Chapter 27
What is a Wave and What is Waving?
Up until now it has generally been accepted by the quantum physics community that although the concept of wave-particle duality certainly appeared to be an experimental fact, the idea of what actually led to the wavelike aspect of these tiny objects often remained unclear. Thus we now need to consider the question of what is it that is waving in particles.
Most physicists today would say that Schrodinger’s wave equation tells us that the wavelike aspect exists only up until the particle is observed in some way and then collapses into nothing, leaving the particle in some definite state of certainty, unlike a wave. They would go on to say that the waves that existed before the measurement were not quite like other waves but only kind of probability statement expressing the likelihood of various outcomes being possible. Somehow these probabilities were all able to exist simultaneously while the particle was left undisturbed and unobserved. This approach went under several names, one of which was eventually called the Copenhagen Interpretation and championed by Neils Bohr and Max Born in the late 1920’s.
This is another example of how the meaning of quantum mechanics can differ from classical physics. For strictly following this interpretation implies these waves do not have any actual or physical substance and that therefore they are not quite real. SED asks: How can this be? Physics without reality?
We saw earlier in the section on de Broglie, or matter waves as they are now known, that these are the waves that Schrodinger’s equation is concerned with. We must now ask whether these waves have any substance or reality. This theory maintains they are simply pure E-M waves and yes they do exist and can be measured external to the particle. This is what waves are. A circular disturbance travelling through space.
A property of empty space is its ability to carry energy in the form electromagnetism and thus to support waves of electric and magnetic fields which are able to create each other as they change. They need nothing else as they do this. SED goes on to say these fields are in everything and everything is made from these fields including all light, energy and matter. Nothing else is as fundamental and fields are one of the most basic aspects of physics.
The electromagnetic field cannot exist without waving and changing. It must also travel at the speed of light as it does so. At the level of sub-atomic particles the frequency of this change is enormous, and this is why matter is very different to empty space. It causes space to twist and compress within and around the particle due to the presence of gigantic fields with their huge energy density continually vibrating in a structure that has three dimensions. These fields are real and measurable.
Matter waves are the result of fields rapidly vibrating as the particle maintains its spin of h regardless of its speed through space relative to any observer. This spin is constant, but its linear momentum need not be, and neither is its energy. Furthermore it can be made to move in a circular path and thus exhibit orbital momentum consisting of many h’s. An object doing this consists of many particles. So many that it has a much larger radius, despite its overall orbital speed being less than c.
As a result of all of this and from our perspective because we are very much bigger, different waves are generated which may or may not be observed. However we must now ask: Do they all do exist and are they real features of electromagnetism emanating or radiating from the particle before they interact with something or are observed by us? Were they merely a potential of some kind before that event?
This is a bit like how we consider potential energy to be not exactly identical to real kinetic energy. It can be given a value at any time or place but is not actually realised until it becomes actualised through a physical event that we can also call an interaction or observation.
Could these matter waves be a similar concept? If so they may not be as mysterious as quantum physics currently tells us. Prior to actuality when an interaction or measurement is made, is potential closer to physical reality than mere probability implies?
The Origin of Everything
(Online Edition)
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28 - Gravitational Mass and Inertial Mass
What makes mass resist motion? And what makes it attract other mass? This chapter explores the link between gravitational and inertial mass, proposing they stem from the same origin: space compression during matter formation. Using the SED framework, it offers a tangible geometric explanation for inertia and gravity, and hints at the futuristic possibility of anti-gravity. Could mastering the geometry of space lead to revolutionary new motion?
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29 - Energy Is Not Quantised
Is energy truly quantised? This chapter challenges a core quantum assumption, proposing that while Planck’s constant (h) is quantised, energy itself flows as a continuum - its apparent granularity an illusion shaped by the frequency of vibration. Photons may arrive in discrete packets, but the underlying fabric of energy can take on any value. What determines a particle’s mass or energy? The search for deeper balance continues.
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30 - Conclusion
A new beginning is formed. From conclusions on the formation of matter, gravity, and the fine structure constant a new picture of the universe has been defined. Where to from here?
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31 - Further Studies
These are the areas where further investigation is needed to complete the Theory of Everything.
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32 - References
Interested in further reading? These are the previous authors and books that helped to form the theories within The Origin of Everything
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Foreword
Before diving into the main content, read here about the motivation behind the book and the big questions it seeks to answer. See who inspired the work, and the thinking that led to this theory, and why it might just change the way we understand the universe.
