Merging General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics - The Answer
What if the answer was hiding in plain sight. And that answer was stunningly simple: It can never be done, not because it's difficult but because the very concept of merging is not defined.
Using temperature as an analogy we can actually illustrate this in detail..
For a while temperature (T) was regarded as fundamental. But then as we probed nature at shorter and shorter distances we discovered atoms and eventually built a robust atomic theory.
One of the first insights concerned T. We clearly saw it was not fundamental and in fact could only be defined for huge ensembles of atoms.
So we didn't attempt any merging.. we did not attempt to speak about the temperature of an individual atom, or the temperature of an individual electron.
The very concept of individual temperature was not defined. T was an ensemble property.
So then we probed nature at shorter distances and found neutrons and protons. Now the LHC is probing at even shorter distances.. the internal structure of the proton.
Imagine going further.. probing at even shorter distances.. and imagine we discover some amazing new object, let's call it X. Then we discover that if we have a huge ensemble of Xs their statistical behaviour generates our current spacetime. It generates x,y,z,t.
So spacetime is a macro ensemble property and as such is well described by GR.
Do we attempt to ascribe this property to individual Xs. No. The concept is not even defined for individual Xs.
Where does this leave GR? It's still incredibly useful, but it's a macro ensemble theory, and we would never dream of trying to apply it to describe individual Xs.
i.e. we would never dream of trying to reconcile it with QM. The idea makes no sense. It's not even defined.
Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com
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