Why Symmetry Runs The Positive Circular Economy E-Book

George Hohbach

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 337

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

EXPANDED 4th EDITION: Largely unnoticed by the general public, three intellectual giants of the 20th century, Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag, mathematical physicist Albert Einstein, mathematician Emmy Noether and the pioneering value investor Benjamin Graham, revealed the central role of symmetry in what we call reality. The most symmetric form is the Circle. Nature largely builds its diversity and abundance on circular motions and cycles. Yet, our linear economic model does not respect the central role of symmetry (balance, harmony, unity), and consequently disregards the holistic benefits of Nature’s positive circular motions. The book details how Nature, the cosmos, universally communicates in the super simple language of symmetry. It examines how Rav Ashlag, Einstein, Noether and Graham along with other scholars from around the globe, unveiled that symmetry is the creative principle which can build a prosperous future for Man, Artificial Intelligence and Nature together, via a symmetric, positive, eco-intelligent and climate-smart Circular Economy.

Leseprobe

“Based on our experiences so far, we have reason to be confident that nature is the realization of the simplest conceivable mathematical concept.”

Albert Einstein

(On the Method of Theoretical Physics, 10 June 1933, Author translation)

“… physical occurrences happen (…) in space and time (…) The symmetry, relativity, or homogeneity of this fourdimensional medium was first correctly described by Einstein.”

Hermann Weyl

(Symmetry, 1980, p.130)

Contents

PREFACE SYMMETRY IS SIMPLE

INTRODUCTION

PART 1

SYMMETRY AS THE SIMPLE MATHEMATICAL GUIDE OF PHYSICS TO NATURE’S UNITY LANGUAGE

PART 2

SYMMETRY IS CONSCIOUSNESS

PART 3

SYMMETRY AS NATURE’S CIRCLE

PART 4

SYMMETRY AS VALUE INVESTING: THE LONG-TERM APPROACH TO PRACTICAL WISDOM & BUSINESS

PART 5

SYMMETRY AS THE POSITIVE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

PART 6

SYMMETRY AS NATURAL LAW

PART 7

SYMMETRY AS UNIVERSAL STORYTELLING FROM MYTHOLOGY TO FILM

APPENDIX – GLOSSARY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PREFACESYMMETRY IS SIMPLE

Symmetry is super simple. It just states that two things are the same, i.e., identical or equal.

We can, for instance, imagine two identical spheres, that are the same, equal or symmetric.

Accordingly, this is what simple symmetry looks like if stated as a purely mathematical scheme:

This simple mathematical equation of 1=2 is, as we shall explore in the following chapters, all you need to build an entire universe such as ours.

The cosmos (Greek for “order”) is, therefore, the simplest thing imaginable.

Albert Einstein initiated the emergence of the understanding that simple, beautiful, harmonious and balanced symmetry is the core role in Nature, i.e., the entire cosmos.

SYMMETRY:

The Vital Premise of Science & Nature

Spearheaded by Albert Einstein, physics revealed the core role of symmetry in Nature (the cosmos). Human society now realizes this is, indeed, the central premise, in order to find an eco-intelligent way of life in harmony (balance, symmetry) with Nature.

Modern science begins with Galileo Galilei. His scientific contribution, that eventually guided Albert Einstein to his own revolutionary and groundbreaking success, was based on simple symmetry.

“Nature (…) makes use of the easiest and simplest means for producing her effects…”

Galileo Galilei

(Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, 2001, p.460)

Galileo Galilei realized there is symmetry between an observer being at rest and an observer traveling at a constant (symmetric) speed in a straight line. In both situations, the same (symmetrical) laws of Nature are valid. (These two reference frames/coordinate systems are called inertial reference frames, and the relationship between them Galilean relativity).

“… the great book of nature (which is the proper object of philosophy) is the way to elevate one’s gaze (…) and is accordingly excellently proportioned (…) The constitution of the universe (…) for coming before all others in grandeur by reason of its universal content, it must also stand above them all in nobility as their rule and standard.”

Galileo Galilei

(Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, The Author’s Dedication to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, 2001, p.3)

Isaac Newton also walked in the footsteps of Galileo and used Galileo’s findings to achieve his own scientific breakthroughs, too.

Simple Symmetry again played the key role, be it the sameness (symmetry) of the two masses of each massive object, the inertial and gravitational (heavy) mass, be it that all the laws that Newton made famous, such as the laws of motion and gravity, exist in a harmonious (conform) way, or be it that gravity unifies all, and makes all one harmonious, balanced and hence symmetric whole.

Symmetry in Newton’s thinking also entered the scene via his conceptual understanding of space and time, as separately existing absolute phenomena. Being “absolute” means “always being the same”, that is, symmetric.

