I've always liked this quote. Einstein was also an armchair philosopher.
"Look hard" at particles and they seem to resolve into waves, and they always retain at least some small indication of what I also believe is their fundamental "wave nature". Seeking experimental verification of the Higgs Boson is a worthwhile scientific endeavor but it is, IMHO, "more of the same"; i.e. we are filling out the "chart" of subatomic particles. Walker discusses this at length, as well (he really does cover a lot of territory, and competently). Bottom line for me is that particleness and its attendant hard materiality are manifestations of something more fundamental and wavelike.
What intrigues me and what I seldom see discussed is the quantized nature of everything at atomic and subatomic levels. Electrons "jump" from energy level to energy level seemingly instantaneously. Wavelength "cuts off" at the Planck length (granted it is an incredibly short length). Yet all is in actuality motion, vibration, wave activity. Does this imply that physical reality flashes on and off at incredibly short time intervals, like the still frames of a motion picture? Our consciousness certainly has no difficulty putting the picture of motion together in our minds to yield a smooth simile of reality but that picture is nonetheless based upon a series of still frames. Is there a sort of natural "putting together" mode for mind and consciousness which the motion picture industry exploits?
This is written just to drive everyone crazy (and perhaps to show my ignorance) ... ;-}
So maybe the whole universe is just one etherial but very complex Japanese quartz watch. Could you roll that back maybe just a few septillion ticks and give it to me again? ;-`
So maybe the whole universe is just one etherial but very complex Japanese quartz watch. Could you roll that back maybe just a few septillion ticks and give it to me again? ;-`