zorland

Hi. Particle physics PhD here. Let me tell you, this WoB is perhaps the most exciting thing I have heard surrounding the Cosmere, and it makes sense. Based on this new data and, as you have referred to above, Sanderson's predilection for quantum mechanics...I think the shattering of A. is the equivalent to a spontaneous symmetry breaking event in particle physics. Unfortunately, wikipedia is terrible for trying to understand these concepts so I'll try to go give it a quick shot. (Warning - I've been out of physics for years). I worked on the Higgs discovery, and so I see the Higgs field as a really excellent analogy for this. In particle physics, all the rules and laws of the universe come from certain large symmetries. To give a macro-level example, if we consider that the flight path of a ball is the same regardless of where on earth you are throwing it, we have a translational symmetry on the laws of motion. This symmetry leads directly to the conservation of momentum law. Cool! In particle physics, the symmetries are usually represented by the mathematical concept: Group or Field. Then from the mathematical characteristics of the Group/Field, you can determine how many different types particles there will be in existence. Symmetries ==> Distinct types of particles The Higgs Field was a really cool theoretical extension to our understanding of physics (predicted back in the 70's). The Higgs field was a spontaneous breaking of the at-the-time Standard Model of physics. The new symmetry predicted new particles (the Higgs), which were confirmed to exists a few years ago. Broken symmetry ==> "new" particles WTF is a spontaneously broken symmetry? The classic example is the Sombrero (particularly apt because if you graph the Higgs field in 3D it looks like a Sombrero). If you put a ball on the top of a Sombrero, it has a rotational symmetry. If the ball falls off the top of the hat into the "brim", the symmetry is broken. It no longer looks the same from all angles. My current hypothesis is that the Shattering of A. in a narrative sense was equivalent to a spontaneously broken symmetry in the underlying cosmere physics. It was the ball falling off the top of the hat moment. Now also remember, Symmetries ==> Distinct types of particles. There are multiple Higgs Field theories (it's not just one!) and some of them have different numbers of predicted particles. The number of particles depends on the symmetry and each particle carries a particular charge number. As such, it seems completely reasonable to me that each shard is the narrative representation of a fundamental particle resultant from the spontaneous symmetry breaking and that each shard's fundamental number is their investiture charge number. Not only does this jive with what we have just gotten from Sanderson, but it works backwards as well (sorry I am going to be doing these quotes from memory). Sanderson has before said to think of investiture as an additional physical "field" that interacts with the fields we know of (EM, Gravity, etc). Sanderson has also said that different types of investiture/magic (ie the different metals on Scadrial) can be thought of as the same "thing" but at different wavelengths. This would also work very well with the notion of "all investiture existed before the shattering, it was just assigned (a particular investiture charge number) afterward." ...no mind-blowing conclusions from this. Just wanted to paint out the physics side of this idea.