“Nature is pleased with simplicity …”

Isaac Newton

(Principia Mathematica, book III, 1687)

James Clerk Maxwell showed scientifically that the speed of light in empty space is constant, it is symmetric (always the same). In empty space, light moves in a straight line at a constant speed.

“… Maxwell’s equations have a special mathematical symmetry: the values of quantities in the equations can be changed in a way that leaves the equations’ form unchanged (…) Einstein (…) Crucially, he suggested that the symmetry of Maxwell’s equations applies to all the equations of all other universal mathematical laws of nature (…) if someone proposes a fundamental law that does not have this symmetry, then sooner or later experiments will find the supposed law to be wrong. Einstein was later proved right…”

Graham Farmelo

(The Universe Speaks in Numbers, 2019, pp.49-50)

“… to comprehend is essentially to draw conclusions from an already accepted logical system.”

Albert Einstein

(Foreword to Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems by Galileo Galilei, 2001, p. xxix)

Albert Einstein knew that constant lightspeed in empty space (vacuum) was not compatible with the concept of space and time as separate and absolute phenomena. Einstein’s genius was now to take simplicity in the form of symmetry seriously. Using beautiful, harmonious, most simple symmetry as his guiding star, Einstein discovered that the symmetry of being at rest and moving at a constant speed in a straight line is fundamental in Nature, which meant the constancy (symmetry) of the speed of light was part of the definition “moving at a constant (symmetric) speed in a straight line”.

A further finding was that space and time are neither separate nor absolute (to guarantee the constancy of lightspeed in a vacuum). Einstein showed space and time are one phenomenon. Spacetime. The spacetime interval (spacetime distance) is symmetric, as it is the same for all observers: Whether a person is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, the spacetime interval is always adjusted (via length contraction and time dilation) such that the observer measures the constancy (symmetry) of the speed of light in empty space.

So, in all inertial reference frames (now including constant lightspeed), the laws of Nature are the same, just as Galileo had discovered. This is a core finding of special relativity. Initially, Einstein wanted to call special relativity Invariance Theory, since invariance means “not changing”, or being symmetric, just as the laws of Nature are in all inertial reference frames.

With the discovery of general relativity, that described gravity as the warping of spacetime, Einstein scientifically revealed that the laws of Nature were also the same in accelerated reference frames. As Einstein put it himself, the path to his understanding of gravity was his “happiest thought”, his equivalence principle. Equivalence means sameness (symmetry), and one of the key insights, besides that of gravity and acceleration having the same (symmetric) effect of warping spacetime, was that being at rest and acceleration (caused by gravity for a person in free fall in a uniform gravitational field) are indistinguishable and hence the same (symmetric). In essence, all observers, independent of their state of motion (reference frame/coordinate system), are on an equal footing. They are symmetric, as they will observe the same (symmetric) laws of Nature everywhere and all the time. Hence, spacetime is symmetric. In other words, the description of the laws of Nature is independent (symmetric) of reference frames (coordinate systems), which is called covariance (another name for symmetry). This finding, that the laws of Nature are the same (symmetric) everywhere and all the time, was underpinned by Emmy Noether’s theorem, which exposed an additional symmetry connection: the one between the continuously symmetric laws of Nature and the conservation (symmetry, invariance) of certain quantities (like energy or momentum).

“Noether’s theorem directly connects symmetry to physics and vice versa. It frames our modern concepts about nature and rules modern scientific methodology. It tells us directly how symmetries govern the physical processes that define our world. For scientists, it is the guiding light to unraveling nature’s mysteries…”

Leon M. Lederman & Christopher T. Hill

(Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe, 2004, p.21)

Via his theories of relativity, Einstein was able to show that spacetime, energy, mass, the constant lightspeed and gravity are one balanced, super fine-tuned unity. The cosmos is a wonderfully harmonious, symmetric whole. All its aspects, such as spacetime, energy, mass, constant lightspeed, gravity, do the same thing, by keeping the laws of Nature symmetric, therefore making all symmetric.

Emmy Noether’s connection between continuous symmetries (as in the laws of Nature) and the conservation of certain quantities (as in energy or momentum) later helped physicists Yang and Mills, to come up with an understanding of the non-gravitational interactions based on symmetry.

All interactions (forces), be it gravity or the non-gravitational forces (strong, weak or electromagnetic interactions), can be explained via symmetry in the form of so-called gauge theories. These gauge symmetry shemes stand for the fact that certain concepts (gauges), be it the spacetime interval or, with respect to say, electromagnetism, the phase of the overall wavefunction of an electron, are kept symmetric (locally the same, invariant) by Nature.

