Understanding Spin Foam Cosmological Model: Explained in Basic Terms

[Feeble Wonk]

The intricacies of the theory are hopelessly over my head. But I'm trying to clarify my understanding of the Spin Foam cosmological model in very basic and generalized terms.
The logical starting point might be in understanding what the SPIN in spin foam refers to. My cursory scan of web articles seemed to skip right over that bit of basic information. I'd appreciate any help that anyone might offer on this subject.

 

[jerromyjon]

The intricacies of the theory are hopelessly over my head

Mine, too.

I'm trying to clarify my understanding of the Spin Foam cosmological model in very basic and generalized terms.

Not likely to get many talking about something few know much about, and everything I've found is variations of concepts that have basically nothing to compare to descriptively. The only thing I can say with some confidence is that the spin is just quantum spin, foam relates to the vacuum energy or the "background" and spin networks associate connections in a system. How it all adds up "cosmologically" is way out of my scope for now.

 

[Feeble Wonk]

Not likely to get many talking about something few know much about, and everything I've found is variations of concepts that have basically nothing to compare to descriptively. The only thing I can say with some confidence is that the spin is just quantum spin, foam relates to the vacuum energy or the "background" and spin networks associate connections in a system. How it all adds up "cosmologically" is way out of my scope for now.

Thank you very much. So, the spin DOES refer to quantum spin and the foam IS the vacuum quantum foam of virtual particles. I just wanted to make sure I had at least that much right.

I'd read a bit by Lee Smolin that suggested the spin foam model was a leading cosmology theory which views space and matter/energy as emergent properties, but stipulates that time is a (the) fundamental parameter. I'm struggling to wrap my head around that.

 

[jerromyjon]

I'm struggling to wrap my head around that.

Just start at t=0. Go forward until you reach t=-1. Then you have your head around it.

 

[Feeble Wonk]

LMAO.