Essential Fabrics Of The Universe: Energy and Information
The theory of quantum mechanics has shifted scientific thinking dramatically. It has helped us to understand that, at the subatomic level, the universe is not made of any particular elements, but rather only energy. A great physicist and systems theorist, Fritjof Capra, explains this shift clearly in his book, The Tao of Physics.
This shift in paradigm thinking in science concerns a shift from thinking in terms of structure to thinking in terms of process. In the old paradigm, it was thought that there were fundamental structures, and then there were forces and mechanisms through which these interacted, which gave rise to process. In this old paradigm, it was the structure that determined the processes. In the new paradigm, we think that process is primary, that every structure we observe is a manifestation of an underlying process.
This process thinking came into physics with Einstein’s relativity theory. The recognition that mass is a form of energy eliminated the concept of a material substance from science, and with it also that of a fundamental structure. Subatomic particles are not made of any material stuff; they are patterns of energy. Energy, however, is associated with activity, with processes, and this implies that the nature of subatomic particles is intrinsically dynamic. When we observe them, we never see any substance, nor any fundamental structure. What we observe are dynamic patterns continually changing into one another – a continuous dance of energy.”
This dancing energy has a pattern of information that is everywhere. Each creature on Earth is composed of information; information sits at the center of our cells and rattles around in our brains. Every particle in the universe, every electron, every atom, every star, and each one of the countless galaxies in the heavens is packed full of information. That information is always flowing, moving from place to place, spreading throughout the cosmos. Throughout cosmic history, the universe, which is made of energy, has evolved to have many diverse, complex forms, including human beings that are capable of processing complex information. Therefore, energy and information are the most essential components of the universe.
This shift in paradigm thinking in science concerns a shift from thinking in terms of structure to thinking in terms of process. In the old paradigm, it was thought that there were fundamental structures, and then there were forces and mechanisms through which these interacted, which gave rise to process. In this old paradigm, it was the structure that determined the processes. In the new paradigm, we think that process is primary, that every structure we observe is a manifestation of an underlying process.
This process thinking came into physics with Einstein’s relativity theory. The recognition that mass is a form of energy eliminated the concept of a material substance from science, and with it also that of a fundamental structure. Subatomic particles are not made of any material stuff; they are patterns of energy. Energy, however, is associated with activity, with processes, and this implies that the nature of subatomic particles is intrinsically dynamic. When we observe them, we never see any substance, nor any fundamental structure. What we observe are dynamic patterns continually changing into one another – a continuous dance of energy.”
This dancing energy has a pattern of information that is everywhere. Each creature on Earth is composed of information; information sits at the center of our cells and rattles around in our brains. Every particle in the universe, every electron, every atom, every star, and each one of the countless galaxies in the heavens is packed full of information. That information is always flowing, moving from place to place, spreading throughout the cosmos. Throughout cosmic history, the universe, which is made of energy, has evolved to have many diverse, complex forms, including human beings that are capable of processing complex information. Therefore, energy and information are the most essential components of the universe.