Transcript The Never-Ending Dream of Mankind: The Theory of Everything (TOE) Ruprecht Machleidt Department of Physics University of Idaho R.

The Never-Ending Dream of
Mankind:
The Theory of Everything
(TOE)
Ruprecht Machleidt
Department of Physics
University of Idaho
R. Machleidt
Never-Endiing Dream: TOE
UI Colloq 11-Oct-2005
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What is this colloquium about?
The history of the quest for
an all-embracing explanation
of the world based upon
REASONING
and not based upon religion or mythology.
In short: a comprehensive scientific explanation
of the universe.
R. Machleidt
Never-Endiing Dream: TOE
UI Colloq 11-Oct-2005
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Outline
• When and where was the first
attempt made? Why?
• The ideas of the ancient Greeks
- from Thales to Democritus
- Plato
• The TOE of modern physics
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3000-1000 B.C.
600 B.C.
Egypt
China
Meso
pota India
mia
Miletus
600 B.C.
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Thales of Miletus
625-547 B.C.
Miletus
600 B.C.
“Theorem by Thales”
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Thales
The seven
sages
Thales of Miletos
Cleobulos of Rhodos
Bias of Priene
Pittacos of Mytilene
Solon of Athens
Periandros
Chilon of Lacedaimon
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Why did it happen at that time
and place?
• Many cultures, races, languages: “the Greek
genius was catalyzed by Egyptian and Asiatic ferments.”
• Greek religion was a lose collection of cults
and myths
• No established priesthood or clergy
• No strong political power
• Warm/pleasant climate, fertile environment,
thriving commercial port
• The sea and its liberating and inspiring
influence
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Athens
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Ionia
Ephesus
Miletus
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
“APEIRON”
R. Machleidt
The Ionians:
What is THE
Primary Element?
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Ionia
Ephesus
Miletus
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
4
Elements
There is only THE BEING:
all-pervading, never changing.
Changes are sensory deceptions.
ONE Primary Element
from which everything else is
generated by transformations
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Ionia
Ephesus
Miletus
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ATOMS: indivisible,
critus

unchangeable (‘THE BEING’).
Variety of phenomena:
variations in arrangement and
movement of atoms.
There is only THE BEING:
all-pervading, never changing.
Changes are sensory deceptions.
ONE Primary Element
from which everything else is
generated by transformations
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4 atoms
4 elements
4 polyhedra
ATOMS:
They come in
infinitely many
sizes and shapes!
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Plato’s theory of
“elementary particles”
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Parmenides
Anaximander
Heraclitus
Pythagoras
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Plato
Aristotle
Parmenides
Anaximander
Heraclitus
Pythagoras
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Interest in basic science
Plato
Democritus
Aristotle
Thales
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Science in the Middle Ages based upon
Aristotle, religion, and mysticism
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Interest in basic science
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Interest in basic science
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1963
quarks
p n
n p
1932
1
1911
The chemical elements represented by
ATOMS
Chemical elements in the modern sense
Turns away from Aristotle; revives
atomism of Democritus (and Epicurus).
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Plato, 350 B.C.
Today
AD
2000
Mathem.
Symmetry
Symmetries
SU(N)
of Polyhedra
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Conclusions
• The quest for a theory of
everything has challenged the
greatest intellects for almost
three millennia.
• We have seen enormous
progress during the past century.
• The best ideas of the antiquity
(Democritus, Plato) have been
confirmed in modern days.
• Mathematical structures
(“Symmetries”) are the
foundation of modern particles
physics, an idea that was already
advanced by Plato.
• The ultimate theory of
everything will be Platonic.
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The End
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Interest in basic science
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