In the year two thousand I participated in a course called Communication Skills, which was (and still is) part of optional English studies at our university. A large part of that course was making a presentation on a topic of one’s choice. At the time, I was (and still am!) rather intrigued by metaphysical issues and therefore my presentation was titled An Introduction to My Theory of Everything.
A few minutes ago I happened upon my old presentation notes (little pieces of paper that I had with me during the presentation to help with the darned memory) while I was looking for some other items. The notes brought back funny memories about the presentation, and then I remembered I also wrote the whole thing down for practicing it. So, here it is for you to read and admire the brilliance of twenty year old version of me. 😉 By the way, I did get the highest possible grade (excellent skills) on that course, despite some typos on the transcript below. (The text wasn’t graded, the presentation was.)
Presentation for English course (XEN703) by Pasi Matilainen in 29.-30.10.2000
© copyright 2000 Pasi Matilainen, some rights reserved.
This document was originally located @ http://www.jyu.fi/~pasi/presentation.txt
I. Introduction
Hello, everyone!
I am here today to give you a brief introduction to my Theory of Everything. This theory is still under development but it is far enough to be presented publicly for the first time. I have discussed some small details of it with few of my closest friends, but in whole it is completely my own work and ideas.
First I am going to give you some information about the theory in general. Going on to the actual theory, next I am going to talk you about the structure of time, as it is basis for everything else. Then I shall carry on to the idea of space, parallel universes and illusion of free will. After
that I will tell you a little about life, divine beings and everything. Finally I am going to give you some of my conclusions.
By the way, I am looking forward to answer all your questions at the end of this presentation.
II. General stuff
Okay, let’s begin with the general stuff.
As you might know, there are plenty of theories of everything. Traditionally religions have filled that hole, but now there are also more scientific theories. Also, some theories are somewhat weird. My theory will most probably fall into that category.
Some of these theories also provide answers. Propably one of the most famous answers to life, universe and everything is 42, as proposed by Douglas Adams in his best-selling book Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which is first of five books in his Milky Way trilogy.
III. Structure of time
Now I shall tell you briefly about the structure of time. Actually time itself is complicated enough for doing many presentations of it.
As I see it, time is an extremely long line of thread. Except that it isn’t straight line and it doesn’t have beginning nor end. Time begins where it ends, meaning that it’s cyclical.
But this thread couldn’t be seen as a circle either. Actually it would be more like a ball of thread. In such a ball points of this thread would touch other points that have been before or will be after that point. When human consciusness meets this kind of interconnected point in time, he experiences the déja vu. As you know, it is a strong feeling of having seen or done something similar before.
A thread also has thickness. In case of time, this thickness can be seen as infinite variety of possible universes.
IV. Parallel universes
This leads us to my next aspect, which is concept of space, parallel universes and illusion of free will.
Each individual universe, like the one we are experiencing now, is smallest possible part of this thread. One universe has virtually no thickness in thread of time. But still all the possible universes together make the thickness of this thread infinite. These parallel universes are aligned so that ones which are most like each other are next to each other. If you would move from a universe in other side of the thread to the other side, the reality there would be very much different. The further you go from your current universe, the more different it will get.
Everything that happens in single universe is just a result of previous events. This is because everything is just small particles working together. Atoms, quarks and superthreads affecting each other. And since human brain isn’t closed system, all that happens inside it is just a result of events happened outside. This means that there isn’t actually any kind of free will. A single universe is completely deterministic. Our consciousnesses are purely witnessing what’s going on in a single universe.
However, it seems that some things happen the way we want them to happen. How is this possible if everything is deterministic and we have no power to affect them? This brings us back to parallel universes. Contrary to popular belief, we can and indeed are moving between these universes. Of course, this all is happening sub-consciously, so that we don’t actually know anything about it, we just project it as free will.
Naturally we aren’t physically shifting from one universe to another. It’s rather just our consciousnesses that travel among them. You see, we experience time the way we do because our consciousness travels forward in this long thread of time with constant speed. Altering that speed isn’t possible. Obviously the speed is so high that it is quite hard to change the direction too much at a time. We can sub-consciously move to another universe, which is quite near next to our current universe. It’s like when you’re driving a car very fast, you can’t steer too much or you’ll go around your roof.
So, if you are trying to accomplish something, you just subconsciously move to another universe where it will happen, if you’re not in that universe already.
V. Other things
Now it is time to move on to other things. These are just small bits of information that I shall cover only briefly.
Some people seem to have quite strong belief in divine beings, such as God. My theory has no place for such things to have any effect on the universe, not any more than we have. Of course, this does not limit existence of God or gods. But universes simply do not require any existence of such entities, so I don’t assume there would be any.
Also the meaning of life has been bothering many minds in the past. In my mind the only purpose of life is to continue to exist, to evolve and to reproduce. The universe itself does not set any purposes or meanings, it just goes its way.
VI. Conclusions
And finally, some conclusions I’ve made.
I think everything is possible. You just have to find the right universe for it. But it is also extremely hard, if not impossible, to willingly and limitlessly go hopping around the alternate universes.
It would be practically easy to move to near universes, because we do it subconsciously all the time. But if you would like to levitate, break laws of physics, experience omniscientous state or something else wild, it would be really hard to get there, if not impossible in short human life span. Such universes would be pretty far away from our current universe.
Now, if there are any questions, I’d be pleased to hear them and try to
answer them.
VII. Discussion
To create discussion, here are some questions:
- What do you think about the idea that there is no actual free will? Does it bother you or do you feel relieved?
- My theory does not yet discuss anything about feelings. Are they just chemical and as such purely deterministic reactions, or are they immaterial like the consciousness is in my theory? What do you think?
- How do you feel about the absence of God or gods in my theory?
- How can you tell if there is or isn’t true meaning for life? What would it be?