Total mass in the universe = infinite (Dirac Sea calculation)

[LostConjugate]

I calculate that the total mass in the universe is infinite.

If there is an infinite number of negative energy states an electron can occupy and all the states must be filled with the lowest energy state being an infinite sea of electrons, then the total mass of the universe must be infinite.

Based on this text:

...This had the uncomfortable consequence that an electron could radiate energy indefinitely, as it dropped into ever lower negative energy states. To avoid this problem,
Dirac postulated that every negative energy state was filled; the lowest energy state in
nature being an infinite collection of negative energy electrons known as the "Dirac
sea." theory also allowed for the possibility than a negative energy electron could
absorb a photon and jump to a positive energy level, leaving an unoccupied position
in the negative energy levels. It turned out that this unoccupied position would
behave in every way as though it were itself a particle with the electron mass and
spin, but with the opposite charge: a "positron." These particles were discovered by
Anderson, in cosmic ray studies, just a few years after their existence was predicted
by Dirac.

 

[xepma]

The postulate is outdated and should quickly be forgotten. Dirac attributed the negative energy solutions of the Dirac equation to excited electrons that leave "holes" in the Dirac sea. But we now know that these negative energy solutions are in fact positive energy solutions carried by the antiparticles of the electrons. There is no Dirac sea (although there are some nice condensed matter examples, but these are not fundamental).

 

[LostConjugate]

The postulate is outdated and should quickly be forgotten. Dirac attributed the negative energy solutions of the Dirac equation to excited electrons that leave "holes" in the Dirac sea. But we now know that these negative energy solutions are in fact positive energy solutions carried by the antiparticles of the electrons. There is no Dirac sea (although there are some nice condensed matter examples, but these are not fundamental).

But the anti-particles were just unoccupied spaces within the filled negative energy levels that Dirac postulated would act exactly like a particle with opposite charge. The fact that there is proof of anti-particles supports the theory, it does not replace it.