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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE al relativity does not combine with quan- tum mechanics, as has often been pointed out by professors such as Hawking and Penrose.’ Maybe it would be a good idea to look at an earlier theory, dismissed by the mainstream physics community, that had its own version of quantum theory. Only philosophers—not scientists—now A UNIFIED THEORY OF PHYSICS al relativity does not combine with quan- have ciated with them a length which FROM THE 18TH CENTURY tum mechanics, as has often been pointed appears in certain respects as a minimum; by R. J. Anderton © 2001 out by professors such as Hawking and __ this is often loosely called 'the radius of the Penrose.’ Maybe it would be a good idea _ particle'". In effect, Boscovich was saying: R*: Boscovich (born in Dubrovnik, to look at an earlier theory, dismissed by "Treat all finite radii as properties not of Yugoslavia, on 18 May 1711, and the mainstream physics community, that — single constituent entities, but of the laws died in Milan, Italy, on 13 February _ had its own version of quantum theory. of two-body interactions." As pointed out 1797) had a career that is an anachronism Only philosophers—not scientists—now by Whyte, this suggests that physics should in the history of science.' Physics in stop associating radii with single parti- general at the time took its lead from cles and only consider interacting Newton, and Boscovich's idiosyncrasy pairs or sets;’ in other words, physics led him to take the opposite track to the based on a "perfectly indivisible and majority. Whenever words like . non-extended point", treated as a "anachronism" are used, this means l was shocked to find quasi-material persisting centre of something strange is happening; it is a i ibi interaction.” word sometimes used to describe Tesla, Boscovich describing All of Boscovich's puncta are iden- who seemed far ahead of his time. what we would today call tical, so that the "mass" of any com- Boscovich is another example of a per- " H " posite body is simply the number of son far ahead of his time. superstring theory a puncta in it (actions being additive). In a book written for the 250th Whyte says in his book that "this is an anniversary of his birth, Boscovich is ordinary number which can be count- described as combining what we would ed, not a dimensional quantity which now call relativistic ideas with quantum must be measured in terms of extend- theory. The book, edited by Lancelot ed units, like space or time"."' I think Law Whyte, admits that Boscovich had a__ bother to look at Boscovic, and the philoso- Whyte is in error here. But he makes unified theory of physics that combined the _ phers do not know what they are looking amends when he says: "Boscovich, writing macroscopic scale with the microscopic.* at. I was shocked to find Boscovich in Latin more than a century before the the- How can a unified physics theory be describing what we would today call ory of dimensions was developed, could overlooked by mainstream physics? The "superstring theory", but he did not have __ not say 'my theory is kinematic, everything answers are many and varied but, essential- the technical words that we have since _ being derived from spatio-temporal rela- y, 20th-century physics has moved on developed in the past 200 years and was ___ tions, not mechanical like Newton's'."” from the ideas that Boscovich was dealing _ thus struggling to describe his theory. A kinematic theory means a theory based with. Boscovich starts with talking about on motion considered abstractly without The development of quantum mechanics "physical point particles" which he called _ reference to force or mass. Boscovich was from 1925, by Heisenberg, Bohr and com- "puncta".* He then goes on to define sever- trying to describe such a theory, and did any, made Boscovich and his theories al other features, saying what is now inter- not have the words; these did not come into seem irrelevant to the mainstream history _ preted as "the fields of elementary particles _ existence until after his death. of physics, and he and his ideas were thus omitted from orthodox science history. The Whyte book admits that Boscovich ad a unified physics theory, but says it is wrong.‘ No clear reasoning is given as to a 2 why Boscovich's theory is wrong; the book just seems to assume that Boscovich's theo- ry is wrong because it is not based upon the same quantum theory that was developed from the events of 1925-26.° heer 5 r Interestingly, Einstein kept insisting that q] the theory of 1925-26 was wrong. He = summed up his position in his book, Out of My Later Years:° ...in my opinion, the quantum theory [of 1925-26] does not seem likely to be able to produce a usable foundation for physics: one becomes involved in contradictions if one tries to consider the theoretical quantum description as a complete description of the individ - - ual physical system or happening. Fare, It is well known that the theory of gener- A UNIFIED THEORY OF PHYSICS FROM THE 18TH CENTURY by R. J. Anderton © 2001 Boscovich describing what we would today call "superstring theory’ ... bother to look at Boscovic, and the philoso- phers do not know what they are looking at. I was shocked to find Boscovich describing what we would today call "superstring theory", but he did not have the technical words that we have since developed in the past 200 years and was thus struggling to describe his theory. Boscovich starts with talking about cal point particles" which he called "puncta".* He then goes on to define sever- al other features, saying what is now inter- preted as "the fields of elementary particles Pee Pes NEXUS + 51 | was shocked to find AUGUST — SEPTEMBER 2001 www.nexusmagazine.com