The Zero-Point Universe

by Ray Fleming

The Zero-Point Universe explores the idea that all forces must be transmitted point-to-point through the vacuum of space through the zero-point field. Each force theory is re-examined to determine how it works with respect to zero-point energy, and along the way we discover, that this limiting condition leaves us with only one set of possibilities and one force responsible for all interactions. The book brings in historical perspectives and reads almost like a mystery novel, as it unravels the mysteries of physics. It is written for someone with only a basic grasp of physics and is clear and easy to understand, while including a few equations and citations to remind the reader that this is serious physics. This exploration ultimately leads to a new and complete theory of the universe that takes the Standard Model of Physics head-on.

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 4, 2012

Reviews

[Nestor · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the point of view of a book and physics in general it deserves three stars, it's properly written, and documented. Still, I'll give it four since the Electro-Matter Force Theory and the zero-point universe that he proposes and supports is an alternative way of looking at physics that should be explored by many physicists coming with more and better experiments to test it. The author tries to build physics from the scratch, starting from 19th-century physics, a new particle Zeptons is made up to explain electromagnetism and generally all the forces(gravity, nuclear weak, and strong). The explanation for doing this is that the basic accepted field theories (gravity, electromagnetism, nuclear) should be reviewed in the light of mechanical physics, he calls it Matter Force Theory. He describes that he doesn't like the current standard model so that's the starting point for the zero-point energy theory, and he doesn't like General Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Quark Theory, and String Theory. Even the author claims that æther is the zero-point field. However, he makes a good point by expressing "Not every mathematical equation has a real physical interpretation". According to the author, the Standard Tests of Gravitational Theory should be interpreted not thru the General Relativity Theory but by the Long-range van der Waals and Matter Forces. Maybe his proposal could be working out to adapt to experimental data, but experiments to verify his theory. Also, he makes an excellent point when states "the postulate that the speed of light was the same as viewed by every observer" which is true since there's no observer that could travel to light speed, given the equation E=mc2, so could not be experimental verify. As always math without physics reasoning could justify anything. For example, the same math, not the same equations, was used to justify Fred Hoyle's steady-state universe as well as George Gamov Big-Bang's current accepted theory. More wild use of make-up physics math could be found in The Great Biocentric Design book by the wild Robert Lanza. The author makes a very interesting analysis of the flywheel, he invented the mattermagnetic to explain the movement of the top. The author claims that Inertia has not been investigated, however, Ernest Mach, a 19th-century physicist, published several works on the subject. He made a very good point about spiral galaxies and gravity law. However, he attributes many of the physical phenomena to a matter force called mattermagnetic force analog to the electromagnetic force, gives mathematical proof, and also develops a theory for it, but there's no explanation on How could it be measured? To make the equivalence to Maxwell Laws, for the Coulomb law he invented the εom, the vacuum matter permissivity, but he never mentioned its value, its units(he says is in matter units?), or how could be measured, which is the equivalent for the Coulomb for the εo, electric permissivity, the Flemingo? Then from nowhere, he invented the Matt, the matter charge of an electron em equal to the electric charge e, and adds that is equivalent to the Coulumb. Also, from the thin air, he creates matter permeability and permittivity and relates to light speed, as it was the vacuum permeability and permittivity, Why do matter "waves" travel at light speed? or Light has to travel to the matter at c speed? To add more he invented the "electro-matter" force and presents equations adding both, How? and Why? Most of the author's proposals for matter forces, magnetic, etc, are purely speculative without much further explanation or experimenting. Seams that he stuck with 19th-century physics and is reluctant to accept modern 20th-21th century physics. Sometimes modern physic is easy to understand, and seems to be counterintuitive but has been experimental testing in more than one way, maybe in the future a revolutionary view of modern physics arises and a standard particle model could be fully understood, and a unified theory is found and everything could be explained, but there's no way that zero-point physics is the explanation in my opinion. It's an interesting point of view to try to find alternative ways to explain physics, matter, and natural forces, nevertheless need experimentation, match to current experimental data and consensus from another physicist.

Some observations.

What is the zero-point universe(according to the author)? It is a universe filled with vacuum fluctuations, the zeptons. The zeptons carry positive and negative electric charges and matter and antimatter matter charges. All force interactions can be attributed to electro-matter charge interactions following the principles of the Electro-Matter Force. All basic forces can be described under the fundamental force theories of Maxwell, van der Waals, and Casimir, and those who contributed to their development. There is only one force, the Electro-Matter Force. Furthermore, even the stable matter, the electrons, protons, and neutrons, appear to be virtual in nature, being composed of either zeptons or the material that makes up the zeptons. Mass as we have seen is equivalent to the zepton energy excluded by those particles. Everything in the zero-point universe is virtual.---> This is the boldest affirmation that could be made.

