Ideal universal medium

A ‘universal medium’ that has all desirable properties of aether but has no disadvantages of the same may be proposed to replace (imaginary) functional entities, (like; space, space-time, fields, force-carrying particles, concentrated forms of energy, imaginary entities with negative existence, vibrating strings, mathematical constructs, etc.), currently used to facilitate conceptual explanations on various physical phenomena. Then the terms ‘universal medium’ and ‘space’ can be used synonymously. The term ‘space’ (and other functional entities used in place of space) will then mean the ‘universal medium’ and vice versa. An all-encompassing medium of matter may be envisaged to fill the entire space, outside three-dimensional matter-particles, including inter-particle space in a macro body. To fill entire space is to have positive existence in space in all spatial dimensions, without voids in it. To have positive existence, the universal medium has to be a real object. Reality of an object is provided by its substance. In nature, matter alone can provide substance. Hence this universal medium has to have matter as its content. It can be made up of matter or matter in the form of small matter-particles. To be made up of small matter-particles is to have definite structure. Contents and structure endows an object with its properties. Hence the universal medium has to have definite structure and properties, derived from its constituent matter-particles. A three-dimensional matter-particle contains matter without voids in it. Whole space, occupied by a 3D matter-particle, is filled by matter. Universal medium fills the entire space outside 3D matter-particles. There are no voids in it. Hence, entire space outside 3D matter-particles should also be filled with matter. In order to satisfy this requirement, matter-density of a 3D matter-particle and matter-density of universal medium, outside 3D matter-particle should be the same. Yet, while 3D matter-particles and bodies formed by them are tangible and can be sensed, universal medium and its components should remain intangible and hidden from 3D rational beings. Entire universal medium along with 3D matter-particles in it, together, should form a single block of matter of uniform matter-density and of infinite extent and volume. Matter cannot be compressed beyond the matter-density of a 3D matter-particle or that of universal medium. A matter-body of zero volume and infinite mass (as at the singularity) is impossible to achieve. A universal medium should be made up of real matter-particles and under a definite mechanism of formation. All its actions, interactions and properties will have to be derived from the properties of constituent matter-particles. Since matter alone can form a real universal medium and diverse 3D matter-bodies, all properties of both of these entities should be derived from the most basic matter-particles in nature. No assumed particles, imaginary properties or mysterious interactions should be necessary to understand any physical phenomenon. Actions of basic matter-particles in the universal medium should be able to account for all physical phenomena in nature; from creation and sustenance of universal medium itself to interactions between 3D objects; from creation, sustenance and destruction of fundamental particles to cosmological events; gravity to nuclear interactions; etc. A universal medium should be a self-sustaining materialistic body. By its inherent properties, the universal medium should strive towards homogeneity, isotropy and serenity; all by itself. All ‘natural forces’, apparent interactions between 3D matter-bodies and diverse properties of 3D matter-bodies in various forms should be extensions of these inherent properties. Inherent properties of universal medium should be derived from the properties of its constituent matter-particles. All 3D matter-particles (and superior bodies made up of 3D matter-particles) should exist within the universal medium. Universal medium should serve as interlink between every 3D matter-particle in the universe. Since there are no direct contacts between 3D matter-bodies and all 3D bodies are in contact with universal medium, the universal medium should serve as an intermediary for all apparent interactions between 3D matter-bodies. 3D matter is inert. It cannot cause its own changes or displacements. All actions on 3D matter-bodies or those actions which appear as actions by 3D matter-bodies, in nature, should be performed by universal medium outside 3D matter-particles. Universal medium should contain all 3D matter-bodies and hence form a common link between them. Each 3D matter-body should be acted upon by the universal medium separately. Simultaneous actions by universal medium on different 3D matter-bodies will appear as an interaction between them. Having a universal medium that is in contact with every 3D matter-particle in the universe does away with the illogical assumption of ‘actions at a distance through empty space’. Since the universal medium pre-exists all 3D bodies and no 3D bodies exists outside universal medium, it will fulfill the role of a container that is logically prior to its contents. Since 3D matter-bodies do not exist outside universal medium, the universal medium has to create 3D matter-particles out of itself, sustain them in their free states or in combinations in the form of self-sustaining superior 3D matter-particles and macro bodies and destroy them at appropriate time. To maintain its own stability, it will be necessary for the universal medium to create/destroy 3D matter-bodies cyclically and in different localities in the universe. This should be done by gradually destroying 3D macro bodies in certain regions to revert their matter-contents back into the universal medium, while creating new 3D macro bodies from matter-contents from it, in other regions. This will not only maintain the integrity and stability of universal medium, it will also regulate entropy of the universe within limits. A stable universal medium should be able to sustain a steady-state of universe, perpetually. Rational beings are three-dimensional macro bodies and exist in three-dimensional spatial system. They are able to sense only three-dimensional objects. Since the universal medium or its components remain intangible and hidden to 3D rational beings, they should have their status in one-dimensional or two-dimensional spatial systems. Three-dimensional rational beings will be unable to sense them directly. Although basic matter-particles have real existence in space, magnitudes of their spatial dimensions will be too small to be tangible or sensed by three-dimensional spatial standards. Thus, universal medium or its constituents in 1D or 2D states will remain hidden for all practical purposes. However, it could manifest its presence by actions on 3D matter-bodies. All actions require impetus. Impetus is the ‘ability to do work’. A matter-body contains nothing but matter, which is incapable to do work. Hence, the ability to do work should be stored outside matter-bodies but in association with them. Universal medium, surrounding the 3D matter-particles or in and about a 3D macro matter-body is an ideal place to store the ‘ability to do work’ or the ‘work’ itself. In order to act on matter-bodies, the universal medium should have ability to act. That is it should be able to transfer work from one region to another. All actions are recognised by motion (displacement) of 3D matter-bodies. Macro bodies move by sequential displacements of their matter-particles, starting from the point of application of external effort. Matter-particles, nearest to the ‘force-applying mechanism’, move first. This, in turn, compresses universal medium between the displaced matter-particle and the matter-particle in front. Inherent property of stability causes the compressed part of universal medium to return to its original form by expanding. This expansion can be achieved only by pushing the matter-particles away from each other. Since the matter-particles at the point of application of external effort are displaced forward and held in place, matter-particles in front have no options but to move forward. Similar actions, between matter-particles of a macro body cause its displacement during an action by external effort. ‘Energy-transfer’ in or by macro bodies, essentially requires a universal medium between their constituent matter-particles. ‘Energy’ can also be transferred through space in the form of invisible disturbances, like: ‘electromagnetic waves’, ‘field-disturbances’, etc. Since no displacements of 3D matter-particles are involved in this process, the universal medium, itself, has to act as an agent of ‘energy-transfer’ by its own compression and expansion. A universal medium should be a stable but deformable real entity. Deformations are displacements and hence tangible. Displacements in universal medium are ‘work’ and it is tangible. A tangible entity is real. Hence, work is a real entity. ‘Ability to do work’ could be the stress produced in the universal medium due a strain/distortion in it. Ability to act or to do work is called ‘energy’. Hence, universal medium acts as storage for ‘energy’. Unlike stress, displacement is tangible and hence real. Stress accompanies strain in a stable system. Hence, the strain in the universal medium about a matter-body is the ‘work-done’ and associated stress is its ‘energy’. Energy has no independent existence and it is a functional entity. It appears as a shadow of work-done.

