Fields: What Are They Made Of?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of fields in physics, specifically questioning what fields are made of and how they relate to the concept of ether. Participants explore both classical and quantum perspectives on fields, while also addressing the characteristics and properties associated with them.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that fields "fill up" space, drawing a comparison to ether based on this characteristic.
  • Others challenge the validity of comparing fields to ether, arguing that a single characteristic is insufficient for such a comparison.
  • There is a discussion about the lack of detection of classical ether versus the properties of quantum fields, which some participants believe is a significant distinction.
  • A participant describes fields from both classical and quantum perspectives, noting that fields can be seen as smooth phenomena or quantized entities composed of photons.
  • It is mentioned that the understanding of what constitutes fields remains unclear, similar to the constituents of matter, space, and energy.
  • Questions arise regarding the nature of particles as "chunked ripples in the field" and what these ripples are composed of.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the comparison between fields and ether, with multiple competing views remaining regarding the characteristics and nature of fields.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the uncertainty surrounding the constituents of fields and the models used to describe them, as well as the unresolved nature of how fields relate to fundamental concepts in physics.

Pjpic
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Of what are fields made? Sort of sounds like ether.
 
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Pjpic said:
Of what are fields made? Sort of sounds like ether.

Could you please list out all the properties and characteristics of fields and all the properties of the classical ether, and point out how you deduced that they "sound" alike?

Zz.
 
"sound" alike?

Zz.[/QUOTE]

From what little I know of fields, they seem to "fill up' space. This seems similar to , or sounds like, ether.
 
Pjpic said:
From what little I know of fields, they seem to "fill up' space. This seems similar to , or sounds like, ether.

So you pick up on ONE characteristics and somehow this is sufficient to make the comparison? A chicken is edible, and so is an apple, so they both "sound" alike?

Zz.
 
ZapperZ said:
So you pick up on ONE characteristics and somehow this is sufficient to make the comparison? A chicken is edible, and so is an apple, so they both "sound" alike?

Zz.

Sure; if it seems to be a salient characteristic. I surmise there is a compare/contrast list between ether and fields. But, the point of orignal question is about what makes up fields.
 
Pjpic said:
Sure; if it seems to be a salient characteristic. I surmise there is a compare/contrast list between ether and fields. But, the point of orignal question is about what makes up fields.

So the obvious fact that the classical ether has not been detected while the properties of quantum fields have makes no difference to you?

Zz.
 
makes no difference to you?

Zz.[/QUOTE]

It does make a difference. Although, with this thread; I'd rather stay with the original question.
 
Pjpic said:
It does make a difference. Although, with this thread; I'd rather stay with the original question.

But this IS related to your original question, because it renders your claim that they "sound" alike to be false. Thus, the original premise is not valid because of this one, very important, distinction.

Zz.
 
ZapperZ said:
But this IS related to your original question,

I agree, you are correct; it does relate to the original question. But, for the remaider of this thread; I will stay focused only on the original question -Of what are fields made?
 
  • #10
From a classical perspective, a field can be regarded as a smooth, continuous wavelike phenomena; from a quantum mechanical perspective, the field is seen as quantized, being composed of individual photons. A good way to visualize a field is the old magnetic and iron filings...clearly the field carries energy to push the iron filings into an alignment pattern...

How the field is described usually depends on the model you choose...nobody knows the constituent(s) any more than we know those of matter, space,time,energy...we have working models that usually do a good job of predicting most experimental results...how all the constituents "fall from" an initially unstable high energy "big bang" phase transition to what we see today (as separate electromagnetic, gravitational, and nuclear fields, for example,) remains fundamentally unclear. "Unification" (of relativity and quantum mechanics, maybe string theory, quantum field theory,etc) seeks to explain much of this...we'll see how it turns out.
 
  • #11
...nobody knows the constituent(s) any more than we know those of matter, space,time,energy...

So, when Wiki says that particles are "chunked ripples in the field"; they don't know what the ripples are in?
 

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