of radiation: light. What we see is not the photon; rather we observe this excited state of the background energy, which also is hotter than the ground state because of its being excited, thus producing heat as well as light; the photon is unchanged by this process.

A major proof of the so-called wave-particle duality of light is an experiment where a beam of light is aimed at a spot between two tiny slits in a screen. On the other side of the screen a pattern of alternating bright and dim lines of light are observed that look similar to waves in the lake; these are called a diffraction pattern which arise from the interaction of two waves, one coming through each slit. The new theory explains this by stating the photon has been stopped by the screen and the waves produced by the photon interacting with background energy continue on through the slits forming the pattern on the other side. We would see the same phenomena in the water version; if the above boat were suddenly plucked out of the water, the waves would continue on until they gradually dissipate.

Photons, or other small particles, are only particles not sometimes waves and sometimes particles. The theory that they can be either has arisen because of their interaction with various forms of unknown energy permeating our region of space. They disturb this energy background, elevating it into an excited state resulting in an apparent visible wavelike behavior.

Expanded Version

The most important aspect of this new theory is the background energy permeating all space, for example:

The action of certain secondary and other undiscovered energies present in the space regions of your local universe is such that solar-light emanations appear to execute certain wavy phenomena…. You can hardly hope to arrive at a better understanding of the behavior of light until such a time as you acquire a clearer concept of the interaction and interrelationship of the various space-forces and solar energies operating in our vicinity.^[2]

It is the action of photons on various unknown energies in ways we do not understand which makes light appear as a wave; space is not empty.^[3] Space contains various forms of energy that photons interact with to produce light.

When photons travel through space they appear as waves because of the resistance of the undifferentiated force blanket of all space.^[4] Space has substance, it is real.

The excitation of the content of space produces a wavelike reaction to the passage of rapidly moving particles of matter, just as the passage of a ship through water initiates waves of varying amplitude and interval.^[5]

Another analogy is fluorescence. When ultraviolet light, which is invisible to our eyes, is shined on a suitable material a glowing visible light is observed. This happens because the incoming invisible light is excited by certain chemicals, raised to a higher energy level so that it becomes visible. Similarly, in the above quote when rapidly moving particles pass through the content of space, a wavelike reaction, which we know as light, is produced.

The content of space is modified when a rapidly moving particle passes through; the particle is unchanged, rather it is the space content that is altered. Light is literally the wake of the photon passing through the fabric of space.

Space is real; it contains energy forms not known to our science which can interact with light in ways of which we have no concept. When our photon moves through space there is produced an effect on this underlying substrate, which gives the impression that photon particles can at the same time be both a particle and a wave.

Solar energy may seem to be propelled in waves, but that is due to the action of coexistent and diverse influences. A given form of organized energy does not proceed in waves but in direct lines. The presence of a second or a third form of force-energy may cause the stream under observation to appear to travel in wavy formation, just as, in a blinding rainstorm accompanied by a heavy wind, the water sometimes appears to fall in sheets or to descend in waves.^[6]

Photons and similar particles of matter travel in straight lines as particles. Particles are particles; waves are waves; nothing can be both at the same time.

Proof

The dual slit experiment has been wrongly interpreted. A photon is one discrete unit of energy, when it strikes the barrier it cannot ooze along until it finds an opening as a wave; it is rather reflected. The visible light (a wave) is a result of the photon (a particle) interacting with forms of background energy totally unknown until The Urantia Book appeared.

The photon travels in straight lines as it goes through space. As it passes, there is a disturbance in the background energy of space such that visible light is produced. This visible wavelike manifestation appears to travel along with the light because the background energy is essentially uniform and the excitation of this underlying energy appears to travel along with the photon and therefore seems to be a part of the photon just as the wake is associated with the moving boat.

How can we prove photons are only particles, never waves? The apparent wavelike behavior is a result of the photon particles exciting the background energy; it is this interaction that produces visible light. How can this be proved?

Occam’s Razor

The currently accepted theory of light proposes that a given particle, say a photon, can simultaneously be both a particle and a wave. How can this photon be two different things at the same time or how can it decide which it is going to be at any given moment? That is overly complex and stretches credulity even though it is the currently accepted theory.

This new theory of light states that the photon is a particle and only a particle; it does not need to choose which to be at any given moment. The visible light is a consequence of this particle moving through the unknown background energy of space. Light is real and has weight; the comet’s tail pointing away from the Sun proves this.^[7]

Occam’s Razor states that when there is uncertainty which of two or more possibilities is correct, the simplest is the most probable.

The new theory of light is simpler and therefore more likely.

What might this background energy consist of? There are a few possibilities; the first is that all space is filled with ultimatons, the smallest unit of matter. One electron contains one hundred ultimatons. Another consideration is that space is filled with force-energy.^[8]

The confusion of the scientist grows out of failure to recognize the reality of space. Space is not merely an intellectual concept of the variation in relatedness of universe objects. Space is not empty, and the only thing man knows which can even partially transcend space is mind.^[9]

Science is becoming aware of the reality of space; Einstein said the propagation of light would not be possible without the fabric of spacetime.^[10] This states some property of space is necessary for the appearance of light.

Suggested Experiment

This new interpretation can be proved by repeating the classical dual slit experiment with a slight alteration. Instead of the incoming beam striking the screen containing slits square on, the barrier should be rotated slightly. With this change, the beam of photons will be observed to be reflected at an angle relative to the barrier while there will still be a pattern of light on the screen behind the slits in the barrier. This pattern may not be the simple pattern observed with the traditional experiment because of the changed angle; some of the light resulting from the interaction of the photon with background energy will go through the slits while the photons continue on their altered path. Having the screen at an angle would allow the reflected beam to be measured. The total reflected energy with and without slits could be measured and compared. First the energy lost through the slits proposed by wave-particle duality must be estimated. The width of the slits may be adjusted so that a measureable value would be expected. Since photons are actually discrete particles there should be little difference between the reflected energy measurements regardless of the slit presence or absence. It would be expected that even a narrow barrier between the slits would reflect the vast majority of the energy.

This new interpretation of the double slit experiment does not change the scientific understanding or the equations relating to the study of light, rather it gives us a more fundamental comprehension of the phenomenon of light.

1. All references are to The Urantia Book unless noted otherwise; they give the page and paragraph number for the one column edition. ↑

2. 461.4 ↑

3. 473.4, 1439.4 ↑

4. 475.10 ↑

5. 476.1 ↑

6. 461.3 ↑

7. 173.3 ↑

8. 476.2 ↑

9. 1439.4 ↑

10. Quoted by Tom Andersen, https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/223041/what-does-the-fabric-of-space-and-time-actually-mean retrieved 10/3/19. ↑