Helmut Tributsch

This book shows how a long overdue correction in the current understanding of energy brings about a substantial change in the world view. It leads from a time-neutral universe to one that is dynamically oriented and given direction by an energy-driven time arrow. This concept eliminates the irrationalities and para-doxes of physics. It also coherently explains the interaction of quantum physics and cosmology through gravity in the form of information. Evolution is by no means just coincidence. It drives its systems to more and more energy turnover and pursues a fascinating goal: the development of mind – self-organized infor-mation – in a universe controlled by information. Nature as a whole can be ex-plained as the self-realization of energy over time. The time of the time arrow is not an illusion, but change caused by energy turnover and loss of information about the past.

The principle of least action, which has so successfully been applied to diverse fields of physics looks back at three centuries of philosophical and mathematical discussions and controversies. They could not explain why nature is applying the principle and why scalar energy quantities succeed in describing dynamic motion. When the least action integral is subdivided into infinitesimal small sections each one has to maintain the ability to minimise. This however has the mathematical consequence that the Lagrange function at a given point of the trajectory, the dynamic, available energy generating motion, must itself have a fundamental property to minimize. Since a scalar quantity, a pure number, cannot do that, energy must fundamentally be dynamic and time oriented for a consistent understanding. It must have vectorial properties in aiming at a decrease of free energy per state (which would also allow derivation of the second law of thermodynamics). Present physics is ignoring that and applying variation calculus as a formal mathematical tool to impose a minimisation of scalar assumed energy quantities for obtaining dynamic motion. When, however, the dynamic property of energy is taken seriously it is fundamental and has also to be applied to quantum processes. A consequence is that particle and wave are not equivalent, but the wave (distributed energy) follows from the first (concentrated energy). Information, provided from the beginning, an information self-image of matter, is additionally needed to recreate the particle from the wave, shaping a “dynamic” particle-wave duality. It is shown that this new concept of a “dynamic” quantum state rationally explains quantization, the double slit experiment and quantum correlation, which has not been possible before. Some more general considerations on the link between quantum processes, gravitation and cosmological phenomena are also advanced.

In a preceding publication a fundamentally oriented and irreversible world was shown to be de- rivable from the important principle of least action. A consequence of such a paradigm change is avoidance of paradoxes within a “dynamic” quantum physics. This becomes essentially possible because fundamental irreversibility allows consideration of the “entropy” concept in elementary processes. For this reason, and for a compensation of entropy in the spread out energy of the wave, the duality of particle and wave has to be mediated via an information self-image of matter. In this publication considerations are extended to irreversible thermodynamics, to gravitation and cos- mology with its dependence on quantum interpretations. The information self-image of matter around particles could be identified with gravitation. Because information can also impose an al- ways constant light velocity there is no need any more to attribute such a property to empty space, as done in relativity theory. In addition, the possibility is recognized to consider entropy genera- tion by expanding photon fields in the universe. Via a continuous activation of information on matter photons can generate entropy and release small energy packages without interacting with matter. This facilitates a new interpretation of galactic redshift, emphasizes an information link between quantum- and cosmological phenomena, and evidences an information-triggered origin of the universe. Self-organized processes approach maximum entropy production within their constraints. In a far from equilibrium world also information, with its energy content, can self- organize to a higher hierarchy of computation. It is here identified with consciousness. This ap- pears to explain evolution of spirit and intelligence on a materialistic basis. Also gravitation, here identified as information on matter, could, under special conditions, self-organize to act as a su- per-gravitation, offering an alternative to dark matter. Time is not an illusion, but has to be understood as flux of action, which is the ultimate reality of change. The concept of an irreversible physical world opens a route towards a rational understanding of complex contexts in nature.

Well known quantum and time paradoxes, and the difficulty to derive the second law of thermodynamics, are proposed to be the result of our historically grown paradigm for energy: it is just there, the capacity to do work, not directly related to change. When the asymmetric nature of energy is considered, as well as the involvement of energy turnover in any change, so that energy can be understood as fundamentally "dynamic", and time-oriented (new paradigm), these paradoxes and problems dissolve. The most basic consequence concerns the particle-wave dualism. For a reversible inter-conversion of a particle into a wave, subject to a dynamic energy, a self-image of information has to be generated: quantum theory has to be complemented by a theory of information. Then, quantum processes can be derived from classical ones and the second law of thermodynamics with the tendency of increasing entropy follows in a straightforward way

It is shown that the counter-intuitive and irrational character of quantum paradoxes may be caused by a lack of information available for the observer on the basis of quantum theory. Since information has an energy value, this means that it should then be the energy concept implemented, the symbolic form, the energy criteria through which nature is understood, which may in part be incomplete for quantum physics. This possibility was investigated and implemented via a "dynamic" energy concept, derivable from the principle of least action, which generates a fundamental arrow of time and is also applicable to quantum phenomena. By correcting the energy formalism accordingly, by additionally considering the missing relevance of space for energy in quantum theory, quantum paradoxes do indeed disappear. This is demonstrated with the double-slit experiment, for non-causality, for quantum correlation and for additional paradoxes. An information self-image of matter, needed for a re- interpretation of the particle-wave dualism of matter, turns out to be very helpful in eliminating irrationalities. It also leads to a local explanation of constant light velocity, and thus makes the assumption of a four-dimensional space-time unnecessary. On this basis, the theories on the universe were re-designed and a new interpretation of gravitation is given. Fundamental natural laws can really be understood rationally and their time-orientation also induces self-organization of information. This allows a materialistic description of nature including mind. Maximum energy turnover, within the given restraints, and development of mind are identified to be the actual aims of evolution.

Since antiquity philosophers were searching for something stable among all changes in the surrounding. Energy turned out to be the quantity, which is conserved. However in modern physics energy has lost any relation to change. Energy has the potential to do work, but no interest. It is a number, a scalar quantity. The book investigates the consequences when assuming energy to be dynamic, a vector. Energy is defined to have the tendency to decrease its presence per state. When no energy is turned over in a quantum state, it is oscillating between a particle, where energy is concentrated, and a wave, where energy is distributed. Energetically, a particle and a wave are not identical (as claimed now). Since diluted energy has a decreased working ability and generates non-available (entropic) energy, energy in form of information has simultaneously to be activated to transform the diluted energy reversibly back into concentrated form (a particle). The discussed consequences of this energy model are: 1) energy drives time. Time is the trace, which energy conversion carves into the environment and our brain. 2) Energy and time are related and can only be transformed together as action (energy x time). Only action exists in nature. Since action is invariant, time traveling (which leads to paradoxes) is not possible. Time is not an illusion, but deducible from action 3) Due to the new defined energy properties of the quantum states, quantum paradoxes appear to be eliminated. In the double slit experiment the (energy of) information which is generated to reconvert the wave into a particle, also carries the information from the second slit to a particle. 4) Since energy induces time oriented processes, self organization (which needs to distinguish between a "before" and an "after) of matter is a straightforward consequence. Since information has an energy content, also information can self organize. As living self organized matter is hierarchically above inorganic matter, self organized information controls ordinary information. It is defined and discussed as our consciousness. The author feels that his hypothesis of a dynamically behaving energy eliminates relevant paradoxes in present physics and deserves to be closer examined. It also shows that evolution has an aim (in contrast to present understanding). This aim is competition for always more energy. If this is true mankind is facing a problem.