Simple symmetry is the central feature of Nature, even if there are still open questions. To understand that symmetry is fundamental, it helps, as we did, to write down the concept of symmetry (equivalence, being equal, sameness, being identical) in the most abstract fashion. Two phenomena, the first and the second, are equal.

This gives us 1st=2nd, or even more abstract: 1=2. Since number 2, the 2nd aspect, refers back to the 1st aspect via the equal sign, it becomes clear that number 2 always encompasses two aspects at the same time, number 1 and number 2. This tells us that each single aspect (or unit) always stands for two parts (units), which instantly leads to an explosion into infinity. So, the purely mathematical concept of symmetry includes infinity and is hence the most general, orabstract, that is to say, simplestatement possible. Symmetry is an all-inclusive, all-encompassing unity.

And in science, INFINITY allows us to make general statements as needed.

Once it is realized that, in relation to number 1, number 2 is mathematically speaking, larger, or more, or the additional, then it becomes obvious that both gravity and quantum mechanics are expressions of symmetry and hence everything else, such as spacetime, or energy, are, too. Number 2, representing MORE/INFINITY, is the creative term, that is part of all-inclusive, holistic UNITY (number 1).

A few examples of how symmetry underpins different aspects of Nature:

SYMMETRY AS QUANTUM MECHANICS:

The small UNITS in the realm of quantum mechanics, the quanta of action, are always connected to the MORE TERM of symmetry, so they are, for instance, at MORE or SEVERAL places at the same time, and their overall wavefunction depicts that these small units are MORE HERE than THERE, which can be translated into probabilities (being MORE likely here than there) that add up to 1 (UNITY, i.e., 100%). MORE (#2) can mean being open, or uncertain (MORE than certain). That is the uncertainty principle, the core of quantum mechanics. Therefore, even the seemingly most serene spot (UNIT, certainty) of empty space depicts MORE, like pairs of virtual particles that pop in and out of existence.

SYMMETRY AS ENERGY:

MORE (#2) can also be understood as energy. Energy is the ability to do work, that is, to do MORE, against resistance, which is the concise UNITY aspect (number 1).

SYMMETRY AS GRAVITY:

Since MORE/ENERGY (number 2) refers back to number 1 (UNITY, being ADDED UP), MORE (energy) ADDS UP (concentrates, makes all round). This is the warping of spacetime (ADDING UP, UNITY) that is equal to MORE, the total energy density (all forms of energy including mass, etc.) of a system. ADDING UP produces UNITY, smooth, curved spacetime (geometry). Since MORE means MORE (and not just a “little bit”), gravity only becomes noticeably effective on the large scale (that denotes MORE relative to the small scale of quantum mechanics). So, once there is enough MORE, that is, accumulated junks of mass (via electrostatic effects) on the large scale, gravity starts adding all up.

SYMMETRY AS SPACETIME:

Albert Einstein was the first to take symmetry seriously, and by doing so revealed its core role in Nature’s design. So even when things appear to be different to our senses or to our understanding, such as the “disquiet” space in the realm of quantum mechanics, overflowing with wild quantum jitters, undulations and fluctuations, seemingly incompatible with the smooth large-scale space, symmetry tells us that these differences do not actually manifest distinctions. Both phenomena are symmetry expressions and hence, the same. This is Nature’s self-similar self-organization on all levels.

SYMMETRY AS THE MYSTERIOUS WHOLENESS OF ALL:

Since symmetry, due to its MORE term (#2, the Additional) that is open, includes infinity and due to its UNITY term (#1) simultaneously all-inclusiveness in its wholeness (represented by the entire equation of 1=2), the aspect of the mysterious (MORE than unity, MORE than certainty, MORE than being computable) is part of the overall harmony, balance and symmetry of the cosmos. There is MORE than can rationally be understood. This mysterious wholeness (UNITY=MORE/INFINITY) can and must, however, be felt in an inspiring fashion to fully appreciate the marvelous, holistic (all-encompassing), radiant beauty of the universe, of Nature.

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”

Albert Einstein

(What I believe; Forum and Century 84; October 1930, No.4, 194- 194; note: bold Author)

“The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science (…) A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestation of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which are only accessible to our reason in their most elementary forms …”

Albert Einstein

(The World as I see it, a collection of writings by Albert Einstein, 2006, p.7)

The scientific findings in the field of biochemistry and neuroscience can be seen as a confirmation of the vital importance of emotions, just as Einstein highlighted.

“… the process of (…) literally transforming mind into matter. Emotions are the nexus between matter and mind, going back and forth between the two and influencing both.”

