The tree of knowledge

Chapter two - What is the matter with matter?

There is something strange with matter when we get down to smallest scale. The quantum enigma unravels the foundation on which humans stand. What is the matter with matter?

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

1 John 4:7

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."

1 Corinthians 13:1

So, what is this nothing one without Love "has"? We now know that everything in the universe is heading towards nothing that is going to keep on not happening. An atheists believe in nothing one could say. They will for instance state «I only believe in things I see». The researcher on his hand will say «I only believe in things I can measure, observe and manipulate».

This book, not on its own, will lead you to a puzzle that questions all of this. The quantum enigma is firmly stated by scientific experiments. At the very foundation the quantum level we find the smallest particles that make up everything (with some exceptions that we will deal with later). It is the behavior of such particles that questions all of reality.

Welcome to the world of atoms and subatomic particles. Tiny «marbles» that will not allow you to measure them, and when you observe them the whole outcome of the experiment changes. Come let us do something called the double slit experiment. First, you and I take some marbles and shoot them through one slit to hit a back wall. We see the marbles hitting the back wall according to the shape of the slit, in a one stripe pattern. If the two of us add another slit and shot marbles through them, we can see two stripes emerging on the back wall.

Now, let us try this with water and see what happens. First, we try sending water through one slit. The wave hits the slit and radiates out and hit the back wall striking the back wall most intensely in the middle aligned with the slit. Just like the marbles did. Then, you and I add the second slit. We send waves of water through them and a new pattern emerges. Now the two of us can see something called an interference pattern on the back wall. Many stripes. Stripes made from where the two top waves meet, and the empty space in between where they have canceled each other out.

Time to fire a stream of electrons through and see what happens. First, we try with one slit. The result is a single band on the back wall, just like the marbles. Let us try two slits. We are expecting to see two lines appearing on the back wall, but then something different happens. The electrons create an interference pattern just like waves. Hmm ... Maybe those electrons are bouncing off each other, and creating an interference pattern? It is time to send one electron at the time through, there is no way interference can occur. Feeling like real scientists you and I try this. After an hour we are baffled at the result. An interference pattern emerged. How could that be?

The single electron, leaves as a particle, just like a marble. Becomes a wave of potential. Goes through both slits. Then, interferes with itself to hit the back wall. Time to measure and observe. We have to figure out what is going on? Let us peek. Oh no, quantum enigma is all we get! Two stripes starts to emerge on the back wall, the electron is behaving just like a marble again. It is behaving differently when being observed.

Scientist have tried to solve this mystery by doing a high tech version of the experiment. Their decision on whether to observe was taken after the single electron had gone through the slit/slits, but before it hit the wall. The result is still the same! Meaning that the electrons goes back in time and change their prior state.

The conclusion of this strange puzzle is that all of the options are in superposition with each other. The «marble» goes through one slit or the other. It goes through both and through neither. It leaves as one particle, but goes through both slits and interferes with itself as a wave. Time and space at this level has no function. Only when observed the electron goes through one or the other of the slit and creates a two stripe pattern.

Our bodies and everything that can be seen in the universe are made of such particles. So what is happening?

This result is so strange, so contradicting to the world all of us experience. Therefore, a difficult one to take on board. It points towards that matter only exists when observed. Humans are the observers of the universe and everything in it, and the very act of observing/measuring appear to «create» matter. By the way:

Atoms the «home» of the particles is mostly empty space. The first element hydrogen, is about 99.9999999999996% empty space.

The reality perceived is indeed something to be questioned. So the argument «I only believe in things I can see» fall back in on itself and collapses into confusion. 

Some say: 

«God ought to show himself so that we could believe in him.» The same people trust in the love they receive from others, although they have never seen this love, only evidence of it. The scriptures are very clear on this:

"No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

1 John 4:12

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you."

John 13:34

"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

1. John 4:8

Search the entire universe, and you will never find God. Only in our hearts he can be found.

"We love because he loved us first."

1 John 4:19