I Is There Really Only One Electron Traveling Through Time?

[PhysicsCheeser]

I was reading through a thread and read someone say that there is really only one electron traveling through time which is why all electrons we see are the same. IS this an accurate claim? if so, where does it come from?

 

[rootone]

I think the idea arose from speculative banter between Richard Feynman and John Wheeler.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-electron_universe
I'm not sure if either of them really thought this could be an accurate or useful model though,

 

[PhysicsCheeser]

so its not even a theory? it was just left as a postulate? has anyone done anything to try and rove this?

 

[mfb]

It is an English description of an aspect of a theory (quantum field theory) that is at best misleading.

No, it is not a theory.
What do you mean by "not even"? A theory is the best science can achieve.

 

[PhysicsCheeser]

there is no theory that there is only one electron, it was just speculated by Feynman and Wheeler. This is what I understood from the article rootone posted.