Candace Pert

(Molecules of Emotion, 1997, p.189; note: bold Author)

SYMMETRY AS NATURE’S CIRCULAR, BALANCED UNITY-NETWORK:

The paramount role of symmetry has not been integrated well enough by human society. This can be seen by mounting environmental problems (pollution, of which global warming is a part, loss of biodiversity, destruction of natural cycles, and so on) that are all caused by the destruction of balance (symmetry).

Since the symmetry equation 1=2 is inherently cyclical or circular, as the two aspects can continuously trade places in a harmonious fashion, and the circle is the most symmetric form (one can rotate it infinitely many times without causing change), Nature on planet Earth works in a balanced unity-network of cycles (metabolisms). This achieved unity (symmetry) of Nature, that depends on circularity, is being destroyed by the linear economic model. Being faced with the mounting dangers that this erosion of circularity generates, human society is currently coming to terms with the fact that symmetry (balance, harmony, circularity, holism) is, indeed, central in the cosmos. The linear economic model has to be transformed into a holistic, eco-intelligent and climate-smart, circular economy without delay.

Humanity should have taken Albert Einstein’s discovery of the core role of symmetry more seriously.

SIMPLE SYMMETRY MAKES THE UNIVERSE HAPPEN

INTRODUCTION

WALKING IN ALBERT EINSTEIN’S FOOTSTEPS TOWARDS NATURE’S FUNDAMENTAL SYMMETRY

“…there is only one word which really solves the whole puzzle in all its forms.”

Albert Einstein

(Out of My Later Years, a collection of essays by Albert Einstein, 1995, p.64)

Let’s start this book with something cute and immensely constructive for ourselves, and Nature as a whole on Planet Earth: Bees.

Bees rely on clear communication and precise information to thrive. They ensure everyone is on an equal footing, so that there is a great sense of unity amongst all members.

“…a balance of tasks [is] achieved, by straightforward communication.”

Bert Hölldobler & E.O. Wilson

(The Superorganism, 2009, p.176)

Unity among all members of a group means they are in a state of so-called SYMMETRY or sameness. They are, in the case of the bees, equally well informed, and that allows them to DO THE SAME THING: deploy their different, diverse talents to enable their society to thrive with Nature.

One might say that bees are super clever and amazingly intelligent. They speak and understand Nature’s language of Symmetry.

The genius mathematical physicist, the amazing super giant of science, who revealed the central role of SYMMETRY in Nature(the entire cosmos) in a groundbreaking and revolutionary way was no other than Albert Einstein.

Already as a young boy, Albert Einstein, was convinced that Nature could be understood as a simple mathematical structure.

“As a boy of twelve years making my acquaintance with elementary mathematics (…) I became more and more convinced that even nature could be understood as a relatively simple mathematical structure.”

Albert Einstein

(as quoted in The Tower, 13 April 1935; Einstein to the Princeton High School reporter Henry Russo)

This guiding idea (simple mathematical structure) later turned out to be symmetry (sameness, oneness, being equal). Symmetry not only served Einstein as the guiding principle of greatest mathematical simplicity and beauty (harmony), it also, as his theories of relativity uncovered, turned out to be the core principle of Nature that underpins the entire cosmos (Greek for “order”).

Since symmetry (equality) is omnipresent, it can be regarded as the LANGUAGE OF UNITY OF NATURE—just like the eco-intelligent bees demonstrate.

“It is a glorious feeling to perceive the unity of a complex of phenomena which appear as separate entities to direct sensory observation.”

Albert Einstein

(Letter to Marcel Grossman, 14 April 1901, Collected Papers, vol.1, doc.100)

Unity, of course, implies simplicity, being abstract and general and hence fundamental to all:

“Based on our experiences so far, we have reason to be confident that nature is the realization of the simplest conceivable mathematical concept.”

Albert Einstein

(On the Method of Theoretical Physics, 10 June 1933, Author translation)

“The essential thing is the aim to represent the multitude of concepts and theorems, close to experience, as theorems, logically deduced and belonging to a basis, as narrow as possible (…) there is only one word which really solves the whole puzzle in all its forms.”

Albert Einstein

(Out of My Later Years, a collection of essays by Albert Einstein, 1995, p.64)

“There are (…) enough pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in hand to know that symmetry is fundamental to all of it. The abstract concept of symmetry and its relationship to the physical world is enduring and here to stay.”

Leon M. Lederman & Christopher T. Hill

(Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe, 2004, pp.20-21)

“From the highest of the worlds, Atzilut, to the physical, material world which is called Asiyah, the forms are absolutely equal in every detail and manifestation.”

