by Luke Setzer 

Human inquiry about the nature of the universe goes back as far as history records. Ancient writings reflected speculations about both natural and supernatural phenomena. Explanations for observable events from the changing of the lunar phase to the differentiation between the known elements varied among cultures and eras. Primitive humans tended to assign godlike properties to various substances and events, while those of more contemporary times sought natural cause-and-effect relationships to rationalize occurrences. In the twentieth century, huge strides in physics theory and research led to the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics. These paradigms, while considered huge strides in the field of research physics, still have their shortcomings. In particular, quantum mechanics offers a substantial number of paradoxes and "fudge factors" that break significantly with classical physics and appear totally counterintuitive, even hodgepodge at times. Some have gone so far as to use quantum mechanics to justify belief in ancient Eastern mysticism, contending that the universe is "stranger than man can possibly imagine" (Deepak Chopra, THE HIGHER SELF).

Since the rise of these often disparate and conflicting theories, scientists have sought vigorously for a Grand Unified Field Theory (GUFT) to describe ALL behaviors of ALL entities, from subatomic particles to galaxy clusters to the entire universe itself. One possible theory has risen from a surprising source: Dr. Randell Mills, an electrical engineer and medical doctor who boasts an impressive list of awards, patents and publications in a variety of fields, including physics. His current work on GUFT has led to his publication of the textbook-length, hardcover tome, THE GRAND UNIFIED THEORY OF CLASSICAL QUANTUM MECHANICS. That treatise demonstrates mathematically a single set of universal laws based on classical physics and shows how a few proven constraints and transforms can use these classical laws to explain events from the subatomic to the cosmic scale.

I first learned of Dr. Mills while reading the "Letters to the Editor" section of Mensa Bulletin in 1997. One contributor mentioned web site http://www.blacklightpower.com/ as a source for those doing research on alternative energy sources. The site is the home page of BlackLight Power, Inc., a company founded by Mills and his associates to conduct research and development related to his GUFT. I requested Mills' advertised book as a Christmas present from my brother, and dove into it promptly upon receiving it.

Mills opens the book by postulating that "all particles (atomic-size and macroscopic particles) obey the same physical laws." In physics, certain "boundary conditions" normally have to be imposed when cranking through the long and tedious equations required to model physical happenings. Mills borrows his boundary condition from Maxwell's equations. He asserts, "For non-radiative states, the current-density function must not possess space-time Fourier components that are synchronous with waves travelling at the speed of light." I apologize to those readers unversed in modern physics terminology, because I do not have a ready way to convert this condition into layman's terms. Suffice it to say that this boundary condition has already been proven conclusively by years of experimentation.

Mills maintains that the traditional "duality" model of the electron as both a particle and a wave is paradoxical and just plain wrong. He argues for a completely different model, one in which the concept of "electron" represents a STANDING ELECTRICAL WAVE orbiting the nucleus of an atom. This standing wave, which he calls the "electron orbitsphere", is a two-dimensional surface of curved, charged spacetime.

The most controversial aspect of Mills' theory is his conclusion that the current quantum model of the atom incorrectly holds that the "ground state" (n=1) of the atom is the lowest possible energy level of the orbiting electrons. Mills argues persuasively through detailed calculations that electron "orbitspheres" can actually reach below the ground state into "fractional quantum energy levels" (n=1/2, 1/3, 1/4…). This revolutionary theory, if true, could introduce a new form of energy production. Mills names several experiments conducted by his company that show significant releases of energy through the use of catalytic treatment of hydrogen to collapse the ground state of hydrogen atoms to fractional quantum states. Other interesting predictions are methods for generating antigravity via the inversion of the electron orbitsphere, which Mills calls the "pseudoelectron".

According to Mills, "The mistake in the direction of the development of the theory of light and the atom occurred when theoreticians concluded: The laws of physics that are valid in the macroworld do not hold true in the microworld of the atom." Mills' theory maintains that "classical physical laws are unified and are shown to apply on all scales."

Mills provides a substantial amount of empirical data from subatomic to cosmic scales. He portrays his theory as providing a simpler, more elegant, more accurate agreement with this data than do currently accepted physics explanations. Numerous anomalies from solar neutrino aberrations to cosmic dark matter behavior that require "mathematical acrobatics" to explain with contemporary models require no such twists with Mills' theory.

Quite understandably, the physics community has expressed plentiful skepticism at the work of this "outsider". The idea that the ground state of the atom really is THE ground state has become so ingrained in the minds of scientists that most treat it as a religious dogma. Nevertheless, the scientific method demands that current models, no matter how widely accepted, be refined continuously to resolve paradoxes and generate more accurate representations of observed reality.

History is rife with examples of otherwise intelligent people who cling to untenable beliefs in the face of controverting evidence. Look no further than the medieval geocentric model of the solar system, which held the earth as the center of the universe. Elaborate mechanical models of this solar system were constructed by able men, and included orbits-within-orbits and other convolutions to force the model to match astronomical observations. While mimicking the OBSERVATIONS of the celestial bodies from the earth's perspective, it failed to account for ALL observations and required quite a few counterintuitive, paradoxical, mechanical acrobatics to force it to work. Unfortunately, that particular model served the intentions of the Church, which used it to argue that man had a special place at the center of the universe by design of the Creator. It should come as no surprise, then, that any persons who challenged this model with the simpler, more accurate, more elegant heliocentric model found themselves tormented by the Church as "heretics". Finally, though, the growing scientific community saw that the geocentric model was just plain silly, and discarded it in favor of the heliocentric model.

Objectivism 101