Think New Figure 3
Speculation on the Intrinsic Capacity of Nature: The Über Force
Or, a Massive Brain Workout

At the most infinitesimally indivisible shard of time — between the moment that universal matter and energy reaches the downward conclusion of final collapse into singularity and the moment the intensity of that inward compression bounces from near annihilation into the explosion that then cools to become the constituents of the universe once more — in that intervening nano-moment it can be said with a comfortable level of cogent reasoning that the singularity has the natural intrinsic capacity to expand, cool, coalesce, organize, acquire sentience, become self aware and give thanks for its own existence. Bits of MATTER and waves of ENERGY (MATTER | ENERGY) — either on their own accord, or as the result of an as yet un-quantified universal force —do become self-aware and do give thanks.

MATTER | ENERGY must have this capacity otherwise we would not exist and be aware of the very matter that is ourselves. We the observers, quintessentially, are the proof of the capacity and/or force that allows MATTER | ENERGY these abilities. And to these abilities we owe our existence. There may be an infinite number of other abilities and behaviors, some of which are obvious such as the existence itself of MATTER | ENERGY, some of which are exotic, yet proven, such as those found in quantum physics, and some of which are beyond our imagination and comprehension, but, abilities nonetheless, that imbue matter and energy with equally intrinsic capacity. This range of capacity, while not making our specific reality necessarily inevitable, does provide for its potential. The capacity to become self-aware and give thanks is used in this note as a starting point among the multitude of intrinsic capacities inherent to matter and energy – it may be that there are an infinite number of other inherent capacities. The note does not seek to imply that the attributes of self-awareness and giving thanks are somehow more or less important than any other known or as yet unknown attribute. Hubris or species-centricity, it is hoped, is avoided. However, as beings capable of observation, we may take advantage of what is observable and, at its simplest level, draw conclusions that might transcend speculation. Even if we were mere illusion, a fantasy of other unimaginable beings, it remains that we are aware of at least what is the illusion. The illusion is still real and part of an existence, just as actors on a screen is illusory, the light projected through their images on frames of film is real.

All behavior in our observable reality, among the atoms, electrons, quarks, or theoretical vibrating strings as well as among creatures, planets, stars and galaxy clusters, all result from one or more of four known natural laws. Such laws or forces are accepted now with out reservation for their obvious affects on observable MATTER | ENERGY:

1. Gravity - Acting between all mass in the universe. RANGE: Infinite.
2. Electromagnetic – Acting between electrically charged particles. Electricity, magnetism, and light are all produced by this force. RANGE: Infinite.
3. The Strong Force - Binding neutrons and protons together in the cores of atoms. RANGE: Relatively short.
4. Weak Force – Causing decay or conversion of particles, for example, neutrons become protons. RANGE: Relatively short.

The capacity for self-awareness and giving thanks is a behavioral characteristic of MATTER | ENERGY that demands definition. This thought postulates that MATTER | ENERGY, in all of its forms and at all levels of organization, owes some of its behavioral capacity to a Fifth Force that allows for many things. For the purposes of argument, let’s take an example: “It is possible for MATTER | ENERGY to become self-aware and give thanks.” One could postulate that there is no need for the presence of a “force” in order for MATTER | ENERGY to arrive at the development of self-awareness or giving thanks. Such developments can be attributed purely to chance. But this random occurrence immediately begs the question: what allowed MATTER | ENERGY to experience the random occurrence? MATTER | ENERGY must exist in a reality that has the capacity for the random occurrence. MATTER | ENERGY must be capable of such occurrences from its primogenial beginnings — even if at some later point after the big bang, MATTER | ENERGY “acquired” the random ability. Similarly, following accepted forces, water can’t boil unless it exists in a reality that allows for the transformation of its constituent matter. Water has always had the inherent capacity to boil, even if it somehow came later on in its career.

Is this idea and the giving of thanks an exercise in the obvious? Perhaps. But it is this basic thought that remains compelling and wondrous. The force that allows MATTER | ENERGY to become self-aware and other tricks is omnipresent pervading the known observable universe. An electron spinning inexorably around an atom’s core is elegant. So is a rare diamond adding value to reflected light particles. Just as the mega-metropolis of activity blazing within a single cell at fantastic speeds. And, equally, the ability of sub-atomic particles to be in two distinct locations and two distinct states — simultaneously. All of this behavior is energy or vibrations coalesced as pieces of dust that organize over time to the point that collectively, they can view and write about themselves.

Further, MATTER | ENERGY has the intrinsic capacity to imagine, to create and to emote — it’s highest form for us, being love: itself a form of thanks. For us, limited by our development and powers of observation, emotion could be viewed as the observable apex of the Fifth Force: the inherent capacity of matter and energy to love and to receive love.  The capacity of MATTER | ENERGY for fear, hate and greed, to name a few, is no less amazing and part of the evolution of reality. But within our observable universe all things come together and fly apart in an endless cycle. Along that cycle, it can be said that matter and energy are continually evolving toward higher, more efficient vibration: an ever-evolving state of emotional being.

