Vacuum

[Otherside]

Could a perfect vacuum exist?

 

[Melllvar]

Not really, the entire concept is kind of outdated now for many reasons which I will proceed to list: Virtual particles, vacuum energy, mass-energy equivalence, wavefunctions (particularly position), quantized fields, etc. The only way any region of space is a 'vacuum' is by definition; there's always something there. (I think.)

 

[Otherside]

Not really, the entire concept is kind of outdated now for many reasons which I will proceed to list: Virtual particles, vacuum energy, mass-energy equivalence, wavefunctions (particularly position), quantized fields, etc. The only way any region of space is a 'vacuum' is by definition; there's always something there. (I think.)

Thanks for the thoughtful replies.

In many regards, I'm glad that my life occurred at this time where so many scientific and technological advances have been made. It's so remarkable what has occurred in the past 100 years relative to the 100,000 years that preceded them.

Still, I'm a bit saddened that the really big questions will probably remain unanswered in my lifetime. Especially if those answers lead to developments that are now beyond our comprehension.

 

[Cognisant]

Which big questions?

 

[Otherside]

Which big questions?

I'm not sure that we really know what they are. In 1800, who would have asked what would happen if we smashed certain elements together with enough energy to physically alter them.

 

[Cognisant]

If it turns out the sub atomic particles of our universe are made up of yet more universes, that'll be embarrassing.

 

[Otherside]

If it turns out the sub atomic particles of our universe are made up of yet more universes, that'll be embarrassing.

Indeed it would. So many great minds at work but it feels like we've reached a limit. I hope it's temporary.

 

[mke2686]

If it turns out the sub atomic particles of our universe are made up of yet more universes, that'll be embarrassing.

I kind of hope we find evidence for this.

 

[nanook]

i have a real aversion against multi-verse theories. i would much rather believe, that every sub atomic particle 'contains' THIS universe. where 'contains' means, that the smallest holon is a mere doorway to the largest holon. seems way more 'intuitive' to me.

Could a perfect vacuum exist?

the words perfect and vacuum don't compute in my mind. i associate perfection with world of form stuff, some version of coherence, something like symmetry. the concept of symmetry applied to vacuum would maybe mean: infinite vacuum. as in "there is nothing, other than vacuum." which seems untrue, given the definition of vacuum. which ever that is. i don't know the definition, but intuitively i feel that something that has a definition can't be absolute like that.

uhm yeah i misinterpreted the question

 

[physchem]

If it turns out the sub atomic particles of our universe are made up of yet more universes, that'll be embarrassing.

I get that it would be exiting to even abstract such a discovery, but I doubt it.
Besides we have so many gaps in the quantum world that we try to reason them with theoretical particles... I don't know how tachyons or muons work anyway...
Imagine going deeper than infinitely small in every term...

 

[Cognisant]

They took it seriously?

 

[Otherside]

I actually did LOL so I'm going to go ahead (or go behind) and type it. It is a ridiculous idea, but obviously it's one that's crossed more than one mind in this thread before being discarded due to lack of evidence.

(Should have quoted Cognisant)

 

[Anthile]

Contrary to popular opinion, you can't make things arbitrarily big or small. Physics in this universe do have their limits.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Could a perfect vacuum exist?

Yes.