CONCEPT PROGRESS A SCIENCE FICTION METAPHYSICS LEO INDMAN Copyright © 2017 by Leo Indman All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within. The views expressed in this book are solely those of the author. The author is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the author. The author is grateful to: NASA, for its stellar imagery: www.nasa.gov Wikipedia, for its vast knowledge and reference: www.wikipedia.org Cover and interior design by the author ePublished in the United States of America Available on Apple iBooks: www.apple.com/ibooks/ ISBN: 978-0-9988289-0-9 Concept Progress: A Science Fiction Metaphysics / Leo Indman First Edition www.conceptprogress.com ii For Marianna, Ariella, and Eli iii CONCEPT PROGRESS iv Table of Contents Copyright Dedication Introduction Chapter One Concept Sound Chapter One | Science, Philosophy, and Curiosity A Dialogue Between the Scientist and the Philosopher Chapter Two Concept Light Chapter Two | On Existence and Purpose Faster than the Speed of Light! Chapter Three Concept Chance Chapter Three | The Evolution Story The Cavemen Chapter Four Concept Consciousness Chapter Four | The Next Human Lyra Chapter Five Concept Moment Chapter Five | Positive Progress: Part I The Awakening Chapter Six Concept Karma Chapter Six | Positive Progress: Part II The Theory of One Soul Chapter Seven Concept Physics Chapter Seven | The Most Evolved Life Form The Dream Journal Chapter Eight Concept Time Chapter Eight | On Perfection and Infinity Around the Galaxy in Eighty Days Chapter Nine Concept Wave Chapter Nine | An Intelligent Universe The House Chapter Ten Concept Coexistence Chapter Ten | Life, Choice, and the Rest The Museum Bibliography v INTRODUCTION Concept Progress is a fusion of science fiction and philosophy. It is a thesis on metaphysics that stretches beyond the scope of modern science and scratches many of our curious itches. The thesis is complemented by short and loosely tied sci-fi stories that make its conceptualizations come to life. The central theme throughout is that progress is a driving force in human evolution. This recurring viewpoint has previously stirred much debate. However, as we escalate through the twenty-first century, the evidence is plentiful. Concept Progress offers a fresh perspective into the topic, citing humanity's ongoing accomplishments as a convincing piece of that evidence. In the book, we celebrate ourselves for our achievements, challenge our perceived limits, and conclude that progress will eventually produce the most evolved life form. In so doing, we look back to the beginning of time and circle forward to a time that is farther away than the current age of the universe. While the tone of the book's body resembles that of a philosophical prose, with each chapter, the reader realizes more and more that the narrative is actually one of science fiction. The intent of the book's structure and approach is manifold. vi Concept Progress First, it is safe to say that any literature that points to the future is already, by definition, a work of fiction—no matter how serious it tries to sound. Imagining future technologies, foreseeing the next stages of human evolution, and exploring the realm of the highest dimension surely makes it a science fiction. Second, the book is a collection of concepts—abstract notions of the mind that reflect our grasp on certain aspects of reality. It is also a play on those concepts, exposing how our progressive understanding of these notions can gradually be transcended. Each chapter starts with a sketch of a particular concept whose humanistic yet quantum mechanical context lets us identify with it and be mystified by it. From the concepts of sound and light to the concepts of consciousness and coexistence, each concept tale depicts a personal expression of our mutual worldview. Third, each one of the ten chapters concludes with a science fiction story. These stories project the theme further and subtly point to each other. As we connect the dots from one story to another, the outline reveals a world that makes us wonder whether we are headed toward its future or whether we will bypass it as an alternate universe. In one story, we meet the inventor of mind- reading technology while in another story, we meet an artificial life form that will be made possible by this technology. Yet another story is about the time- traveling mind of an astrophysicist whose life's work has impacts on whole timelines, as revealed by a different story. In the end, it all comes together with the final piece of the puzzle completing not only the short story series, but also the novel as a whole. Each three-part chapter is a triad with a distinct purpose in mind. We begin the journey with our own curiosity. This basic emotion allows us to open the door to that which we are so curiously seeking. Essentially, that covers everything. In questioning the entirety of existence, we commence with the premise that it is the element of life that sends us on a quest for meaning. So we review the trend of life's evolution on Earth from its roots to the present vii Introduction day and follow this trend into the distant future. The process of evolutionary development leads us to a recipe for one's own personal progress, which is comprised of physical, mental, and spiritual ingredients. It soon becomes clear that a species can change only insofar as its individual members embrace this change. And we realize that our choice in the matter has impacts not only on our own future, but also on the future of everyone who shares our timeline. In some ways, Concept Progress is a modern commentary of Charles Darwin's revolutionary theory of evolution. In other ways, it is an encouraging observation of our humble human existence. As I scribble on my first- generation iPad, it strikes me how far we have progressed not just from the early efforts of our common ancestors, but even from Darwin's pen and ink writings of the Galapagos Islands. Perhaps progress is in the eye of the beholder. Or perhaps it can indeed be qualified as a volatile yet forward- moving process. From emerging technologies to the conveniences of our modernized lifestyles, there is a great deal of evidence for the latter. Unquestionably, there is also much evidence against the idea of progress. From political turmoil and economic turbulence to outright war and poverty, the skeptic has compelling reasons to doubt the nature of progress. However, the same doubts were once applied to the theory of evolution. It was unthinkable that the ruthless animal kingdom can produce a species that is capable of doing something as intricate as calculus. As we widen the time scale and follow this evolutionary trend from biological, social, and cosmic angles, the concepts of evolution and progress slowly but surely become synonymous. Against the advice of my graduate school professors, the source of reference used is Wikipedia. The reason is simple. This beautifully organized virtual encyclopedia portal is dynamic, widely accessible, and is already based on referenced material. One idea explored in the later chapters is that of the "information potential," which the notion of Wikipedia fits quite nicely. viii Concept Progress As we set out to break through the multidimensional boundaries of space and time, let us also aim to break through the boundaries of our own misconceptions. Concept by concept, let philosophy inspire us and science guide us. If it sounds logical, feel free to consider it. If it requires a leap of faith, take it at your own risk. And if it is just amusing, good! ix CHAPTER ONE SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY, AND CURIOSITY Until a time comes when the human element can be expressed as a mathematical equation, there will be such unknowns as the variable of curiosity. Till then, science can only be transcended by filling it with a layer of philosophy. CONCEPT SOUND On a warm July evening, a young musician plays the Spanish Romanza in E minor for an audience of couples having dinner at the local café. The music fills the background with ambiance, resonating with every sip of red wine and every bite of that chocolate dessert. It is as if the melody embellishes a movie scene as it complements the experience and amplifies the emotions. The event is happily shared with that special someone. The senses are overjoyed under the flickering candlelight. A few years and a few heartbreaks later, some of that audience, wherever they may be, suddenly hear that same romantic melody in a radio commercial that is advertising an exclusive getaway to a faraway island. The thought of vacation blends into a recollection of that euphoric evening, of her or of him. A reaction to the memory occurs. It is either a smile at all of life's events that occurred since—graduation, new job, wedding, pregnancy, sleepless nights—or it is a sigh of a hope once gone.