It takes one to know one

Have you ever thought on which energy level you are?

Hmmm, sure. When I am with my girl I am definitely on a higher energy level compared to when I start churning quintadimensional equations with my Gigamac Monday morning.

Well, I mean on a more philosophical level, more like the principle of it.

Ah, you are on to another clash of useless thoughts?

Listen, man. Imagine you are completely alone…

Like last Sunday, when the comm-systems were crashed by the infamous ‘isolate thyself’ Trojan Virus for 2 minutes?

No, I mean really alone. Totally, the only thing there is, nothing else, just you and the personification of nothing.

Hmm. Very abstract. What are you on about?

I mean, Imagine that. Imagine there is something that sits there, not even sits, is there, with nothing else. What about its energy level?

Well, I mean, really nothing around it? It’s energy level. Now…if it’s really just that one it..err..don’t know.

Exactly. No energy level, nothing. Really nothing, Because there is nothing to compare against.

Which is why I felt so crap last Sunday.

You are a comm junky…

I need my energy levels, man.

But you see, a…universe…let’s call it universe, with only one element in it, has no energy levels. And energy levels are the driving force behind anything around us. A universe with one element in it is pointless.

Fair point, but talking of universes, you are talking about a frame of reference. And with a frame of reference you are talking a defined state of your hypothetical particle that must feel rather sad.

You are being too literal. But you are right. Forget the universe around it, it would be an outside reference. I mean, set this aside, with one element, you could set the frame of reference anywhere, it is totally meaningless. The particle might move, or not. Meaningless.

Rotate?

Meaningless

Inflate, deflate?

Fairly meaningless

Geez, you are being boring, aren’t you?

My point is, you need at least two to have fun. You need one to know one.

I think I would agree. And my girlfriend, too.

You sure? The other week she didn’t seem to happy about your presence…

Wasn’t my fault someone had mixed some Oom into my drink. God, those reality hacks are getting quite annoying…

Anyway, two elements, what now?

Well, if one now moves, it means something, ‘cos you can measure it. And if one rotates, it means something, ‘cos one looses sight of the other.

Something along those lines…although rotation will not be measurable without non-symmetrical parameters that relate to an axis of revolution. Anyway…what I always found tough is; Why the heck do the two know of each other?

Hey, you remember how I met my girl?

Oh, cut it, I have heard it a thousand times…

Well, but maybe it means something? Maybe there must be a third party involved?

A third party? How do you mean?

Well, you know, something that makes the two aware of each other?

And then what? Then they remember by themselves after the aquaintance? Or the third party remembers everything, where the two particles were, where they are, where they will be?

You are getting time into this again…

Makes it easier to think about the shit. You see, if you get a third party into this, you reduce the two particles to mere shadows of something that is essentially already defined…

And your freedom loving, knowledge-thirsty mind really has a problem with that, I suppose.

Exactly. We just agreed that we essentially need two to have fun. A third party really breaks the idea.

Yeah. Menage-à-trois is the shittiest thing that can happen.

Agreed. So, what do we do?

Hmmm. Let’s keep the third party in it. As an imaginary space. As a line, with the two particles being their end-points. Nothing else. What do we have now?

Fairly simplistic, isn’t it?

Hey, you wanted to get rid of the third party. But you see, it isn’t a problem anymore, your ‘Geez, how do they know of each other’ - thing. The only way that the two particles can somehow…interact…

Why, thank you, I have been waiting for that word!

…shut up. Well, the only way is along the line. Either they use it, or they don’t. Actually, the mere existence of that line requires the two particles to have formed it. Or, and that is really cool, the only measurable parameter we have defined so far is the length of that damned line. You see, two particles result in one measurable parameter.

Right…nice. Cute. No, really. Has your girl-friend told you that?

You think a lot of her, don’t you? You want to borrow her? For your discussions, I mean?

Get a job on the moon! You are so mad, Jesus. Well, still, I think it’s a cute thought. Anyway, now the two particles know of each other. Well, the fact that they share that..room makes them pretty knowledgeable particles. But, you see, the only frame those two particles have is that line, which really means that their positions are really meaningless. ..I mean, the only thing that is really described is the length of that line.

Well, as I said; Euclid would really be proud of you. The shortest connection between two distinct points is a line. Well done. A shot of Oom wouldn’t have brought out a deeper understanding of life.

Has someone ever told you that you suck more than the UltraDomino Virus? A line of finite length implies two points. Any sensible description of a parameter requires two distinct elements. Remember that. It is important.

Yeah…I will think of it the next time my chica is trying to kill me. I will tell her: ‘Babe, if you kill me, your existence will become meaningless the very second you do it!’

Yeah…her energy level would become undefined.

Right so. That should teach her.