john seven

While reading about the idea that the big bang was a rift in a 10 dimensional universe that caused it to become our 4th dimensional universe and our sibling 6th dimensional universe – ahhh, reading Michio Kaku again at my weekly allergy shot – I came across the concept of phase transitions in science.

The way most of us encounter phase transitions is heat turning water into steam. That’s a pretty basic way of explaining what it is and if you don’t burden yourself with the chemical details – and I don’t because I honestly don’t have the brain capacity for that nonsense – it’s pretty straightforward.

However, Kaku – and this is what is so great about him – starts talking about phase transitions as a universal constant that everything – people, gas, all matter, the universe itself – has in common. And then he starts talking about it in psychological terms, quoting the concepts of Gail Sheehy.

“Think of it in our own lives … life is not a continuous stream of experiences as it often appears but actually passes through several stages, characterized by specific conflicts that must be resolved and goals that must be achieved.”

Then he expands, using the ideas of Erik Erikson, proposing phases of psychological development:

“A fundamental conflict characterizes each phase. When this conflict is correctly resolved, we move on to the next phase. If this conflict is not resolved, it may fester and even cause regression to an earlier period.”

He then starts talking about dialectics in regard to this – which I confirmed is the idea that two opposing sides in an argument might well share common ground.

“Each stage is characterized by a conflict between two opposing forces. The nature of this conflict, in fact, determines the nature of the stage. When the conflict is resolved, the object goes to a higher stage, called the synthesis, where a new contradiction begins, and the process starts over at a high level.”

An interesting side note – there are eastern forms of these theories called inter-Dharmic dialectics. It involves two sides – the active cause and the passive nature. It is crucial in chaos theory, apparently – its author Ian Steward, I found, invokes the Indian Gods Vishnu and Shiva and characterizes their relationship as one between harmony and dischord, rather than good and evil.

Later in the writing, Kaku talks about phase transitions as “explosive affairs,” one of the biggest examples of this being … the atomic bomb.