A New Perspective on Ideas

Assumptions:
There exists a fifth dimension, invisible to the human eye (bear with me please!), expanding itself not through space, but through the infinite realm of physical possibilities.

This post is not entirely derived from logic, for I am beginning to feel that although logic may be one of the most fundamental arteries of truth, it may not be the only one. The primary reason the following thought is not inspired by logic is because it is based on the assumption of the existence of a fifth dimension entailing all of physical possibility, a hypothesis that, though surprisingly fitting in many scientific circumstances, has yet to be proved with substantial physical evidence. This post about ideas was inspired by theoretical physicist David Deutsch, who in turn was inspired by geneticist Richard Dawkins.

In his book, The Fabric of Reality, British theoretical physicist David Deutsch argues strongly for the existence of parallel universes, each representing a different physically possible cosmos. This hypothesis describing the nature of reality is one of the more notorious explanations regarding quantum mechanics and interference phenomena. In essence, according to the theory, every time a quantum event occurs (i.e. a particle moves from one location to another, though the latter location is not certain; rather it is described as a probability wave of possible locations), the universe in which it occurs splits into many different universes, each corresponding to one of the possible measurable outcomes of the quantum event. For more information, I would highly recommend reading Deutsch's text, as it presents a much more elegant argument for the hypothesis than I could describe here. Again, this theory has not yet been tested (but perhaps may be soon, through the advent of quantum computation), so we cannot know for sure that it is true. However, what I would like to do is for now pretend that it is indeed true and examine how different aspects of reality may be viewed through this new and uncanny perspective.

Although the "multiversal" theory of reality yields several important implications in regard to physics and computational theory, what fascinated me most in reading The Fabric of Reality was Deutsch's application of his theory to genetics. When I picked the book up off the shelf at Borders, sandwiched in between Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time and Lee Smolin's Three Roads to Quantum Gravity, the last place I imagined Deutsch would journey was to the inner workings of DNA. However, in his writing, Deutsch presents a conjecture, which, whether true or not, describes the science of genetics in an unexpectedly beautiful manner. He begins by addressing the all too often questioned nature of "junk" DNA, or DNA that has no impact on the structure of the organism in which it resides. He states that in the one-universe understanding of reality, there can easily be a long sequence of A's, C's, G's, and T's that is present both in a gene paramount to the survival and reproduction of the organism as well as in a seemingly random sequence of junk DNA. Upon inspection, absolutely no physical difference distinguishes the gene's sequence from the junk DNA's sequence. Each is composed of the exact same number and type of atoms in exactly the same arrangement. They are objectively identical. This problem has plagued genetics since DNA was first discovered. However, when Deutsch applies the multiversal lens to this problem, a peculiarly elegant image of the gene comes into focus, one that clearly distinguishes between the two "identical" sequences described above. Deutsch's logic is based on the fact that a particular sequence existent within a gene has complete control over the reproduction of the organism, and more specifically the reproduction and survival of the gene itself. Therefore, if a gene is mutated in copying at one point or another, it is likely that that mutation will prevent the reproduction of that gene; the gene will cease to exist. In other words, the preservation of a sequence of a section of DNA within a gene is key to that gene's own survival. That same particular sequence present in junk DNA, however, will continue to exist no matter how it is mutated, for it has no impact on its own survival. Applying the multiversal lens to this, Deutsch argues that a copy of a gene in millions of different universes can and does only exist if its sequence is preserved exactly; if the sequence had become mutated, it would have stopped its own reproduction long before. This is not true of a segment of junk DNA, which will exist no matter how its constituent nucleotides are arranged. Deutsch therefore describes a gene as a type of multiversal, or five-dimensional crystal, an absolutely stunning representation of the Earth's most fundamental unit of reproduction. It will have no deviations in its form, for the genes with imperfections simply cannot exist. Every cross section of this five-dimensional crystal will contain the exact same sequence of DNA.

Deutsch's application of the multiversal theory of reality to Dawkins' work on genetics is absolutely brilliant, and even if not provably true, it is an incredibly beauteous illustration of the nature of the gene itself. Dawkins, however, described a new type fundamental evolutionary unit, different than, but quite analogous to the gene. This unit he called the meme. According to Dawkins, and all current and past memetics specialists, a meme is defined simply as an idea that is passed on and reproduced, by humans in particular. The reproduction of a meme is not necessarily simpler, but certainly much quicker than the reproduction of a gene. In order for a gene to be reproduced, a series of intricate biological workings must occur, and though this may be a fast for an individual gene, in order for a gene to really spread itself across a large area, we must give it quite a while. This is the fundamental reason why the mechanism of evolution grinds along so slowly. A meme, however, can be spread across the entire Earth incredibly quickly. In ages past, a book or pamphlet could spread a thought to a huge number of people in less than a few months. Today, all one must do to spread an idea (even one simple enough to be described in a single sentence) is simply to post it on the internet, where it can be accessed and interpreted seconds later by people all over the world. Memetics also goes through a very similar evolutionary process, in which interesting or successful memes reproduce and live on for epochs, but uninteresting and unsuccessful memes can die out almost immediately. The main difference is that, with memes, it happens much more quickly. A culture can change overnight, but that same change in a species takes centuries. Deutsch did mention memetics a bit in his musings; however, he did not apply his multiversal theory to the study.

The multiversal approach to understanding the gene describes it as a five-dimensional crystal, uniform in composition. Because of the incredible relation between memetics and genetics we have just mentioned, therefore, it seems natural to apply the same type of understanding to the meme. However, certain obvious differences between the meme and the gene must be accounted for prior to proceeding. The most important difference, of which I have not yet spoken, is that memes are much more likely to undergo subtle and unquantifiable mutations as they are reproduced. A gene is mutated one nucleotide at a time, and this happens relatively rarely. A meme, however, is changed at least somewhat almost anytime it is passed from one conscious mind to another. Even two people reading the exact same sentence, or looking at the exact same picture almost consistently will interpret it differently. However, unlike as is with the gene, only significant mutations will prevent a meme from being reproduced. Therefore, a meme can be present through the vast expanse of the multiverse in all of its variations and still exist. This primarily distinguishes the gene from the meme.

Let us now attempt to look at the meme as a five-dimensional object just as Deutsch did with the gene. We can still look at a meme, or an idea, rather, as an extended crystal through the multiverse. Each slice of this crystal, however, is not a physical one like a gene, but rather an entity that exists solely within one's conscious mind. Representations of an idea, of course, can be scribed upon paper or canvas, but the idea itself still only exists when someone is present to interpret it. Because these ideas exist and reproduce despite their variations though, we must realize that this crystal that comprises them is no longer uniform like that of a gene. Each cross section is indeed different, and no two are exactly alike. If we furthermore imagine an infinity of possible, yet existing universes in which the idea spreads, it follows that every single possible interpretation of the idea exists as well. Ergo, every pair of variations on a single idea can be linked through a seamless fabric containing each idea in between the two (this is kind of like a function's continuity and smoothness in mathematics). When we view this crystal from afar, we can see now that it is not rigidly inflexible like the crystal of a gene, but instead constantly changes as we travel from one slice to the next. Furthermore, because of the seamlessness between every slice, the crystal's sides are not jagged, as one might initially expect, but smooth. If this crystal were a physical entity, we could easily run our finger down the entire length of it without fear of splinters.

Thus, though the concept of an "idea" on some levels seems simple and on some overwhelmingly complex, when we look at it through this multiversal perspective (which may in due time be proven by quantum mechanics and quantum computational experiments), what arises is a beautiful crystaline structure of ever-changing, yet fluid consciousness, which I must say, seems just too elegant to be untrue.