Is MATTER | ENERGY’s power to emote self-contained, that is, not as a result of capacity or force? Or does a force that allows for emotion and other thought-based behavior underlie MATTER | ENERGY? The known four forces of nature, to our eyes and instruments, appear to cause MATTER | ENERGY to behave in certain proscribed ways, depending on it’s state and level of organization. Could not such a Fifth Force be what allows for behavior such as self-awareness, emotion and the capacity for us to thank? While it can be said that our behavior “just is,” an intangible something must allow it to happen. After all, we completely accept that an intangible something (the four known forces of nature) allows for all other observable behavior. We don’t say that an apple falls from the tree “just because.” We say it can and does fall because it is given capacity to fall through a force called Gravity. Similarly, it can be restated that the behavior of emotion is given its capacity through a Fifth Force.

The law of averages suggests that our abilities and powers of observation likely fall somewhere in the middle of the bell curve of what’s possible (which might be infinite). If this is even partially true, then there are untold natural behaviors and forces we have yet to observe and understand. We speak often of a need for reliance on what we can observe and prove through mathematic formulae and scientific rigor. Even if we do not agree on the likelihood of the presence of other unknown behavior, we need only the simplest of observations to understand the wondrous nature of the Fifth Force/capacity. The force that allows MATTER | ENERGY to become self-aware is evident even without math and science. The thought is made cogent and provable just by observing a drop of water and being aware of it — the stuff that is you.

The thought can be pushed one step higher by imagining a single inherent capacity/force for everything. That is, an inherent capacity of all reality to act as it does. Following earlier assertions, reality as a whole has the capacity to manifest Matter and Energy. It has the capacity for forces – the currently accepted four forces, Electromagnetism, Gravity, Strong and Weak along with a potential for other forces. It has the capacity for sentience, self-awareness, giving thanks and emotions such as love and fear along with a potentially infinite number of other behaviors or attributes. Reality as we know it is brought to us through an elemental intrinsic capacity — an Über Force — that is made up of all forces, MATTER | ENERGY and anything else we don’t yet know about. This force of intrinsic capacity for existence in all its untold forms and constituent forces is the substrate upon which all reality is formed. One can pause and discover within, a certain appreciation and love purely and simply for what’s possible in our reality. Distilled to its most succinct form, Über Capacity allows for reality.   While not mathematic, this formula illustrates the thought.

F = Forces (Electromagnetic, Gravity, the Fifth Force, all other forces)
ME = Matter and Energy (in all forms)
UF = Über Force (underlying intrinsic capacity allowing for all the above)
R = Reality
I = Infinity

Why reality exists in the first place, instead of absolute nothingness without even infinity to allow for the continuation of nothingness — is another story altogether. We can never know with pure unadulterated certainty the why of our existence, but we can, with absolute certainty, have faith in the underlying inherent capacity that provides for our reality. The thought does not mean to imply the existence of a consciousness that lies beyond the realm of MATTER | ENERGY — somehow dictating, judging or even learning from the cycle. Rather, that the force along with all other known and unknown forces exists as a result of MATTER | ENERGY and vice versa. Forces allow MATTER | ENERGY to manifest in the observable universe. Yet forces cannot exist without the presence of MATTER | ENERGY to act upon. In this way, forces and MATTER | ENERGY may be viewed as separate, yet one. The Über Force of intrinsic capacity imbues every scrap of infinitesimally small vibration, tiny particle, celestial body, living thing and every thought. But for how long? Is this Über Force nothing more than a random one-time occurrence?

Optimistically speaking, reality is in a state of net construction as opposed to destruction. Net destruction would lead to the annihilation of all MATTER | ENERGY and all forces. It is easier and certainly more romantic to imagine MATTER | ENERGY and forces continuing and evolving throughout infinity rather than them sinking inexorably toward non-regenerative annihilation throughout infinity. Thankfully, within the human construct, infinity does not have the inherent capacity to end. If infinity exists and cannot end, this construct suggests that utter annihilation is not possible since pure and utter annihilation would require the absence even of the concept of infinity. The presence of an Über Force/Capacity, along with infinity allowing for MATTER | ENERGY and all forces, suggests that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, and now it would seem difficult to put it back. Humans of all colors, shapes, and presences of mind can celebrate and give thanks to the underlying capacity of nature to provide us with our reality. In this, we all share. With an infinite amount of time, construction leads to higher and higher iterations of the form. Peace and thanks.

Collin Stone
November 27, 2003
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