Hello everyone!
In this week’s blog, I was inspired to write about the seemingly universal battle between “light and dark”, “good and evil” in recognition of the Hindu “Diwali” celebration that happened on Wednesday.
This recognition between a “good” and an “evil’ force in our world can be found in many of the world’s most popular religions, such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
How could this possibly relate to science? If these forces of “good” and “bad”, or “light” and “dark” are just a construct for human survival or human social skills, then how can we find any hard evidence about it?
I propose that we may be able to connect our knowledge of physical light to our concept of “social light” things. In other words, what if there is a correlation between the physics behind “light”, and the social construct of “good morals” or “good happenstance”- another kind of light?
First, let us analyze different properties of physical light that we have observed through scientific observation and experimentation.
Most of us have learned that “light” just means all of the visible light we can see, which includes the color spectrum.
But in reality, the “visible light” that we can see is only the smallest portion of the whole picture.
This is the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum, or all of the different forms of energy that light takes in our universe:
If we divide the total wavelength of visible light (0.3 micrometers) by the entire wavelength of the EM spectrum (10,000,000 micrometers), we arrive at the conclusion that visible light only takes up 0.000003% of the entire spectrum.
Isn’t it interesting that something as important as light only comprises the tiniest fraction out of the whole picture?
In the early 20th century, it was generally accepted among physicists and chemists that particles, including light particles, act as both a wave,…
…and a particle…
…at the same time. This is possible because photons, or light particles, move in packets of energy called quanta, which travel in wave-like patterns.
Besides the uniqueness of how human survival is dependent on relatively zero percent of all forms of light, it also has another significant role, and that is as the “speed limit” of the Universe. The speed of light is unique to itself- no other particles or forces in the universe compare to this significance. It is solely attributed to light, and light alone.
According to Britannica:
The speed of light is considered a fundamental constant of nature. Its significance is far broader than its role in describing a property of electromagnetic waves. It serves as the single limiting velocity in the universe, being an upper bound to the propagation speed of signals and to the speeds of all material particles.
Essentially, if we are to apply Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, light is the only constant in our universe. It is the only thing that doesn’t change if you change your relative location or perception of spacetime.
No thing can exceed the speed of light. If it did, it would have to exist outside of time.
How can these scientific properties of light correlate to a social definition of light?
Is there a universal definition, that is across all cultures on earth, of “good morals”? I was researching this question and came across debate.org, in which one person in favor of the idea of universal morals said:
“The concept of morality is universal, but the application is relative… What we need to do, is refine our hearts, detox our bodies, and sharpen our minds. When all three actions are complete, Darkness will become Light, non-being will become being.”
Even though this person is anonymous and has no credibility, I thought that it was interesting they included the phrase “darkness will become light”.
This idea of “light and darkness” can be found in the Diwali celebration as well, as mentioned previously. In this Hindu Holiday, “the triumph of light over darkness is celebrated”.
According to “The Universal Moral Code” by Dr. Keith Kent, who researched the morals of different cultures and religions across the world, the two categories of this that he found were to “DO NO HARM” and to “DO GOOD” to others.
How can we connect these seemingly universal moral laws to the universal law of light?
Visible light is really a part of a larger whole of light. This small fraction of light is imperative to all life on earth.
Doing a small, good deed is really a part of a larger whole, a larger force of good that we cannot see. The good deeds you do are made of visible light, and the overall force of good in the universe is the light unseen. Your good deeds are significant to human survival.
Light acts as both a wave, which is the “move to and fro with a swaying or undulating motion while remaining fixed to one point”, and a particle, which is “a minute portion of matter…the least possible amount”.
Good deeds, or social light, works in waves- which is how kindness can create “a sudden occurrence of or increase in a specified phenomenon, feeling, or emotion”, and in particles- a minute amount of energy (a small act of kindness) that literally impacts the entire universe.
We can even apply the “speed limit” of light to this idea of a universal moral code. Both remain unchanged regardless one’s perception of location or even time. Both are transcendent of time.
There is a force of light in the universe- a force for spiritual sight, and a force for physical sight.
The Wave-Particle Duality of Universal Morals
Thank you so much for reading! All of the things I propose are just ideas and not concrete facts. I am very open to changing my ideas if provided with a different take on things, or with different research that I have not found yet.
I hope you enjoyed! Until next week- keep searching.