Imagine being able to see through everyday objects down to their fundamental building blocks. If you were to zoom in on the arm of a chair, for example, you would discover that it is composed of atoms. Zoom in even further, and you would find subatomic particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons within those atoms. Continuing to zoom in, you would realize that protons and neutrons are made up of quarks, which are the smallest known particles.
This approach, known as reductionism, is how physicists understand the universe. By breaking everything down into its constituent parts, we have built our current understanding of matter and its workings. However, I am now suggesting that we need to explore a different perspective.
Instead of zooming in further, we should zoom out. By doing so, we may discover that everything in the universe, including space and time, emerge from a unified whole. While this may sound philosophical or mystical, it is actually a consequence of applying quantum mechanics to the entire cosmos. When we do this, we realize that the universe is not fundamentally made up of separate parts, but rather exists as a single, quantum object.
This idea is radical, and we are only just beginning to experimentally test it. However, if it is correct, it could help solve some of the most perplexing mysteries in physics and revolutionize our understanding of reality.
