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by T.A. Erikson
ABSTRACT
Roger Penrose's "Road to Reality" has a last line, "....perhaps, something that we all
have missed?". This is motivation for revisiting panpsychism, an ancient theory that
suggests all things have awareness and/or consciousness. With a recent paper(1)
reporting increased attention to this subject, can a physicalist approach be fruitful? .
Given that light requires mass to validate its existence and mass requires time to prove
likewise, might these requirements suggest a basic "need" for all creatures? With life
defined as a simple "awareness", that is, between self and otherness, observed and
observer, etc. it seems to imply the concept(s) of the Heisenberg principle. Extending
this idea, "mass" or "energy" at any level may be "aware" of it's surroundings, so that
any action can result in a reaction that may be counted, measured, or harmonize
In short, this article begins with concepts that light needs mass and mass needs time.
BACKGROUND
Nearly 50 years ago I was introduced to some new thermodynamic concepts(4) for a
graduate degree in Chemistry. My adviser, Ralph J. Tykodi, now Professor Emeritus at
Southeaster Massachusetts Technological Institute (SMTI) has authored two book (5,
6) plus many technical publications to introduce new, as yet not accepted, ideas (He is
better known for many chess publications). In the preface(5)), his words, "...This book
does for the class of nonequilibrium situations involving stationary states and steady
rate processes what any good book on ordinary thermodynamics does for equilibrium
situations:..." sums his view. In this book (5), (shelved by me until now), he applies "...
only the concepts of heat, work, energy, and concepts derived therefrom." to various
steadyrate processes.
Processes of motion and growth incur changes in position and mass. Their forces,
motion as F(m) and growth as F(g), cause changes that may be represented by,
respectively:
F(m) = mass, M, times acceleration,a (with "m" as meters) , i.e. Ma, or Kg(m/sec^2)
F(g) = distance, d, times stimulation, s, i.e. ds, or m(Kg/sec^2).
The units of "Kg/sec^2" are not recognized in Physics... yet.
However, on page 12 (5) Dr. Tykodi introduces Eq. (2.12), a "thermodynamic
resistance" as an "entropy production term" divided by the square of a "suitably chosen
rate parameter with respect to time", I consider this as a first support for my proposed
"stimulation" as Kg/sec^2. Whereas Newton's "acceleration" for motion defines a force
to mass ratio, "stimulation" defines a force to distance ratio. With energy as a force
times a distance, then by analogy, "something?" (having units of m(Kg^2/sec^2) deals
with growth. Thus, where light velocity limits motion to c, growth may be limited by
(Kg^2/sec^2) which requires some way to measure. I suspect the product of surface
tension (energy per unit area), times area will represent "growth work" much as
pressure (energy per unit volume) times volume is "motion work".
to be continued.
REFERENCES
(1) Panpsychism, Chicago Section AAPT, November 10, 2007.
(2) http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/panpsychism (cites history, background (pro and
con) with (a) 63 references dated from 1889 to 2005, (b) 3 internet resources by
Chalmers,. More, and Skrbina, and (c) 19 related entries at Stanford's site.)
(3) http://www.scribd.com/search?query=panpsychism&x=29&y=15 (181 hits)
(4) T. A. Erikson, M.S. Thesis, "Thermodyamics of Steady States", Illinois Institute of
Technology, 1959
(5) R. J. Tykodi, "Thermodynamics of Steady States" Macmillan (1967)
(6) R. J. Tykodi,Thermodynamics of Systems (2002)