Lazar Critique
by Dr. David L. Morgan
So here is my review of Lazar's text. My conclusion is this: Mr. Lazar presents
a scenario which, if it is correct, violates a whole handful of currently
accepted physical theories. Mr. Lazar on many occasions demonstrates an obvious
lack of understanding of these current theories. On no occasion does he
acknowledge that his scenario violates physical laws as we understand them, and
on no occasion does he offer up any new theories which would make his mechanism
possible. Mr. Lazar has a propensity for re-defining scientific terms, and
using scientific language in a confusing and careless way. In my personal
opinion, Lazar's ramblings aren't worth the paper or, in this case the magnetic
media, that they are printed on.
I will focus on the parts of Lazar's text which I took the most exception with-
most of these excerpts relate to particle physics, which is my field. Lazar's
text is in boldface. He begins by describing the principle behind interstellar
travel...
This is accomplished by generating an intense gravitational field and using
that field to distort space/time, bringing the destination to the source, and
allowing you to cross many light years of space in little time and without
travelling in a linear mode near the speed of light.
This kind of "Star Trek" techno-babble crap is just plain meaningless, although
it sounds pretty impressive at first. But just stop for a minute and think
about what he's saying here. Generate a gravitational field intense enough to
warp spacetime and "bring the destination to the source". Sure, but you'll
bring everything else in the nearby universe to the source too!! If Mr. Lazar
had really distorted spacetime like this back in his "Area 51" lab, every
object on the face of the Earth would have rushed into New Mexico!! Before they
crashed back in the 50's, the alien saucers would have sucked the Earth right
out of orbit! A gravitational field is a gravitational field...you can't pick
and choose which objects it has an effect on!
There are currently two main theories about gravity. The "wave" theory which
states that gravity is a wave, and the other is a theory which includes
"gravitons", which are alleged sub-atomic particles which perform as
gravity, which by the way, is total nonsense.
These statements by Lazar are "total nonsense". There is only ONE accepted
theory of gravity: General Relativity. In GR, gravity is described as a
distortion of spacetime, not as a particle or a wave! (There are phenomena
known as "gravitational waves" which exist in GR, but this does not seem
to be what Lazar is talking about. Lazar says that gravity IS a wave.)
The "gravitons" which he speaks of are a feature of QUANTUM gravitational
theories, none of which even EXIST currently. (At least none that work.)
But even though a satisfactory theory does not yet exist, there is nothing at
all nonsensical about gravitons. When an adequate quantum theory of gravity IS
formulated, the energy of the gravitational field will be quantized. This
quantum of the gravitational field is what physicists call the graviton.
It is no more nonsensical than the photon - which is the quantum of the
electromagnetic field. And to add to the confusion of Lazar's statement, in
any quantum theory of gravity, as in all quantum theories, the graviton will
be BOTH a particle AND a wave!!
The fact that gravity is a wave has caused mainstream scientists to surmise
numerous sub-atomic particles which don't actually exist and this has caused
great complexity and confusion in the study of particle physics.
As a particle physicist, I must say that I have NO IDEA what he is talking
about here!! Surmising particles that don't exist?! I can't think of a single
particle whose existence has been postulated as a result of gravitational
theories.
You must have at least an atom of substance for it to be considered
"matter". At least a proton and an electron and in most cases a neutron.
Anything short of an atom such as upquarks and downquarks which make up
protons and neutrons; or protons, neutrons, or electrons, individually are
considered to be mass and do not constitue "matter" until they form an
atom.
These are peculiar and nonstandard definitions. The standard use of the term
"matter" includes anything which has mass. Even a single quark is considered to
be a particle of matter.
Gravity A is what is currently being labelled as the "strong nuclear force"
in mainstream physics ...
The strong nuclear force has NOTHING TO DO WITH GRAVITY. Such a statement shows
either a complete lack of understanding of the physics of the Standard Model of
particle interactions, or a BLATANT attempt at deception. The equations and
coupling strengths which describe the two forces are totally different and
unrelated! The strong force couples only to quarks and gluons. The
gravitational force couples to all particles with mass. The strong force is
extremely short range. The range of gravity is infinite. The gravitational
coupling constant is orders of magnitude smaller than that of the strong
interaction. There is NO BASIS for using the word "gravity" to describe the
strong interaction IN ANY WAY.
If Mr. Lazar has formulated a NEW model in which the two forces are really
the same, then he has unified gravity with the other three forces of
nature, and he should publish it now and collect his Nobel Prize. If he DOES
NOT have such a new theory then his statement here is ABSOLUTELY FALSE.
