Dancing Wu Li Masters

1. Physics is Wu Li: Patterns of Organic Energy

“Wu Li” was more than poetic. It was the best definition of physics that the conference would produce. It caught that certain something, that living quality that we were seeking to express in a book, that thing without which physics becomes sterile.

Physics is Wu Li. The Chinese word for physics, Wu Li, translates poetically to "Patterns of Organic Energy." This definition captures a dynamic, living quality of the universe that classical Western science, focused on inert matter and rigid laws, often missed. It suggests that physics is not just about static objects but about the vibrant, interconnected flow of energy.

Beyond sterile mechanics. Unlike the cold, mechanical view of the universe as a Great Machine, the Wu Li perspective sees the cosmos as inherently alive and energetic. This aligns with modern physics discoveries, where energy and pattern are more fundamental than solid "stuff." The term itself hints at a worldview where matter and energy are intertwined, a concept central to 20th-century physics.

A different understanding. The multiple meanings of Wu Li in Chinese – "Patterns of Organic Energy," "My Way," "Nonsense," "I Clutch My Ideas," and "Enlightenment" – provide a rich metaphor for the journey of understanding physics. It suggests that the path involves personal perspective, confronting paradox, letting go of preconceived notions, and ultimately, a form of profound insight or enlightenment.

2. The End of Objectivity: The Observer Creates Reality

“Participator” is the incontrovertible new concept given by quantum mechanics. It strikes down the term “observer” of classical theory, the man who stands safely behind the thick glass wall and watches what goes on without taking part. It can’t be done, quantum mechanics says.

No objective reality. Classical physics assumed an external world existing independently of the observer, which could be studied objectively without being changed. Quantum mechanics shatters this myth. At the subatomic level, the act of observation fundamentally alters the reality being observed.

The participator. We are not passive observers but active participators in creating the reality we experience. The choice of what to measure influences what properties manifest. For example, deciding to measure a particle's position means we cannot precisely know its momentum, and vice-versa (Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle).

Physics and psychology merge. This suggests that the distinction between "in here" (consciousness) and "out there" (physical reality) is blurred. Some interpretations even propose that consciousness plays a role in actualizing quantum possibilities, hinting that physics might be studying the structure of consciousness itself.

3. The Wave-Particle Duality: More Than Both

“The central mystery of quantum theory,” wrote Henry Stapp, is ‘How does information get around so quick?’”

Light is both wave and particle. Experiments show light behaves as waves (Young's double-slit experiment) and as particles (Einstein's photoelectric effect). This wave-particle duality is paradoxical in classical terms, where something must be either one or the other.

Matter is also wave and particle. Louis de Broglie proposed that matter, like electrons, also has wave-like properties, later confirmed by experiments showing electron diffraction. This extends the duality to everything, from photons to baseballs (though matter waves are only significant at the subatomic scale).

Beyond either/or. The duality forces us to abandon the "either-or" logic of classical thought. Light (and matter) is not either a wave or a particle; it is both, depending on how we interact with it. These are not inherent properties of light itself, but properties of our interaction with light, suggesting reality is interaction, not independent things.

4. Quantum Mechanics Predicts Probabilities, Not Events

“Quantum mechanics is very impressive,” he wrote in a letter to Max Born, “…but I am convinced that God does not play dice.”

Loss of determinism. Unlike Newtonian physics, which predicts specific events based on initial conditions, quantum mechanics can only predict probabilities. This is because, due to the uncertainty principle, we cannot know both the position and momentum of a particle precisely enough to predict its exact future path.

Statistical laws. Quantum mechanics abandons the idea of deterministic laws governing individual subatomic events. Instead, it provides statistical laws that accurately describe the behavior of large groups of particles. For example, we can predict how many radium atoms will decay in an hour, but not which ones.

Chance at the core. The theory suggests that at the fundamental level, individual events are determined by pure chance. This inherent randomness was deeply unsettling to physicists like Einstein, who sought a completely deterministic description of the universe.

5. The Role of "I": Our Choices Shape What We Observe

Metaphysically, this is very close to saying that we create certain properties because we choose to measure those properties.

Choice influences reality. Quantum mechanics implies that the observer's choice of what to measure influences the properties that manifest in the observed system. By selecting an experiment, we choose which complementary aspect (like wave or particle) of a phenomenon will appear.

Complementarity in action. Niels Bohr's principle of complementarity explains the wave-particle duality by stating that these are mutually exclusive, yet necessary, aspects of a phenomenon. Which aspect we see depends entirely on the experimental setup we choose, highlighting the observer's active role.

Beyond passive observation. This challenges the classical view of the observer as a passive recipient of information from an independent reality. It suggests a profound interrelation between consciousness and the physical world, where our intentions and choices may play a role in shaping the reality we experience.