Rav Yehuda Ashlag

(The Wisdom of Truth, edited by Michael Berg, 2008, p.103)

The BIG PROBLEM is that humans are not very good at speaking or recognizing SYMMETRY, Nature’s UNITY LANGUAGE OF UNIVERSAL EQUALITY, let alone understanding its harmony, balance, unity and equality.

One 20th century scholar, who impressed me with his ability to speak with simple clarity, in the language of unity and symmetry, is Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag. With great ease and elegance, he was able to convey how unity presents itself systematically (i.e., via what kind of all-underpinning and all-inclusive structure) to humanity.

“Thus the entire nation must accept a structure in which the entire earth, and everything in it, is allocated and dedicated to the Creator.”

Rav Yehuda Ashlag

(The Wisdom of Truth, 2008, p.63)

Rav Yehuda Ashlag’s all-unifying work can be regarded as a spiritual approach. Albert Einstein’s achievements cover the scientific world by revealing symmetry as the core mathematical feature of Nature. What about the business world, one may ask?

Here, another polymath of the 20th century provided ground-breaking, essential concepts for understanding how symmetry plays out in business. This was the father of Value Investing: Benjamin Graham.

“An investment operation is one which, upon thorough analysis promises safety of principal and an adequate return. Operations not meeting these requirements are speculative.”

Benjamin Graham

(The Intelligent Investor, 2008, p.18)

This is reason for hope, as there are holistically intelligent thought leaders who rely on a multidisciplinary approach. They give humanity profound guidance with respect to how all-encompassing unity elegantly (in a simple fashion) communicates, and how we can respond in the same holistic way.

However, not being able to understand symmetry, Nature’s universal language of UNITY, has huge negative implications. This is demonstrated by mounting environmental problems, based on human society not being in harmony, or in balance with Nature (the symmetry principle).

That we need to speak symmetry—that we need to understand what does not change, i.e., stays the same, and how this symmetry (sameness, invariance, equivalence) underpins our world—becomes clear when one considers the following quotes by physicists Dwight E. Neuenschwander, Phillip Morrison and renowned mathematician Edward Frenkel.

“Amid the rich and sometimes bewildering dynamics, our understanding of the world hangs on those factors that do not change.”

Dwight E. Neuenschwander

(Emmy Noether’s Wonderful Theorem, 2011, p.200)

“To define the idea of symmetry is certainly not simple. I shall not try to make an all-encompassing or precise definition, against which a contradiction can quickly be brought (…) The idea is still alive and growing. We don’t know all that the concept implies. I like best the idea of seventeenth century philosopher Leibnitz (…) For Leibnitz, symmetry is related to the indiscernibility of differences…”

Phillip Morrison

(as quoted in Emmy Noether’s Wonderful Theorem by Dwight E. Neuenschwander, 2011, p.1)

Yet, despite these challenges, we need to grasp symmetry in the most abstract and hence general or simple fashion to see how symmetry works in this universe, as mathematician Edward Frenkel emphasizes.

“It is to formulate the concept of symmetry in the most general, and hence inevitably most abstract terms so that it could be applied in a unified fashion in different domains, such as geometry, number theory, physics, chemistry, biology, and so on.”

Edward Frenkel

(Love and Math, 2013, p.22)

It often seems we are like aliens on our symmetric home planet, unable to communicate clearly via symmetry as the entire universe, Nature or bees do.

Theories of relativity—be it Galilean relativity, Newtonian relativity, or eventually Albert Einstein’s revolutionary theories of relativity—depend on symmetry, i.e., phenomena/quantities that do not change, that are invariant.

“Theories of relativity are built on quantities that are postulated to be invariant among the members of a suitable defined set of coordinate systems. Among all inertial reference frames, Newtonian relativity assumes length and time intervals to be separately invariant; consequently, in the Newtonian world, the speed of light is frame dependent. But the special theory of relativity postulates the speed of light to be invariant; therefore length and time intervals are frame dependent.”

Dwight E. Neuenschwander

(Emmy Noether’s Wonderful Theorem, 2011, p.61)

Einstein’s breakthroughs in understanding the cosmos via relativity not only includes simple, abstract symmetry as a guiding principle but also reveals the central role of symmetry as the oneness of Nature.

The premise of the book, therefore, is to provide a short and simple guide towards speaking and understanding Nature’s simple Language of Symmetry. As Rav Ashlag, Graham and Noether revealed it, and as Albert Einstein, like no one before him, successfully unveiled it to humanity in a scientific and mathematical as well as testable fashion.

“If everyone spoke the same language, the world would discover the profound truth underlying all of the world’s spiritual and scientific teachings.”

Rav Berg

(Nano, 2008, p.62)

“Physicists are (…) now convinced more than ever that nature has an underlying design in which symmetry is the key ingredient.”

