Section I: The Need for a New Model, from "Is Space the Only Substance in the Universe|?"

I.       INTRODUCTION

Limitations of Standard Physics Theories

This is a time for new and more flexible thinking about the nature of the universe. Physics and cosmology (the latter considered over time as part of physics, astronomy, metaphysics, or philosophy), rather than having resolved all the major problems in understanding the universe and its origins, face many unresolved mysteries. There are still no consensus theories for a number of critical issues, including the following among others:

·A “grand unified theory” joining gravitation and the strong nuclear force with the electroweak force (Krauss 2017).

·A complete and generally accepted theory unifying general relativity (which is not quantized) with quantum theory (Sanchez 2019).

·A verified explanation for "dark energy" and the expansion of the “observable universe” (Panek 2010).  

·A verified explanation for "dark matter" (Fore 2020).

·Causes and actual explanations for many of the physical processes that are expressed in so-called "laws" of physics. In most cases, those “laws” are merely mathematical relationships expressed in equations, without reasons or mechanisms. Aristotle taught that “The highest science is that which gives both the fact and the cause,” and that science that gives only the fact is at a lower level (Bouchier 1901). In that respect, this model may be said to strive for a higher science than physics orthodoxy currently accepts.

What a New Model Will and Will Not Do

This article presents a new model for the universe, that contradicts elements of some major theories that have occupied the entire careers of most currently working physicists. Because of this, and as explained in Section XI, it is unlikely to be accepted by standard physics journals. This model is an important contribution to the philosophy of science, specifically of space and time. With the addition of more mathematics and some observational confirmation, it could become a strong and credible contender as a unifying theory in theoretical physics.

             The model proposed here will not attempt to solve all of the problems listed above. It will also not attempt to negate experimental evidence. Instead, it will attempt to create a new theoretical framework in which more of the components of the physical world would explain and cause each other than in current theories. Simplicity (having the fewest possible independent elements) and elegance (possessing unity, symmetry, and harmony) have long been considered as fundamental principles in theoretical physics (Tsilikis 1959), and this proposed model can arguably claim to possess more of both simplicity and elegance than currently predominant theories.  Additional objectives are greater utility and unity, both in ease of imagining the significant features of the universe and in making calculations to solve problems. Consistent with that aim, and to make this article accessible to the lay public, these ideas are presented with a minimum of undefined acronyms and jargon, and less and simpler math than in most physics papers.

            Some previously universal concepts like particles may become potentially optional. Fewer unexplained concepts will need to be accepted by faith (a common feature of physics and religion). The model can in fact make some predictions that distinguish it from current theories, though testing them experimentally may be challenging with current scientific methods.

             The goal is not ultimate truth. Whether that is theoretically achievable is a question of ontology (the study of being) and epistemology (the study of knowledge), and is an appropriate ongoing issue for philosophers of science. 

This article will continue the discussion with the following sections, most of which will include relevant topics under them:

• II. Space as a quantized substance and as the basic building block of the universe
• III. Hubble expansion and “dark energy” as functions of the addition of units of space
• IV. Gravity, a quantized new theory related to deletion of units of space
• V. Origins and future of the universe
• VI. Relativity, deriving similar results from the deletion of units of space
• VII. Particles, devoting most attention to the stable entities, and considering them as  waves and other processes in space  
• VIII. Quantum considerations, linking the model with quantum theory
• IX. Time and motion, as functions of space, and seemingly one-way processes
• X. Why we seem to be in the center of the universe
• XI. Some thoughts about the strong nuclear force
• XII. Why radical new ideas in physics, though needed, tend to encounter resistance. 

The article is lengthy because it attempts to show how the new model impacts multiple problems and issues in physics. Many of the key statements, like this one, are in bold italics to assure their prominence.