Our Living Universe
Research Papers
Here below are some research papers which have been submitted to peer review journals on subject matter covered by the book.
Life Sciences Paper
Social evolution revisited
Abstract
Ever since Charles Darwin published his original thesis on evolution, there has been an on-going quest for a theory to also explain cooperation, especially intraspecific cooperation, otherwise known as social evolution. Various attempts have since been made to provide a comprehensive explanation for the emergence of cooperation between conspecifics. Here we show a theoretical progressive evolutionary pathway, starting with generic self-same agents going through a staged process of competition and cooperation, culminating in the formation of new autonomous super-organisms comprised of evolved versions of the original agents. By pairing-back the concept of the organism to its energetic universality, this approach makes use of well-established ideas, such as life history theory and game theory, to construct a layered framework, showing how intraspecific competitive and cooperative interactions can, over successive generations, follow a logical progression towards increasing sophistication. As a species evolves, the way the organisms compete and cooperate can be clearly identified with characterizable outcomes, such as selecting for enlargement or increased off-spring numbers. This approach represents a potential general theory, explaining how competition and cooperation can evolve within species, providing predictions for behaviours and social structures observable in nature. It may have application well beyond the field of biology and ecology.
Social Sciences Paper
In search for a theory for the Five Factor Model – why five and why these five?
Abstract
This paper seeks to open a new line of discussion in the fields of evolutionary and personality psychology. The question is posed and explored as to whether there could be a formal connection between Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs and the Five Factor Model. If this proposition were found to be valid, then it could provide an explanation for the long-standing mystery of the origins and meaning of the different personality traits as have been identified empirically, giving rise to the Five Factor Model. It would then allow for further interrogation of both the Needs and Factors to enable us to better understand both constructs and their roles in explaining human behaviour, motivation and influences on people’s well-being.
Physical Sciences Paper
Thinking the unthinkable - an alternative route to a unified theory
Abstract
One of the greatest quests in physics in current times is the search for a grand unified theory – to bring all the forces of nature into one coherent explanatory framework. Despite two centuries of progress, both in comprehending the individual forces and formulating mathematic constructs to explain the existence and operation of such forces, the final step to unify the localised atomic and subatomic forces with gravity has so far proven to be elusive. The pursuit for an answer has been driving mathematicians and physicists to explore increasingly extraordinary ideas from string theory to various other options requiring multiple dimensions. There may be another approach, which instead looks afresh at our comprehension of the nature of matter. By changing our perspective, it is possible to derive a provocative and compelling alternative solution, which not only allows for an appreciation of all the forces of nature including gravity within a singular explanatory construct but also resolves other puzzles, such as what causes entropy, why wave/particle duality and how to reconcile the physical with the social and life sciences. The outcome, however, challenges our whole understanding of the universe and fundamentally changes our relationship with matter.