1. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson1 A Critical Point for Science? Lecture to the Cambridge University Physics Society March 5th., 2008 Brian D. Josephson TCM Group, Cavendish Laboratory Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~bdj10 NB: slides need to be advanced manually!

2. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson2 Basic themes: Current physics implicitly assumes matter is fundamental, life and mentality being secondary There are reasons for thinking that such a picture may be incomplete, leading to error A new conceptual foundation reverses the order of things, making life and mentality more basic than matter.

3. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson3 Wheeler’s picture (see The Goldilocks Enigma by Paul Davies) Cosmos > Life > Mind > Cosmos Picture based on ‘participatory observers’

4. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson4 Thanks to: Samantha Parton Stu Kauffman Steve Rosen Tethys Carpenter

5. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson5 Picture Credits Parton and Rosen: Brian Josephson Carpenter: Simon Keynes Kauffman: http://www.science.tamu.edu/story3.asp?storyID=465

6. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson6 Physics has always presumed matter Newtonian mechanics e-m theory/classical mechanics Basic QM Quantum field theory String/M theory Matter (‘things’) features at every stage

7. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson7 What is/may be left out Observer problem Life (complementarity) Higher cognitive capacities Paranormal phenomena

8. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson8 Observer issue What we see is not what we get (from the theory) [many worlds problem: the statistical interpretation helps only if one avoids looking too closely!]

9. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson9 Life issue Measuring a biosystem may change its properties (Bohr) QM provides no clear specification for dealing with ‘unprepared systems’; there is no clarity regarding ‘quantum organisation’.

10. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson10 Higher-capacities problem Again, there is little clarity as to how one might explain, e.g.: Mathematical insight Musical appreciation ESP, etc.

11. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson11 Gravity problem Gravity can’t be fitted into Standard Model Extending this to fit makes ‘What You See’ still further from ‘What You Get From The Theory’ (many extra dimensions)

12. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson12 The epicycle saga Epicycles gave quantitatively correct results but were ultimately seen not to be the right approach: ‘magnitudes are not everything!’ Might science similarly be wrong re mind and life?

13. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson13 Which is more fundamental? Usual view: matter is more fundamental, and life emerges from it Alternative: life, mentality etc. emerge from a more fundamental level of existence

14. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson14 Wheeler’s picture Cosmos > Life > Mind > Cosmos Picture based on ‘participatory observers’ Problem: idea too vague Remedy: find a more advanced formulation of the idea!

15. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson15 How to make life/mind fundamental? Start with a fundamental theory of life Use this as the basis for everything (instead of starting with a conventional theory)

16. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson16 The spinoff, given a proper theory: ‘Mind’ would decide what a universe should be like, not ingenious schemes dreamt up by physicists following the latest bandwaggon! Mind decides on basis of what would best support life, > biofriendly universe.

17. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson17 The Critical Point Origin of critical-point idea: Samantha Parton on musical creativity (from interview with Triste magazine): “when you stare into that space and that deepness, you get close to the place where things begin, and that's a [good] place to be … [for making music]” TcTc

18. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson18 Then... … an article by Stuart Kauffman et al. in Nature reminded me that I had in my office a copy of Kauffman’s book ‘The Origins of Order’!

19. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson19 A different order of things Kauffman proposes that life happens at ‘the edge of chaos’, a situation poised between order and disorder Bohm refers to ‘unmanifest order’ becoming manifest Rosen refers instead to ‘apeiron’, a ‘primal chaos’, from which order springs

20. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson20 Some key concepts Edge of chaos Structures Differential stability Attractor ‘Smart systems’

21. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson21 Smart systems Stable Cooperate to form smart complexes ‘do things’, compute (= I/O + dynamics) Communicate, make requests, anticipation Mutual support in a group Societies live longer Melt-freeze strategy at edge of chaos Development of specialisations

22. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson22 Manifestations of mind Direct; or Indirect via universes universemind manifestations

23. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson23 Minds and universes ‘Deep’ life can use mind to build universes Mind needs universes that a)It knows how to build (symmetry?) b)Are useful Elegance as such is not of interest!

24. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson24 Space and time Space: a resource that things can move around in, provides proximity, separation, place Scientist time: a resource that assists synchronisation, ‘being on time’: time like that shown by a clock, not ‘actual time’

25. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson25 Space and time are non-trivial! Space: act of becoming separate Time: cycles Space and time represent organisation (Rosen, after Heidegger)

26. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson26 Space-time going cheap! Space-time Universes are created, and organised — somehow! (cf. flocking of birds, termites’ nests)

27. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson27 ESP deep level (‘pre-space’) space M1 M2 universe level

28. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson28 Creativity Can all of creativity (e.g. higher maths, subtle music) be understood biologically? Does it instead come from our deeper source?

29. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson29 Source of music? Place where things begin Comprehensible ‘germs’ Like a gene, function in a computer program Elementary components that can perform tasks and which we can learn to combine

30. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson30 What are the components of mind? Atoms of mind are the units of intelligence, elementary ideas, are ‘physical’ at this deep level, come from self-organisation. Ideas are systems with a specific inner dynamics, manifesting in their ability to organise and to create.

31. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson31 In conclusion We have proposed an extension of science Where will this lead? Will strange, taboo ideas become a respectable part of science? Occult Sciences Tripos? CU Institute of Astrology? Telepathy, ‘memory of water’, ‘cold fusion’? Scientific theology, intelligent design?

32. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson32 References (books) Stuart Kauffman: the Origins of Order Paul Davies: the Goldilocks Enigma Steven Rosen: the Self-Evolving Cosmos

33. Mar. 5, 2008/CUPSA Critical Point for Science / Brian Josephson33 References (web) Video lecture: Can the Physicists' Description of Reality be Considered Complete?Can the Physicists' Description of Reality be Considered Complete? Limits to the Universality of Quantum Theory Beyond Quantum Theory: a realist psychobiological interpretation of physical reality (with Michael Conrad and Dipankar Home)Beyond Quantum Theory: a realist psychobiological interpretation of physical reality String Theory, Universal Mind and the Paranormal What can Music tell us about the Nature of the Mind: a Platonic Model (with Tethys Carpenter)What can Music tell us about the Nature of the Mind: a Platonic Model “The place where things begin”: Samantha Parton interview in Triste magazineSamantha Parton interview