Mario Livio

(The Equation That Couldn’t be Solved, 2005, p.43)

Symmetry unites, simplifies, generalizes, as symmetry reveals that seemingly different phenomena are actually the same. This unifying, all-underpinning, abstract design of symmetry, that Nature relies on, is also a key with respect to integrating knowledge of all fields.

“What then (…) is the value of science? (…) Its scope, aim and value is the same as that of any other branch of human knowledge. Nay, none of them alone, only the union of all of them, has any scope or value at all, and that is simply enough described: it is to obey the command of the Delphi deity, (…) get to know yourself. (…) That is science, learning, knowledge, that is the true source of every spiritual endeavor of man.”

Erwin Schrödinger

(Nature and the Greeks and Science and Humanism, 2014, p.108)

The aspect of unity or oneness can only work in the most general, all-encompassing and, therefore, abstract sense.

“… all specialized research has real value only in the context of the integrated totality of knowledge.”

Erwin Schrödinger

(Nature and the Greeks and Science and Humanism, 2014, p.111)

The holistic (all-inclusive, all-encompassing) character of Nature that is underpinned by the simple, abstract scheme of symmetry (equality, equivalence) presents itself naturally, so to speak, as an essential element of oneness in all aspects of human life.

“It would seem, then, that in some way the modern person must manage to create a total approach to life which accomplishes what was done in earlier days by science, art and religion, but in a new way that is appropriate to modern conditions of life. An important part of such an action is to see what the relationship between science and art now actually is, and to understand the direction in which this relationship might develop.”

David Bohm

(On Creativity, 1996, p.38)

PART 1

SYMMETRY: THE SIMPLE MATHEMATICAL GUIDE OF PHYSICS TO NATURE’S UNITY LANGUAGE

THE AMAZING SIMPLICITY OF SYMMETRY

Symmetry is so simple (elegant) that we constantly overlook it. Someone who did not overlook it, but loved the beauty and simplicity of symmetry, was Albert Einstein. His revolutionary theories of relativity, as indicated, mean just one thing: SYMMETRY

“… it is the inherent symmetry of the fourdimensional continuum of space and time that relativity deals with.”

Hermann Weyl

(Symmetry, 1980, p.132)

It is difficult:

for our senses to recognize simplicity (symmetry) as it is so abstract, hence general (transcendent) and in an immaterial (mathematical) way omnipresent,

for our senses not to be overwhelmed by symmetry’s

creativity

(abundance, local presence in infinite scenarios) which to our senses can be displayed in seemingly

countless

(infinite)

different manifestations

(diversity).

“Einstein (…) he is a key figure in the history of symmetry: it was Einstein, above all others, who set in motion the web of events that turned the mathematics of symmetry into fundamental physics.”

Ian Stewart

(Why Beauty is Truth, 2007, p.173)

“Despite what you’ve been told, beauty is not really in the eye of the beholder (…) One of the primary determinants of attractiveness is a signal that has proven useful over millennia for finding healthy and fit partners to have babies with (…): bilateral symmetry (…) It doesn’t get much conscious attention because your brain is so good at assessing symmetry that it constructs your feeling of attraction almost instantaneously.”

Nicholas Epley

(Mindwise, 2014, p.25)

“…The Language of the Kabbalists is theLanguage of Branches (…) This means that the branches are determined by the roots which are their stamp that must exist in the Upper World (…) they understand one another completely through precise definitions that cannot be misunderstood since every single Branch has its own specific natural definition…”

Rav Yehuda Ashlag

(The Wisdom of Truth, 2008, p.107-109)

Let us acquaint ourselves with this language by doing a super simple exercise using the fundamental, symmetric language of Nature

All the bold words and words in (brackets) are synonyms, i.e., words with the same meaning for symmetry.

Put differently, these words essentially have the same root as they are offspring (branches) of symmetry.

Keep looking for these bold words as well as the words in (brackets), as they highlight all words denoting symmetry. Yes, symmetry is about sameness (being identical, being one), and the fun is to learn to see that in the infinite abundance (creativity) of Nature, we can constantly rediscover symmetry. This infinite abundance of Nature, which we will see is part of symmetry, already tells us that all words are branches (units) stemming from symmetry. That is why symmetry is the language of UNITY (that encompasses all).

“We must stop somewhere, and for science to be possible we must stop where we have found simplicity. That is the only ground on which we can erect the edifice of our generalizations.”

Henri Poincaré

(Science and Hypothesis, 1952, pp.148-149)

“In the general order of things, physical action is used to reveal the consciousness or the abstract idea so that the action can bring cleaving to the idea in a complete way.”

