One day a group of theoretical physicists that no one outside of the universities had ever heard of, began to make the claim that they had discovered and refined a technique which they believed would have far reaching and profound consequences. At first of course, they were virtually ignored, which is odd because they had good resumes. They had many academic papers to their names and taught at some of the most prestigious places of learning anywhere. And their idea really was top notch.
Over the next few days their followers on social media went through the roof, and so the best statisticians in the land took a look at the numbers. They confirmed that the growth in the physicists’ followers was in fact truly exponentially, as compared to governmental-hype-exponential. Local, and then national media began to take an interest. Soon some of the physicists were being interviewed on radio stations, and by the big news YouTube channels. And no wonder. In a nutshell, the team claimed to have invented a way to pluck energy out of the earth’s magnetic field and turn it into electricity.
Solving a crisis with a suitcase
Most of the people who followed, or heard about the theoretical physicists’ claims had only a vague grasp of what they were talking about. Of course, this is natural and to be expected given how hard physics can be. Despite this, some people became very excited. These people sat at their computers, using their 280 characters to speculate about the theoretical physicists’ work and its potential to solve the energy crisis. Their procedure was cheap, potentially easy to replicate, used no fuel of any description, and created no waste at all. No carbon, no remote Lithium mines, no carcinogenic particles. And if the videos were to believed, this thing even worked. What’s not to like?
Others thought ‘no way’, didn’t believe the hype, and went about their business.
As if these claims were not wild enough though, there had been some more developments. Quietly and without fuss, the theoretical physicists had enlisted some of their experimental colleagues from down the corridor. Soon a small group of engineers were invited to lend their expertise to the project. Together they had tested a version of the device that was about the size of suitcase, and that with the addition of a simple, small, aerial-type-thingy-bob seemed to provide unlimited energy to power a car.
Could it be true? More verified, exponential, social-based growth.
Somehow, through an inexplicable series of events, you are invited to fit the device to your car, and participate in a test. On the day of the trip, surrounded by noisy crowds busily posting selfies with you to their various socials of choice, you get into your upgraded car, and drive, drive and drive some more. On arriving at Land’s End, you get out for a stretch and a cream tea, before setting off back to London arriving in time to set out the chairs at church for the Sunday service. Total energy cost. £0. Zip. Nada.
You simple cannot believe it. Except it happened. It actually happened. Those darn physics nerds. This really is the most awesome thing you have ever seen. Perhaps this really will change the world.
Physicists go camping
There is, however, a draw back. And it’s a serious one. Those physics nerds are dividing into camps. Something doesn’t fit. Something feels wrong. In order to explain how this device works, so that it can be built at scale and rolled out for use by the eager, energy hungry populations of the world, there will need to be a fundamentally re-write the laws of physics. A new(ish) physics is needed to explain how this device works. Turns out, if you look at it in a certain way, under the right light, Scotty was in fact, wrong.
‘So what?’ you say ‘Me, I got a free-to-run car. Who cares about some spat between the physicists? It is about as serious as a national philosophers’ strike’. But the discord builds. There are arguments on the socials. Groups of angry physicists and their supporters can be seen carrying placards and confronting each other, throwing insults and shouting in tongues about ‘entropy’ and ‘conservation’ and ‘Lenz’s Law’.
But as you think about it you realise that a way of understanding our world will need to be let go of. Though these ideas have served us well, they are only part of a bigger picture. They are in need of a Great Reset.
The theoretical physicists have demonstrated that foundational work by the likes of Maxwell, Newton and Einstein while not exactly wrong, is full of holes. Michelson and Morely, despite being superheroes of physics, are in danger of being demoted to the ranks of the ‘somewhat-deluded’.
Perhaps the aether exists after all? Perhaps things don’t have to always fall when you drop them? Not now. Not anymore. And so Physics needs a serious reworking. The implications are enormous. Everything we thought we understood about how the world works is, well not 100% wrong, but seriously flawed. You are faintly amused as you consider the prospect of anarchy in the physics world. But what about the effect on the energy companies? Or on those that have invested heavily in those faraway lithium mines? Or on environmental degradation? What about the shift in international relationships? Poverty? Human rights? Food?
‘Anyway’ you type as you shrug your shoulders, ‘I dunno about all that. Too big to think about.’ But as you log out of twitter you can’t help muttering out loud ‘that thing worked. It actually worked.’
‘Stuff the old physics’ you think. ‘It must have been wrong. Newton – you can keep your apple.’