Relativity Illuminated, Addendum III

Addendum III
Intriguing Posers in Quantum Physics & Relativity

QUANTUM DYNAMICS

In a sense classic physics is now a wrap, if you choose to see it that way. The whole notion behind the science was that our reality is somehow strictly governed by inexorable Laws. But this is not actually the case. True, on the macroscopic (large) scale, everything appears to happen deterministically, according to formulas. But at the microscopic or sub-atomic level, it’s found that our precious governing laws are actually only lawful tendencies, and that variances can be enormous, even huge. But when taken together as a whole, the variances occurring in the sub-atomic kingdom more-or-less even out to produce a predictable norm of behavior seen in the macroscopic world.

RELATIVITY

In the real world, only the 'here and now' can have actual bearing on the unfolding of events and that's why there can never be a universal clock time. There’s a distinct sanctity and propriety associated with any particular here-and-now for it being this crux of causality; hence the perspective distortions of Relativity.

For example, you may hear tell that the stars and galaxies we see, because of their great distances and because of the finite speed of light, are really only after-images of what they once were. But relativistically speaking, no! what you see is what you get. We are viewing the distant stars as they are now, because now is the only time that's real for us, as gauged by causality. If a distant star blows up and its offshoot radiations eventually affect the Earth, then we are 'under attack' at the moment of their impact, the moment of causation... nothing else is relevant to physics. In a situation such as that, the X-rays and whatnot are attacking us while we see the star explode. So causality pretty much defines what is real now, and any 'deeper' analysis is at best a derivative and at worst a concoction.

Because of Relativity, it is meaningless for an Earthling to ask the question, "What's happening on Pluto at this very moment?" That's because there is no 'this very moment' on distant Pluto. What constitutes the 'now' is more a function of causality. Any conceivable 'this very moment', anywhere in the world, is best defined by the sum total of causative influences arriving, converging upon that time and place. A different time or place means a totally different convergence, and so cannot be a peer under any universal metric.

THERE'S NEVER A COP AROUND WHEN YOU NEED ONE

This very sanctity/propriety afforded any particular here-and-now (per causality) also seems to underpin Quantum Dynamics. If one assumes there to be deterministic Laws governing our whole physical world... then where might all the law enforcers be, pray tell? They can't be everywhere at once, for that would be some sort of magic. So instead, the prime governor is a sort of Murphy's Law or jungle law, catch-as-catch-can: anything that can go anomalous will, given the chance. Specifically, all manner of aberrant sub-atomic phenomena are likely to occur, and will be tempered only when countered by moderating influences in the immediate vicinity.