It's not good enough to just call the strong interaction "gravity A wave".
You've got to demonstrate that it actually has SOMETHING to do with gravity if
you're going to attach that name to it! I want to see an equation which
describes the interaction of quarks and gluons in terms of the gravitational
coupling constant and the Einstein Field Equations!!
...it should be obvious that a large, single star system,binary star system,
or multiple star system would have had more of the prerequisite mass and
electromagnetic energy present during their creations.
The "largeness" of a star says nothing about its mass. In five or ten billion
years, the sun will be as large as the orbit of Mars. A star's size changes
drastically during its lifetime. What Lazar should be talking about here is the
MASS of the star.
The next section is a little vague, but he SEEMS to be suggesting that his
element 115, which doesn't exist on the Earth, should be present in those
solar systems that were more massive at their inception. The implication here
is that a star system which condensed out of a more massive primordial cloud
should have a greater abundance of heavier elements!! This is ludicrous.
Heavy elements are "cooked" inside of stars and supernovae, and are spread
through the galaxy by supernova explosions. For this reason. the abundances of
heavy elements in any particular star system depend upon the properties of the
nearby stars of the PREVIOUS GENERATION! Therefore, all of the star
systems in a particular region of the galaxy will have essentially the same
abundances of heavy elements, regardless of the mass of star. If element 115
is STABLE, as Lazar claims it to be, then it should be created in supernova
explosions and it should exist EVERYWHERE!
The most important attribute of these heavier, stable elements is that the
gravity A wave is so abundant that it actually extends past the perimeter of
the atom. These heavier, stable elements literally have their own gravity A
field around them...
No naturally occurring atoms on earth have enough protons and
neutrons for the cumulative gravity A wave to extend past the perimeter of
the atom...
Since Mr. Lazar has already identified this gravity A wave with the nuclear
force, he is essentially claiming that the nuclear force of element 115
extends beyond the limits of the "115-ium" atom. (I'm tempted to call it
Lazarium...and somewhat surprised that he doesn't!!) This is simply not
possible, given the known properties of the nuclear force. The range of the
nuclear force is VERY short, and protons and neutrons only feel the pull of
their nearest neighbors in a nucleus. Because of this fact, the nuclear force
extends out to about the same distance away from a nucleus NO MATTER HOW
MASSIVE THE NUCLEUS IS. The physical size of the nucleus doesn't matter either,
since the size of any nucleus is incredibly small compared to the size of the
entire atom.
Once again, if Mr. Lazar has a NEW MODEL of the nuclear interaction which
explains the properties of known nuclei...which can predict the abundances of
elements synthesized in the Big Bang...which can describe all of the properties
of nuclear reactions which take place inside of stars...all as well as our
current theories do all of these things (which is VERY well!) then he should
publish it and collect his Nobel Prize. If not, then once again his statements
make NO SENSE in the light of everything that we know about nuclear
interactions.
Now even though the distance that the gravity A wave extends past the
perimeter of the atom is infinitesimal, it is accessible and it has
amplitude, wavelength and frequency, just like any OTHER wave in the
electromagnetic spectrum. Once you can access the gravity A wave, you can
amplify it just like we amplify OTHER electromagnetic waves.
(MY EMPHASIS)
I have emphasized the use of the word "other" in this paragraph to show that
Mr. Lazar apparently thinks that his "gravity A wave", which if you recall, is
also the strong nuclear force, is ALSO an electromagnetic wave!! Perhaps he
HAS formulated a "Grand Unified Theory" after all! Or perhaps this is just
another example of his careless use of scientific terms.
I can't possibly demonstrate conclusively that Lazar's mechanism is impossible.
All that I can hope to demonstrate here is that his scenario would require a
COMPLETE overhaul of our theories of gravity and particle physics in order to
work. Not just some minor changes...I'm talking from the ground up! Mr. Lazar
makes no mention of this fact, and he proposes no alternative theories. But,
if Lazar's scenario is true, then we will NEED some new theories, because we
are wrong about a great many things. We don't understand gravity. We don't
understand nuclear interactions. We don't understand spacetime. We don't
understand stellar evolution. However, considering Mr. Lazar's careless use
of language, his casual redefinition of scientific terms, and the complete
lack of details in his presentation, I'm willing to bet the farm that it is
actually Lazar who doesn't understand any of these things.
Dave
Comments? dmorgan@ross.org
August 26, 1996
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