Unique Consciousness Defines Now

The two pillars of modern physics share the same blind spot of timelessness in a changing world. On one hand, relativity theories (special and general) define space-time by individual observer’s views with non-locality. On the other hand, quantum mechanics recognizes wave (non-local)-particle (local) duality of the reality, yet the collapse of quantum waves by every observation (measurement) is uniquely local. The puzzle is that in both situations, the objective time is non-local as there is no room for the subjective moment called “now” that is local. In the mind-body problem of each observer, now is the special time that makes every consciousness aware itself. Consciousness is unique and local. It seems to exist at the special position capable of collapsing non-local quantum waves at the unique space-time called now. However, modern physics has no such special place in the universe, so how could many individual observations compromise with the unique experience of everyone's consciousness?

The above puzzle can be explained by the many seemingly independent observations being made by the same consciousness. This seems to contradict to common sense, but both relativity theory and quantum mechanics imply that the unique observations at different positions of space-time simultaneously is prohibited so locality must exist in turns.

Relativity theories are built on the foundation of a constant speed of light, the common yardstick of space to time and vice versa used by every observer. How could different consciousnesses observe the same universe with the same yardstick? Relativity calls out the principle of no simultaneity for all observers. This seems to resolve the twin paradox by resorting to no simultaneity, but it does not explain the constant speed of light for the observation by different individuals.d Alas, light does have a feature of timelessness, the sense of consciousness at all time. Light is made of the overlap of an advanced wave that travels from now to future; and a retard wave that travels from past to present. Individuals observe only retarded waves; but consciousness observes both advanced and retarded waves. Moreover, elastic waves (e.g. earthquakes) that exist outside an observer contains both longitudinal (push-pull) and horizontal (inter-surface) vibrations; the constant speed of light means that it is not elastic, however. Light is a horizontal electro-magnetic radiation with no push-pull component because it is used as the fixed yardstick of space-time in push-pull mode.

Special relativity contains no matter, general relativity includes gravity for warping space-time even to the extent to form black holes where light cannot be reflected back. But black holes forbid cloning of information across their event horizons, so the observations outside and inside the black hole are in different universes. Again, this is consistent to a no-simultaneity principle for a single consciousness.

The unique observation is also the theme of quantum mechanics. The wave-particle duality of matter is like the twin paradox of space-time. One can only observe either wave or particle, but not both simultaneously. The quantum wave is known as a probability wave of particles. This understanding explains the puzzle of electrons that cannot pass through orbitals as non-local wave. The non-locality of a particle also allows the mysterious self interference of itself going through double slits before observation. This non-simultaneous observation is consistent with the single consciousnesses.

Here comes the wildness of the explanation of quantum reality. The Copenhagen Interpretation says that reality has no meaning before the observation. The Everett Interpretation suggests that reality has multiple histories in parallel universes (Hiibert Space). But these two views are contradictory to the experience of consciousness, that we all observe the same Universe. Since the observations must not be simultaneous, it follows that we see the same Universe in turns by the same consciousness at different times. This is entirely possible as the shortest moment is Planck time, 10^-43 second, and yet all conscious observations are memorized in less than one millisecond (Libert’s experiments proved that consciousness reconstructs the sequence of events after about half a second after the fact).

John Wheeler tried to compromise the seemingly non-local observations in the same Universe by the collapses of superposed matter in space and their entangled histories in time like piecing together a puzzle one by one. He believed that the observed quantum universe became real each time with a meaning defined by each observation, so with more and more answers in place, the quantum multiverse could solidify gradually to form an incomplete Universe that will become more clear with time. The observations at different localities by a timeless single Omniconsciousness can complement Wheeler’s interpretation by dealayed observations. It also unifies Copenhagen’s Observable Universe and Everett’s Silent Multiverse, both without consciousness.

The conspiracy of many observations by a single consciousness needs an explanation for the meaning of life as the objective universe cannot exist without its witness. The big bang universe can have infinite versions and most of them are meaningless. It is unlikely for the eternal Inflation to stop so energy in the subsequent cooling of space could expand to form atoms. Very few such universes could condense to form stars. Even fewer to synthesize diamond under high pressure as the most abundant solid. The observable universe has H, He, O, C as the richest elements, and only C is solid in the form of diamond. Why is diamond important? Carbon atoms are the backbone of DNA and amino acids. Both have to be formed simultaneously to sustain the first life. Miraculously, bucky onions shrouded nanodiamond particles spewed out during hot supernova explosions happened to be very abundant in the interstellar dusts. With water and minerals mixed in hot baths of water, the RNA world, precursor of life, became possible in the early Earth.

The evolution of life on Earth survived many twists of fate with the miracle of making the debut of Homo sapiens. Most scientists believe that the observable universe is so large that aliens civilizations should exist everywhere. However, for us to appear in the hostile universal environment on the benign Earth must be observed attentively; for example, the splashing out of moon by the hit of a wondering planet 4.5 billion years ago allowed the chaotic mixing of land and sea in Pre-Cambrian eons and the stabilization of weather for complex lives afterward. The combination of two iron cores during the above mentioned collision allows the unique size of hot metal and thick oxide insulation so the outer core remains liquid after billions of years. The convection of the molten iron generates a magnetic shield that is vital for the evolution of intelligent animals. The splashing out of a rocky moon left a thin crust on the Earth, that is essential for plate tectonics. It prompted the continental drift so radiation of life forms became possible. Plate tectonics only occurs in the solar system on Earth. Even with such an unlikely event, had not the global glaciation occurred 2.3 billion years ago, the Earth atmosphere would not be enriched with oxygen due to UV bombardment on the low density ice that shrouded the Earth. Without enriched oxygen, bacteria are likely to continue as the most advanced life as they did two billion years before the event of Snowball Earth. Thus, although The observable universe may be oversized to allow bacteria omnipresent, it is not large enough to evolve intelligent life that requires billions years even with unusual luck. This makes the observable universe unique; and so the observer. The unique history of parallel universes appears to be the trace of observations of the Omniconscious as it witnesses its own creation, and thus provides the meaning of life, including the presence of humans.