Peter Lynds
Encyclopedia
Peter Lynds is a New Zealand
er who first drew attention in 2003 with the publication of a physics
paper about time
, mechanics
and Zeno's paradoxes
.
Lynds attended university for only 6 months. He submitted an article entitled "Time and Classical and Quantum Mechanics
: Indeterminacy vs. Discontinuity" to the journal Foundations of Physics Letters. Among other things, the paper put forward a solution to Zeno's paradoxes
based on the idea that instants, instantaneous magnitudes, determined positions, and time itself, do not actually exist.
Lynds rose to sudden prominence when the paper was published and a press release about it appeared on the scientific news site Eurekalert.org on July 31, 2003. Both the subject of Lynds's article, as well as the means by which he came to the attention of the media, have remained controversial topics. An article about Lynds in The Guardian
on August 14, 2003 detailed the controversy.
Since the appearance of his first article, Lynds has done work on the relationship of time to consciousness
, perception
and brain
function. His main conclusion in this area is that our seeming innate subjective conception of a present moment in time, and the phenomenon of conscious awareness, are actually one and the same thing.
According to a 2005 article in Wired
, Lynds was then working on a book
.
Lynds has recently put forward a new cosmology
model in which time is cyclic
and the universe repeats exactly an infinite number of times. Because it is exactly the same cycle that repeats, however, it can also be interpreted as happening just once in relation to time. Lynds argues that this resolves a number of thorny issues in cosmology.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
er who first drew attention in 2003 with the publication of a physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
paper about time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
, mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
and Zeno's paradoxes
Zeno's paradoxes
Zeno's paradoxes are a set of problems generally thought to have been devised by Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea to support Parmenides's doctrine that "all is one" and that, contrary to the evidence of our senses, the belief in plurality and change is mistaken, and in particular that motion is...
.
Lynds attended university for only 6 months. He submitted an article entitled "Time and Classical and Quantum Mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
: Indeterminacy vs. Discontinuity" to the journal Foundations of Physics Letters. Among other things, the paper put forward a solution to Zeno's paradoxes
Zeno's paradoxes
Zeno's paradoxes are a set of problems generally thought to have been devised by Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea to support Parmenides's doctrine that "all is one" and that, contrary to the evidence of our senses, the belief in plurality and change is mistaken, and in particular that motion is...
based on the idea that instants, instantaneous magnitudes, determined positions, and time itself, do not actually exist.
Lynds rose to sudden prominence when the paper was published and a press release about it appeared on the scientific news site Eurekalert.org on July 31, 2003. Both the subject of Lynds's article, as well as the means by which he came to the attention of the media, have remained controversial topics. An article about Lynds in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
on August 14, 2003 detailed the controversy.
Since the appearance of his first article, Lynds has done work on the relationship of time to consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
, perception
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
and brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
function. His main conclusion in this area is that our seeming innate subjective conception of a present moment in time, and the phenomenon of conscious awareness, are actually one and the same thing.
According to a 2005 article in Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
, Lynds was then working on a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
.
Lynds has recently put forward a new cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
model in which time is cyclic
Historic recurrence
Historic recurrence is the repetition of similar events in history. In the extreme, the concept hypothetically assumes the form of the Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence, which has been written about in various forms since antiquity and was described in the 19th century by Heinrich Heine and Friedrich...
and the universe repeats exactly an infinite number of times. Because it is exactly the same cycle that repeats, however, it can also be interpreted as happening just once in relation to time. Lynds argues that this resolves a number of thorny issues in cosmology.
External links
- Peter Lynds Homepage
- Lynds' 2003 article on time
- The Universe As Magic Roundabout: Part I Part one of a two-part article on Lynds' paper entitled "On a Finite Universe with no Beginning or End"