Alternatives for Aether

Everyday experience of natural phenomena shows material things are moved by contact between a ‘force-applying body’ and a ‘force-receiving body’. Thus, logically, we came to conclude that for any action to take place between two real 3D matter-bodies there must be a contact between them. Nature of this contact is expressed as action of an effort (force) between these bodies. Any ‘cause and effect’ without a discernable contact between participating 3D matter-bodies, or an ‘action at a distance through empty space,’ contradicts common sense and has been an unacceptable notion since earliest of time. Such actions are usually credited to super-natural phenomena. Aether was discovered during the heyday of aether-theories. According to which all space is permeated by a medium capable of transmitting efforts (forces) between 3D matter-particles. The electric fields and magnetic fields were interpreted as descriptions of the state of strain/stress of the aether, so that the location of stored energy in space was like as it would be in a compressed spring. With the abandonment of the (vague) aether-theories, following the rise of relativity theory, this imaginary model ceased to have validity. Whenever the concept of space is unable to logically explain any physical phenomena or the nature of transmission of certain actions and effects over a distance is not understood, even today, the aether (in the forms of various fields or mysterious force-carrying particles or mathematical constructs) is resorted to as a conceptual solution of the transmitting medium. This is because an all-encompassing universal medium is essential to destroy the myth of ‘action at a distance through empty space’, which is the worst illogical assumption of modern science. Currently different types of substitutes are used instead of space. However, descriptions of how these ‘aether-substitutes’ function remain vague, but its existence in the forms of various fields or imaginary particles or mathematical constructs is required by common sense and thus not questioned. Different types of fields, concentrated forms of energy, imaginary entities with negative existence, force-carrying particles, structure-less space capable of distortions, mathematical constructs, etc. are used in various theories. Each of these entities is different from others and suits only a particular theory. Each of them proposes different types of fields or structure with vague properties of aether. They have no common properties. They seem to exist without existence. They are mainly used for conceptual explanations and mathematical treatments of theories concerned. Such tendencies have taken physics far from conceptual understanding and caused its heavy dependence on mathematical analysis. Mathematics may be a very good tool to understand physics, but it should not dictate (illogical) physical theories.