The Precession of the Perihelion of Mercury is 0,43 arc sec and has been explained by the General Relativity spacetime curve. However, the author expresses that "The General Relativistic solution requires four parts time dilation, minus two parts space contraction, plus one part relativistic mass increase. That smacks of a numerologically derived answer. Throw in the time dilation and length contraction, which we now know are fictions, and all we can conclude is that General Relativity fails to account for the additional 43 arcseconds per century in a theoretically sound manner. The mattermagnetic force due to the rotation of the Sun on the other hand produces a previously unaccounted for the classically acting force that is tangential to the direction of the velocity of Mercury and causes a small amount of additional precession." And why if the sun has a mattermagnetic force, does it not affect the rest of the planets in the same way. What has mercury in particular? If the author mentions that the mattermagnetic force is proportional to 1/r2. Should have some effect on at least Venus or the Earth right? If the Precession of the Perihelion of Mercury is 0.43 sec of arc at least the effect of Earth's mattermagnetic force on the Earth should be 10% since Mercury is at 46.92 Mkm and Earth at 149.592 Mkm.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I'll likely have to reread this book a half dozen more times to understand it, It was excellent science writing, lucid to the extent only plain English was used with well-defined terminology added, and it was well-referenced. I'll have to Google to find out exactly how hard those who talk about alternative theory of gravity would pan this theory is science actually did respond to alternative theory. I've found some new sources of open minded science minded videographers to ask about Ray Fleming and this book!

I hope a few of you who love science and don't mind controversy will read and comment.

[Jonathan Hockey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot to digest in this book, it considers novel ways to envisage many concepts in physics, from inertia to gravity to magnetism. Largely guided by the insights of the casimir effect in the vacuum and the van der waals force. An idea of referring to the weak force as in fact a micro scale version of hawking radiation, normally thought of as only applicable to black holes is also considered.

Whatever you think about it, the fact remains that ever since QED, the Dirac sea and renormalisation, fundamental physical theory has been having a tough time connecting up the mathematical equations with an intuitive physical landscape that makes good consistent sense. This is an attempt to pick up from there, where the story tended to move away from physical insight, thanks to the Feynman approach of "shut up and calculate", and try to bring us back to a grounding in a physical theory motivated by an intuitive mechanics of push and pull of things in an aether. This domain is that of the zero-point universe.

In that universe, Fleming states: "The first law is that every force is transmitted point-to-point through space. That point-to-point transmission requires that the medium of space be involved in every interaction. That medium
is the zero-point field. "

and,

"All basic forces can be described under the fundamental force theories of Maxwell, van der Waals, and Casimir, and those who contributed to their development. There is only one force, the Electro-Matter Force. "

"Furthermore, even the stable matter, the electrons, protons, and neutrons, appear to be virtual in nature, being composed of either zeptons or the material that makes up the zeptons. Mass as we have seen is equivalent to the zepton energy excluded by those particles. Everything in the zero-point universe is virtual."

Perhaps the inability to reconcile quantum theory and relativity in a grand unified theory is because of the unwillingness to reembrace the concept of the aether. Quantum theory only gives us a virtual sea of particles, not grounded in any mechanical point to point interaction, ultimately reducing reality to information, and using a proliferation and plethora of particles as placeholders for mathematical inconsistencies , while general relativity only gives us a runaway universe full of unexplained singularities, dark matter and dark energy. The two, for all their mathematical exactness in isolation are perhaps stepping on each others feet when it comes to providing a coherent ontological account of reality, and this book is in many ways an attempt to counteract that trend.

[Hok Shun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray Fleming is hands down the most important natural philosopher (physicist) in our time. As advances in fundamental physics ground to a halt for the best part of a century and academia is too lost in thick of physics fiction to know which way to back out, Ray illuminates the way with a simple question:

What is the mechanism responsible for force transmission?

I believe if science can finally turn the page on Einstein's extremely successful GR, and actually consider how GR is fully accounted for by the one and only quantum field, we will see a Renaissance in which the science needs not be a separate discipline from spirituality. The complete realisation that we are all physically and mentally (as per philosophical idealism) one through the quantum field would cause a revolution in postmodern society and postmodern human consciousness.