I’m starting today’s post with an idea. The idea is to expand on the phenomenon of steric refraction. I don’t yet know where this post will lead me, but I hope that I’ll learn something while writing it.
So, let’s recap: the concept of steric refraction is the effect neighboring molecules in a supramolecular shell impart on each other. In my last post I represented a supramolecular shell as a long string of molecules, rotating around a common core. Here the molecules are simplified into circular loops in the chain:
The reason why the structure remains stable is that the chained molecules cannot expand beyond their current state without lengthening the chain. However, there is no inherent reason why this shell of chains cannot be contracted by and external force. I should at some point explore how the ideal gas law links to this concept more deeply, but today I’ll just scratch the surface.
Pressure by molecules in this new model is just about the same thing as before. However, the main difference is that in the directions of the velocities of gas molecules is spread randomly, while in the model of steric refraction, the distribution of directions of movement of the gas molecules is identical to the ideal gas law, but steric refraction arranges the molecules in a very ordered pattern of movement.
And then we get to the wave-particle duality, not just of light, but also of all other particles. Quoting Wikipedia:
Wave–particle duality is the concept in quantum mechanics that quantum entities exhibit particle or wave properties according to the experimental circumstances.
Here we know that the wave is more accurately described as a helix. Both the shape of the supramolecular supraparticle is a helix and its trajectory of each particle in it is also a helix.
This seems to imply that while the internal structure of all particles of matter are described as the neat equations described in the Theory of Everything -manuscript, the interaction between the particles needs to consider steric refraction. I’m pretty sure that in practice the best estimate for these interactions, at least for now, is the wave function. I almost seem like a fake saying this, because I haven’t really needed to understand the wave function beyond some introductory courses. The point that I’m making is that I don’t think that current science is qualitatively wrong at all. Even quantitatively it’s mostly correct. Only when you start telling stories about the uncertainty principle, you can go wrong. According to Wikipedia:
The uncertainty principle, also known as Heisenberg's indeterminacy principle, is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics. It states that there is a limit to the precision with which certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, can be simultaneously known. In other words, the more accurately one property is measured, the less accurately the other property can be known.
I’m pretty confident that the uncertainty principle relates to the properties of the supramolecular chain. Unfortunately, I’m not at all familiar enough with the concept to say anything more. It seems that being a chemist, I’m freed from trying to understand things that cannot be understood before understanding the phenomenon at a more fundamental level.
So, what do I know? I know that it must be refraction all the way down. A bit like the phrase “turtles all the way down” relating to infinite regress. At the level of an individual particle, there is refraction by elementary particles of energy. This very accurate property cannot be observed directly. What can be observed is the effect of steric refraction, where there is a certain level of uncertainty for anyone who does not know the initial state of the particles involved in the observed phenomena.
It seems that what I need to do next is to start rewriting the Theory of Everything -manuscript. I think that as I write, I will learn what I still need to figure out. I thought I’d figure something exciting out while writing this, but no such luck this time.
Next, I’ll revisit my Theory of Everything -manuscript and start rewriting it. Who knows whether this will preoccupy me for days or weeks and lead me to not writing posts. I’m hoping for the opposite: that this process will reveal new truths that I can share with you.
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