Rav Yehuda Ashlag

(The Wisdom of Truth, 2008, p.289)

THE SIMPLE CODE OF NATURE’S SYMMETRY PRINCIPLE

Let’s take a look at just how simple (universal) the configuration (structure, code, system, rule, law) of symmetry is.

How did Albert Einstein recognize this amazing simplicity (symmetry) of Nature?

Einstein, based on the work of great scientists before him, such as Galileo Galilei or Isaac Newton, knew that each massive object in the universe (cosmos) actually has two, identical (same, equivalent, symmetric) masses.

Such objects are, e.g.: stars, planets, stones, trees, humans, flowers, bees, electrons, and so on.

As you can see, there are basically infinitely many such objects in our universe.

Each massive object that we perceive as one UNIT (wholeness, oneness) actually consists of TWO identical (symmetric, equivalent) masses. So, if one mass (#1) grows, the other mass (#2) grows along in total harmony by the same amount.

For a moment let us leave aside what these two masses do. Let’s just make ourselves aware of the simplest, purely mathematical wholeness (unity, unit, system, oneness) that Nature presents to us. This is the idea Albert Einstein took seriously, and which his unrivalled genius is all about: BEING SIMPLE AND LOVING SIMPLICITY (Elegance, Harmony, Beauty).

“Einstein (…) was driven by a passionate belief that the deepest understanding of the universe would reveal its truest wonder: the simplicity (…) on which it was based (…) allowing us all to stand in awe of its sheer beauty and elegance.”

Brian Greene

(The Elegant Universe, Preface 2003, p. xiii)

There are TWO SYMMETRIC (IDENTICAL, EQUAL) MASSES IN ONE MASSIVE OBJECT, DENOTING A UNIT (UNITY, ONENESS).

What mathematical sign can we use to express this equality?! Yes, it is, indeed, the simple EQUAL SIGN:

“… order means to recognize what is equal …”

Werner Heisenberg

(Physics and Philosophy, 2007, pp.36-37)

“Mathematics is the articulation of pattern. Using a handful of symbols we can encapsulate pattern with economy and precision.”

Brian Greene

(Until the End of Time, 2021, p.161)

Leon M. Lederman & Christopher T. Hill

(Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe, 2004, pp.14-15)

The EQUAL sign is at the heart of the code (master equation, standard, idea, pattern, principle) of Nature’s symmetry.

Symmetry is a purely mathematical and, therefore, immaterial STRUCTURE unifying two aspects which are related. This abstract relationship of sameness (wholeness) describes a dynamic, most generalized, i.e., SIMPLE PATTERN. The constant interaction of its identical parts creates systematic properties, i.e., interconnected, self-similar and self-organizing phenomena (parts and laws linking the parts) that constitute holistic, evolving reality (Nature). The all-underpinning equation of symmetry, as it describes wholeness in the most abstract, general, immaterial fashion, always stays the same.

“…a complete description (…) such a description of objects in this external reality and the relations between them would have to be completely abstract (…) the only properties of these entities would be those embodied by the relations between them (…) a mathematical structure is precisely this: a set of abstract entities with relations between them (…) mathematics is the formal study of structures, that can be defined in a purely abstract way…”

Max Tegmark

(Our Mathematical Universe, 2014, pp. 258-259)

“Symmetry is evident all around us (…) a ball looks unchanged as you turn it around (…) In physics, symmetry manifests in much the same way. If we do something to an equation but the equation doesn’t change, then the thing we did is said to be a symmetry of the equation.”

Brian Cox & Jeff Forshaw

(Why does E=mc²?, 2009, p.187)

Let’s write down this stunningly simple concept (mathematical configuration, equation, piece of information, structure) of equality, equivalence, sameness, symmetry which was scientifically, with the help of mathematics, discovered in Nature and that Albert Einstein focused on.

Or even more mathematically simplified (more generalized):

This is the most abstract, purely mathematical STRUCTURE representing immaterial, creative wholeness as we will now discover. So, Nature, e.g., via its massive objects, presents this simple mathematical MASTER EQUATION (unity, wholeness, statement, state of being) to all equally informed observers. This was the equation on which Einstein focused.

Since equality denotes UNITY, these two identical masses (exhibiting the same quantity), appear as ONE MASSIVE OBJECT (unity, unit, wholeness).

Nature is mathematical at its core, as it literally implements symmetry (equality) in a basically infinite number of massive objects.

So, as I hope you have already been doing with the bold words and words in brackets, the fun is learning to see what is synonymous (the same as) to the word symmetry and why or how. Mathematics is also a language, a very abstract (simple, generalized) language.

“Mathematics is a language (…) By mathematics it is possible to connect one statement to another (…) mathematics is just organized reasoning.”

