A Theory of Everything

I have used the often unreliable World Wide Web for much research concerning the area of quantum mechanics.

In one of my recent searches, I came across the notion that Buckmaster fullerenes, or buckyballs, may well have provided the essential seeds that have created life.

Such a leap of imagination is rather interesting to me. That somebody with probably far more intensive training in this area of knowledge should have even considered this notion is fascinating.

But then this notion is not so far fetched, once examined just a little.

Because on the one hand, the buckminsterfullerene is after all a varietal form of the element carbon, in the same way that diamond or graphite are different kinds of carbon. The name of this particular form is an homage to Buckminster Fuller, quite simply because of its shape similarity to the geodesic domes that he was fascinated by.

It seems likely that this kind of carbon atom does occur naturally, even in space, although it was first created artificially and identified by modern scientists in 1982 or thereabouts.

Interestingly, quantum entanglement is precisely that spooky at a distance relationship that Einstein himself talked about in the early part of the 20th century, when he was theorising about the nature of the universe in his relativity theories.

It seems that this particular form of carbon offers the possibility of faster than light connectivity between buckyballs, since the spooky at a distance collectivity appears to be instantaneous.

If this does hold out the prospect of multiples of the speed of light, which would be the only explanation if some external connection were to be the cause of this relationship, then some extraordinary possibilities seem to open up.

In my understanding, it is additional electrons which appear to be the reason for carbon atoms to be organised in this form.

And since electricity, perhaps particularly that form of electricity which is fundamental to life itself, which requires the movement of electrons, then perhaps quite simply everything that has generated electricity when it once lived might have left its footprint on the world, in some way that might find a spooky connection with other complex life forms.

This might seem unbelievable, if I wasn't virtually quoting Einstein himself.

But whilst all of this is on the surface at least semi-scientific, I have already hinted that my approach to this subject is at least partly motivated by my interest in creative writing.

If there is such a spooky and mysterious action at a distance involved at an atomic level in things, not only does it open up all kinds of scientific possibilities, such as faster than light travel.

And one of the major areas for research in quantum mechanics lies in quantum computing, to provide faster than imaginable computing options.

Yesterday, I watched The Forbidden Planet, a film which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

In the opening sequence, it is clear that the means of motion use by the spacecraft is based on quantum theory, which is the means by which its rate of travel achieves faster than light speeds.

Very little explanation is needed for the story to be compelling, and in the human world, just as in our capacity for sight, our brain will fill in the gaps without any problem.

And of course, interesting to an old cynic like myself, someone that wants dearly to believe but finds it difficult, the existence of such strangeness at a subatomic level does open extraordinary possibilities for a consciousness that perceives everything at all times and all places. And interestingly, it is clear in the story of The Forbidden Planet that belief in God is still essential and central to being human.

Perhaps life is something so special that it has been seeded by an allotropic form of carbon, that exists throughout the universe and can be the catalyst, in the right circumstances, for the development of complex carbon-based lifeforms.