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01 - Introduction
Modern physics often buries insight under complexity. The theory outlined in The Origin of Everything offers a return to simplicity and a new vision of how the universe is built. Written for curious minds, it presents a bold, unified theory of everything - grounded in known physics, inspired by new insight.
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02 - Structural Electrodynamics (SED)
Here we meet the core concept of the book - Structural Electrodynamics: matter is made from energy loops, not point particles. These loops, called rotons, are electromagnetic structures that trap energy in a spinning, three-dimensional wave - a soliton. SED offers a unified framework that can explain particles, forces, and even gravity from first principles.
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03 - Matter and Energy
This chapter redefines the boundary between energy and matter. Energy flows in flat, fast waves, but when curled into a tight loop, it becomes mass. Using this model, we see that light and matter aren’t opposites but two states of the same underlying field.
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04 - Quantum is Not That Strange
Quantum physics seems weird only when we treat it as separate from classical physics. This chapter shows that if you accept that all particles are waves with structure and spin, the quantum world starts to make intuitive sense. Wave-particle duality and other “mysteries” are natural outcomes of field behaviour.
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05 - Angular Momentum & Planck’s Constant h
Spin is not a quirky quantum property. It's the foundation of all physical motion. Planck’s constant defines the smallest unit of angular momentum, making it the heartbeat of the universe’s structure. Everything spins, and spin defines everything.
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06 - The Uncertainty Principle
The Uncertainty Principle isn’t about fuzziness or confusion. It’s about the deep interconnection between motion and measurement. You can’t perfectly know a particle’s position and momentum at the same time because they're different faces of the same process. This chapter reframes uncertainty as a natural limit of structured fields.
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07 - What are Fields?
Fields are more than mathematical abstractions. They are the basis of all of the physical universe. And there is only one type - Electromagnetic. This chapter lays the foundation for understanding how all energy, matter, and forces emerge from field dynamics.
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08 - Charge and Magnetism
What if charge and magnetism aren’t fundamental points but consequences of something deeper? Here we explore how electromagnetic fields give rise to electric charge and magnetism, opposing the current school of thought. It is the elegant interplay of these dynamic fields within the roton that create all of the forces in nature.
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09 - The Electron
In this chapter, the structure of the electron is revealed. Made from two gamma-ray photons colliding at right angles, their energy locks into a spinning loop called a roton—a stable, three-dimensional wave. This motion gives rise to mass, charge, and spin, with no need for point particles. The electron is light, folded and locked into form.
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10 - The Atom
This chapter shows how protons, neutrons, and electrons form from light itself, held together purely by the electromagnetic force—no need for a separate “strong force.” Through Structural Electrodynamics, we uncover the physical structure behind charge, spin, fusion, and the stability of matter itself.
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11 - The Universe
From the subatomic to the cosmic, SED extends its insights to the vast structure and evolution of the universe. This chapter explores how time, matter, and space emerged through waves of creation, annihilation, and expansion - guided by electromagnetic fields. A fresh explanation for inflation, antimatter asymmetry, and mass reveals the universe as a dynamic interplay of field-based phenomena.
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12 - What is Gravity?
Gravity isn’t a force - it’s space itself compressing around matter, pulled inward due to its formation. This chapter redefines gravity as a geometric effect caused by the 3D twisting of energy, revealing the true link between mass, spin, and space-time. SED offers a physical explanation Einstein never had, uncovering why gravity is weak, always attractive, and utterly fundamental.
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13 - Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and Black Holes
SED suggests that even the darkest forces in the cosmos (black holes, dark matter, and dark energy) emerge from the dynamics of electromagnetic fields. From accelerating expansion powered by ongoing annihilation, to invisible rotons that may comprise dark matter, this chapter offers field-based explanations where standard models fall silent. It even draws a provocative link between black holes and fundamental particles through the fine structure constant, hinting at a cosmic symmetry.
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14 - SED and Maxwell’s Equations
Maxwell’s equations are the foundation of electromagnetism, and SED brings them to life by modeling particles as dynamic, twisting field structures called rotons. Within this framework, electric charge emerges from divergence, mass arises from curl, and the dance between E and B fields sustains both light and matter. The roton isn’t just compatible with Maxwell’s theory - it’s a vivid physical manifestation of it.
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15 - The Fine Structure Constant
Since its discovery in 1916 by Sommerfield, the Fine-Structure Constant, α, has long been a mystery, known precisely but not understood. SED proposes that α represents the ratio between the width of a particle’s electromagnetic path and its overall wavelength, giving physical meaning to this dimensionless number. In this model, particles are structured as twisting electromagnetic fields (rotons), and only a specific internal twist, equal to α, can sustain their stable motion. Thus, α emerges naturally from the geometry of light trapped in matter.