6. Relativity: Space and Time Are Not Absolute

Henceforth space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality.

No universal clock. Einstein's special theory of relativity reveals that there is no single, absolute time that flows uniformly throughout the universe. Time is relative to the observer's state of motion. Moving clocks run slower than stationary ones from the perspective of a stationary observer.

Space and time are one. Special relativity shows that space and time are not separate entities but are interwoven into a single four-dimensional fabric called space-time. Events are located not just in space, but in space-time, and the interval between two events is absolute, regardless of the observer's motion.

Appearances are relative. The theory demonstrates that measurements of length and duration are relative to the observer's velocity. Objects appear shorter and time appears slower as velocity increases, effects only noticeable at speeds approaching that of light. This shattered the Newtonian concepts of absolute space and time.

7. Gravity is Geometry, Not Force

In other words, according to Einstein’s ultimate vision, there are no such things as “gravitational fields” and “masses.” They are only mental creations.

Gravity as warped space-time. Einstein's general theory of relativity redefines gravity not as a mysterious force acting at a distance, but as a curvature or warping of the space-time continuum caused by the presence of mass and energy. Objects follow the easiest path (geodesic) through this curved space-time.

Principle of equivalence. The equivalence principle states that uniform acceleration is indistinguishable from a constant gravitational field. This insight was key, suggesting that gravity is a property of space-time itself, not a force between objects.

Geometry is physical. The theory shows that the geometry of space-time is not fixed and Euclidean but is dynamic and influenced by matter. This means that the rules of geometry we learn in school are only valid in limited, flat regions of space-time, not universally.

8. The Universe is Dancing Energy, Not Stuff

In other words, “matter” is actually a series of patterns out of focus. The search for the ultimate stuff of the universe ends with the discovery that there isn’t any.

No fundamental substance. Particle physics, in its search for the ultimate building blocks, has found no irreducible "stuff." Instead, matter dissolves into patterns of energy. What we perceive as solid objects are, at the deepest level, transient manifestations of energy.

Creation and annihilation. The subatomic world is a continuous dance of particles being created, annihilated, and transformed. Particles are not static entities but momentary events or interactions. This aligns with Eastern mystical views of reality as dynamic and impermanent.

Fields are fundamental. Quantum field theory suggests that reality is composed of fundamental fields that permeate space. Particles are seen as localized interactions or excitations of these fields, not as independent objects. This view further emphasizes the nonsubstantial nature of the universe.

9. Quantum Logic: Experience Defies Classical Thought

“Nonsense” is that which does not fit into the prearranged patterns which we have superimposed on reality. There is no such thing as “nonsense” apart from a judgmental intellect which calls it that.

Limits of classical logic. Quantum mechanics reveals that our everyday logic, based on the law of distributivity ("A and (B or C)" equals "(A and B) or (A and C)"), does not apply to quantum phenomena. The polarizer experiment demonstrates this failure, showing that inserting a diagonal polarizer between horizontal and vertical ones allows light through, which classical logic says is impossible.

Experience follows different rules. This suggests that the rules of classical logic are not inherent to reality itself but are structures we impose on our perceptions, particularly when using symbols or language. Experience, or "quantum logic," is more permissive and allows for possibilities (coherent superpositions) that classical logic forbids.

Beyond symbolic thought. Understanding quantum mechanics, and perhaps reality itself, requires moving beyond the limitations of symbolic, logical thought. It points towards a need for a "beginner's mind" – an openness to perceive reality as it is, even when it appears as "nonsense" from our established conceptual framework.

10. Quantum Connectedness: Non-Local Unity

Quantum phenomena provide prima facie evidence that information gets around in ways that do not conform to classical ideas.

The EPR paradox. The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) thought experiment highlighted a strange connection between paired particles. Measuring a property of one particle instantaneously seems to influence the state of its distant twin, regardless of the distance separating them.

Bell's theorem. J.S. Bell's mathematical proof showed that if quantum mechanics' statistical predictions are correct (which experiments confirm), then either the principle of local causes (what happens here only depends on local factors) or the assumption of "contrafactual definiteness" (that alternative choices would have definite outcomes) must be false.

Non-locality or superdeterminism? The most straightforward implication is that reality is non-local, meaning there are instantaneous, faster-than-light connections between apparently separate events. Other possibilities include a radical superdeterminism (no free will, no alternative possibilities) or the Many Worlds interpretation (all possibilities happen in different universes).

Profound implications. Regardless of the interpretation, Bell's theorem demands that our commonsense view of a world composed of independent, locally interacting parts is fundamentally wrong. It suggests a deep, interconnected unity underlying the universe, echoing mystical insights about the oneness of all things.

Last updated: June 12, 2025