Richard Feynman

(The Character of Physical Law, 1992, pp.40-41)

To detect where symmetry’s simple equation 1=2 encodes INFINITY (abundance, diversity, openness, creativity, future), let’s again translate the numbers of 1 and 2 into words once more:

What does NUMBER 1 stand for?

Well, so far, we have named words such as:

ONENESS

UNITY

UNIT

WHOLENESS

What does NUMBER 2 stand for?

We have named words that denote that something is LARGER or MORE than number 1. These words are:

ABUNDANCE

INFINITY

DIVERSITY

CREATIVITY

OPENNESS

FUTURE

Number 2, compared to number 1, as the equation 1=2 tells us, is THE ADDITIONAL or MORE, that has no end by definition, and hence stands for INFINITY.

We can easily understand why number 2 is a short code for infinity. Number two is, based on the equation of symmetry, a UNIT (the 2nd unit) of its own. However, since it refers back to number 1, number 2 also encompasses 1, 2 single units (which will be explained later in greater detail). So, each unit, can see itself as 1, 2 single units. Therefore, Unity instantly explodes into Infinity.

Let’s recap:

“… symmetry in nature is about language.”

Marcus du Sautoy

(Symmetry, 2008, p.11)

NATURE’S SYMMETRY: THE GREATEST

GENERALIZATION

ABOUT NATURE ITSELF

Since symmetry, as we have discovered, encodes both:

UNITY (#1)

INFINITY (#2)

in its most simple, purely mathematical equation (code, principle, idea, standard, rule, structure), we can conclude that symmetry is:

Infinity has no end and yet, symmetry includes it into its configuration of SAMENESS (equivalence).

Amazingly, Nature (the cosmos, the universe) at its deepest level considers the mathematical notion of UNITY (closed, uniform, concentrated) and INFINITY (openness, boundless, unlimited) even though seemingly different phenomena, to be the same (identical, symmetric, equal, equivalent).

Physicists describe the fundamental state (UNITY) of the universe, as the quantum state, or like a UNIT (or a book) that encompasses INFINITY.

“The quantum state of the universe is like a book that contains answers to an infinite variety of questions.”

Murray Gell-Mann

(The Quark and the Jaguar, 1994 p.11)

Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag puts it like this:

“…Cause and Effect, like in the wisdom of Kabbalah, which is interconnected from one end to the other like a long chain, so that if one piece of knowledge is missing, the entire Light of Wisdom becomes darkness, since all aspects of it are strongly connected to each other as well as unified absolutely into one.”

Rav Yehuda Ashlag

(The Wisdom of Truth, 2008, p.115)

Another famous mathematician, Henri Poincaré, a renowned contemporary of Einstein, highlights the unity of the infinite parts of the universe:

“The Unity of Nature (…) If the different parts of the universe were not as the organs of the same body, they would not re-act one upon the other; they would mutually ignore each other, and we in particular should only know one part. We need not, therefore, ask if Nature is one, but how she is one.”

Henri Poincaré

(Science and Hypothesis, 1952, p.145)

And INFINITY allows us to make general statements as needed in science:

“… the idea of mathematical infinity is already playing a preponderating part, and without it there would be no science at all, because there would be nothing general.”

Henri Poincaré

(Science and Hypothesis, 1952, p.11)

This scientific and mathematical generalization (adding up ALL/INFINITY into UNITY, ONENESS) is what we describe, in its deepest sense, as the vacuum (empty space, nothingness) the premise from where all things evolved:

“… because we live in a quantum universe the correct thing to do is to add all the possibilities together. The vacuum, in other words, has an incredibly rich structure, made up out of all the possible ways that particles can pop in and out of existence.”

Brian Cox & Jeff Forshaw

(The Quantum Universe, 2012, p.209)

“The outlandish simplicity of the early universe is seen most clearly in the cosmic background radiation, the afterglow of the primeval heat.”

Alan Guth

(The Inflationary Universe, 1997, p.89)

NATURE’S SYMMETRY: THE MYSTERIOUS & WONDER THAT NATURE PROVIDES

The INFINITY TERM (#2) of symmetry also allows us to wonder, to be amazed, and to have feelings of awe and deep empowerment, because infinity due to its unlimited richness is also mysterious for us.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Aristotle

In other words, although symmetry tells us that it is the greatest, simplest most beautiful (balanced, harmonious, organized) and all-encompassing (all-including) statement (idea, system, principle) about Nature in a mathematically precise scheme, (equation, configuration), it also informs us that there are aspects, despite being mathematical, that are out of our reach for they cannot be computed (due to infinity).

Albert Einstein called this wonderful, important mysterious aspect the following: