Universe contains only one electron?

In summary, my friend told me that Feynman's idea is that when an electron and positron come together they annihilate and form a gamma ray. This gamma ray can then produce another electron positron pair, and because of this you could model a positron as an electron moving backwards in time. This idea can be graphed to show that the gamma ray acts as a kind of 'u-turn' sign to send the electron running backwards in time.
  • #1
lvlastermind
101
0
One of my friends was telling me about this interesting idea. I've been looking and I couldn'r really find that much to read about it. Does anyone else know of this theory or have something that explains it in more depth?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
What did your friend tell you about this "theory"?
 
  • #3
Yeah I know what you are talking about. It was one of feynmann's ideas(kind of). when an electron and a positron come together they anihilate and form a gamma ray. Feynman said that both the elctron and positron involved in the annihilation had a past. before they came together (duh) and formed a gamma ray, which could then produce another electron positron pair. And because of this you can model a positron as an electron moving backwards(thermodynamically) in time. Then if you graph this situation(give me a sec to whip one up), you can see that the under this "electron moving backwards in time" idea the gamma ray acts as a kind of u turn sign to send the electron running backwards in time. allowing the electron to be in more than one place at the same time! Following this idea to its ultimate conclusion will yield the idea that it is possible for their to only be one electron in the universe.
Graph to follow.
 
  • #4
if you look at this bitmap it basically gets the theory across. Starting on the left with the blue line, and electron it moves forward in time until it sees a gamma ray(green), then it starts moving backwards in time(what we see as a positron) until it sees another gamma ray, and it then turns around and starts moving forward in time again. Theoretically this process can continue without end. The horizontal lines interecting the graph represents every location in space that the electron would be found at any given time, and since there is no brake system for the forward backward time motion the intersections could happen as many times as there are electrons in the universe, hence there may be only one electron in the universe.
 

Attachments

  • feynmann.bmp
    39.8 KB · Views: 553
  • #5
thanks for the clarification. Is there a website or a book that can expand on it?
 
  • #6
Not sure, This was a topic we discussed in one of my ohysics courses. you can probably find something if you look hard enough. I'll see if I can dig up the actual name of this idea.
 

1. Is it possible that the universe contains only one electron?

While this theory has been proposed, it is not supported by current scientific evidence. The Standard Model of particle physics predicts the existence of multiple types of particles, not just one electron.

2. How would the existence of only one electron affect our understanding of the universe?

If the universe did in fact only contain one electron, it would challenge many of our current theories and models about the fundamental workings of the universe. It would require a complete rethinking of our understanding of matter and energy.

3. Could there be more than one universe with only one electron in each?

While the concept of multiple universes, or a multiverse, is a popular topic in science fiction, there is currently no scientific evidence to support its existence. Therefore, it is not possible to say whether there could be more than one universe with only one electron in each.

4. What evidence do we have for the existence of multiple electrons?

We have extensive experimental evidence for the existence of multiple electrons, including their behavior in particle accelerators and their role in chemical reactions. Additionally, the interactions between electrons and other particles, such as protons and neutrons, also support the existence of multiple electrons.

5. How do scientists know that there are more particles than just one electron in the universe?

Scientists have been able to observe and study a wide variety of particles, including protons, neutrons, and various types of subatomic particles. These particles have different properties and behaviors, providing strong evidence for their existence and the existence of more than just one electron in the universe.

Similar threads

  • Electromagnetism
3
Replies
74
Views
12K
  • Electromagnetism
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
287
Replies
10
Views
911
Replies
6
Views
845
Replies
23
Views
587
  • General Discussion
Replies
33
Views
2K
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • Electromagnetism
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
5
Views
633
Back
Top