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16 - SED and Spin
An eternal twist woven into the fabric of every particle. SED reveals that this motion isn’t abstract or symbolic, but real angular momentum born from the spiraling dance of light itself. Through the geometry of rotons, matter inherits its spin, mass, and dual magnetic states. What quantum theory once shrouded in mystery, SED brings into view with clarity and elegance.
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17 - Problems with the Standard Model
The Standard Model claims to explain the fundamental particles and forces of nature - but SED challenges its complexity, contradictions, and reliance on unverified entities like quarks and gluons. What if mass, charge, and spin emerge from elegant field structures instead of patchwork theories? This chapter invites you to question the orthodoxy and discover a simpler, more unified picture of the universe.
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18 - Unification of the Four Forces
What if all the forces of nature - gravity, electromagnetism, the strong and weak nuclear forces - were just different expressions of a single phenomenon? This chapter presents SED’s radical proposal: that electromagnetic fields alone are responsible for every interaction in the universe. From the binding of atomic nuclei to the warping of space-time, SED reveals how geometry, spin, and field dynamics replace the patchwork of separate forces. It’s an elegant unification, long sought by physics and perhaps, finally within reach.
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19 - What are de Broglie Waves?
De Broglie’s bold idea that all matter behaves like a wave helped spark the quantum revolution. SED brings it vividly to life. By connecting wave-particle duality to real spinning fields, this chapter reimagines de Broglie waves not as abstract probabilities, but as tangible, physical motion. Discover how the dance of spin, wavelength, and momentum shapes both the quantum and the cosmic.
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20 - What is a Spinor?
Spinors are essential to modern physics, yet their physical meaning has remained obscure for over a century. This chapter explores a new perspective from SED that connects spinors with the structure of matter in a clear and testable way. It shows how their strange properties (like requiring a 720° rotation to return to their original state) can be understood as real features of the particles they describe. The result is a model that links the abstract spinor to the familiar electron, revealing them as one and the same.
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21 - SED and Polarisation
A sine wave is circular motion viewed side-on. Fundamentally light is always spinning. This chapter explores how the orientation of that spin gives rise to different types of polarisation: vertical, horizontal, and circular. SED reveals how aligned spins in photons unlock phenomena from sunglasses to 3D cinema. Discover how polarisation offers a window into the deeper structure of light itself.
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22 - What is a Measurement?
What exactly happens when we measure something? In classical science, measurements were thought to simply reveal fixed properties - but quantum physics reveals a deeper truth: the act of measuring can influence the system itself. This chapter explores how observation collapses possibilities into outcomes, and how uncertainty sets limits on what we can ever truly know. A fascinating look at the fine line between potential and reality.
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23 - What is an Observer?
What does it really mean to observe something in physics and why does it matter? This chapter explores the observer’s role in transforming possibilities into actual events, especially at the quantum scale. From photons emitted one by one to the mysterious collapse of the wave function, it challenges the idea that observation is passive. Is the observer merely watching, or are they fundamentally shaping what unfolds?
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24 - What is Entropy?
Often described as a measure of disorder, entropy is a slippery but fundamental concept shaping our understanding of the universe's fate. From the quiet structure of living systems to the chaotic drift toward cosmic “heat death,” this chapter explores entropy as both a mathematical idea and a deep physical truth. Is energy the driver of disorder? Can entropy itself be stored? These provocative questions are explored further.
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25 - SED and Schrödinger’s Equations
Schrödinger’s equation describes how quantum systems evolve, but SED reveals the physical origin behind the maths: spin. Matter waves aren’t abstract- they emerge from the rotational motion of energy in soliton structures. Spin, encoded in Planck’s constant, is the heartbeat of matter itself. This chapter bridges wave mechanics and real structure, grounding quantum behaviour in electromagnetic motion.
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26 - What is a Neutrino?
Neutrinos are the ghost particles of the universe - abundant, fast, and almost invisible to interaction. SED suggests they are oversized, low-energy rotons with hidden structure and a single unchanging spin. Their mysterious ability to morph between three types may be tied to motion through the three dimensions of space. Could their elusive nature be due to an undetectable charge and giant size? This chapter explores the particle that slips through almost everything, including our understanding.
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27 - What is a Wave and What is Waving?
Are the waves in quantum physics real, or just mathematical ghosts? SED argues they’re electromagnetic through and through - real, measurable, and the very essence of matter. This chapter challenges the Copenhagen view, rooting wave-particle duality in structured energy, not abstract probability. What if potential is more physical than we could imagine?