### **20 Questions for Physics** **Instructions:** For each phenomenon in the table below, answer these exact 20 questions by choosing either (A) or (B): 1. **Fundamental "Stuff":** The phenomenon's ultimate constituents are best described as: * **(A)** Localized, irreducible physical entities (particles, fields) with inherent, measurable properties. * **(B)** Dynamic, stable patterns of information or relations emerging from a deeper, less tangible substrate. 2. **The "Empty" Space:** The apparent "empty space" within the phenomenon fundamentally behaves as: * **(A)** A fluctuating, active informational or relational structure that influences what emerges. * **(B)** An inert container for physical entities and fields. 3. **Replicability:** The essential nature and behavior of this phenomenon: * **(A)** Could be perfectly replicated in a purely informational simulation, without needing specific material composition for its fundamental properties. * **(B)** Requires its specific material composition for its fundamental properties to exist and behave as observed. 4. **Identity Definition:** The identity of a fundamental entity (if applicable) within the phenomenon is fundamentally defined by: * **(A)** Its unique, inherent material properties and spatio-temporal location. * **(B)** An enduring, self-consistent relational pattern that persists despite continuous underlying flux. 5. **Laws' Purpose:** The fundamental laws governing this phenomenon are best understood as: * **(A)** Prescriptive, algorithm-like rules that *generate* the reality we observe from an informational substrate. * **(B)** Descriptions of how matter and energy inherently behave, discovered through observation. 6. **Constants' Rationale:** The fine-tuning of fundamental constants (if relevant to this phenomenon) is primarily: * **(A)** Strongly suggestive of an underlying optimization process or bias towards specific elegant/efficient patterns. * **(B)** A statistical coincidence that allows for observed complexity. 7. **Directional Bias:** The phenomenon's evolution or self-organization exhibits a persistent directedness towards specific complex forms that *cannot* be fully explained by local, random physical interactions and energetic gradients alone. * **(A)** Yes, there's evidence of such a deeper, non-physical guiding influence or bias. * **(B)** No, it can be fully explained by local, random physical interactions and energy gradients. 8. **Information's Role:** Information about this phenomenon is: * **(A)** Primary, actively shaping or pre-existing its physical manifestation in a non-reducible manner. * **(B)** Strictly an emergent property of the arrangement and interaction of its physical components. 9. **Correlations' Source:** All observed correlations in the phenomenon are strictly explicable by local interactions at or below light speed, with no compelling evidence for a deeper, non-local relational fabric transcending emergent spatial distance (beyond conventional quantum entanglement). * **(A)** Yes, all correlations are local and light-speed bound. * **(B)** No, there is compelling evidence for a deeper, non-local relational fabric. 10. **Randomness' Nature:** The phenomenon's apparent randomness (if observed) is: * **(A)** Fundamentally irreducible. * **(B)** Consistently reinterpretable as the outcome of a deeper, deterministic (but complex) pattern-based process or computational choice. 11. **Anomalies' Meaning:** Any observed anomalies in the phenomenon (e.g., unexpected behavior, missing components): * **(A)** Persistently defy physical explanation, suggesting a fundamental limitation of materialist descriptions. * **(B)** Are solely indicative of incomplete physical knowledge, solvable within existing frameworks. 12. **Spacetime's Origin:** Spacetime is fundamentally: * **(A)** An emergent property derived from a discrete, dynamic relational network. * **(B)** A continuous, pre-existing arena in which events unfold. 13. **Gravity's Mechanism:** Gravity (if relevant to the phenomenon) is best understood as: * **(A)** A large-scale distortion of an underlying relational network, influenced by concentrated patterns. * **(B)** A force mediated by particles or fields within spacetime. 14. **Quantum Resolution:** If quantum collapse (e.g., of superposition upon measurement) occurs in the phenomenon, it is fundamentally caused by: * **(A)** An intrinsic drive for potential informational patterns to achieve stable coherence within a larger system. * **(B)** Physical interaction with a measuring apparatus. 15. **Tunneling Explained:** Quantum tunneling (if observed in the phenomenon) is best explained as: * **(A)** The system finding a "computational shortcut" or direct relational pathway that bypasses apparent spatial constraints. * **(B)** Wave function propagation through a potential barrier. 16. **Conscious Impact:** Conscious observation demonstrably influences the phenomenon beyond physically measurable interaction. * **(A)** Yes, it suggests a non-material link between consciousness and reality's patterns. * **(B)** No, any influence is limited to physically measurable interaction. 17. **Unified Simplicity:** The phenomenon's elegance or simplicity of explanation strongly suggests it is a direct and parsimonious outcome of an underlying unified informational "code" or generative rules, rather than a composite of fundamentally distinct physical laws. * **(A)** Yes, it points to a unified informational 'code'. * **(B)** No, its explanation primarily requires fundamentally distinct physical laws. 18. **Predicting the New:** Hypothetical undiscovered particles or forces (relevant to this phenomenon) are best explained by: * **(A)** Specific, predictable patterns emerging from underlying generative principles. * **(B)** New, arbitrary fundamental properties yet to be measured. 19. **Complexity's Genesis:** The emergence of complexity in the phenomenon (e.g., self-organization) is: * **(A)** Primarily a bottom-up process from local physical interactions. * **(B)** Exhibiting evidence of top-down influence or global constraints shaping patterns from a higher level of organization. 20. **Foundational Economy:** The most elegant and parsimonious fundamental description of this phenomenon is based on: * **(A)** Primary information, patterns, and their generative processes. * **(B)** Interacting physical entities and their inherent properties. --- | Question | Quantum Entanglement | Electromagnetism | Dark Energy | | :------- | :------------------- | :--------------- | :--------------- | | 1 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 4 | | | | 5 | | | | 6 | | | | 7 | | | | 8 | | | | 9 | | | | 10 | | | | 11 | | | | 12 | | | | 13 | | | | 14 | | | | 15 | | | | 16 | | | | 17 | | | | 18 | | | | 19 | | | | 20 | | | When complete, check responses against mapping key, [here](_25172192040.md).