Only one electron in the universe?

Question

I have heard that Richard Feynman has said that there is only one electron in the world! He has done it using complicated space time diagrams which show antielectrons moving backward in time!

Can you please explain what he meant by "one electron" ?

Answer 1

First of all, don't confused the two separate statements:

(1) There is only one electron in the Universe

(2) an electron moving forward in time is identical as a positron moving backwards in time

Let's start with the second statement, when we use a Feyman diagram http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feynman_diagram) to describe an electron moving forwards in time, we see that it is equivalent to describing a position moving backwards in time. The two are completely indistinguishable.

The first statement that there is only one electron in the Universe has to do with the fact that there appears to be NO way to distinguish one electron from another, and when we try to look at one particular electron (i.e. collapse its wavefunction), it immediately after the collapse returns to an indeterminate state. So the conjecture is that in the Universe there is really only one electron. It appears only for an instant when the collapse of the wavefunction is required, then it's off to do another collapse somewhere else.

So this one electron is going around everywhere poping up where it needs to give the appearance that there are many many electrons.

Answer 2

One can do a two-slit experiment with an electron beam. The electrons are always detected in tiny lumps like particles, but the probability distribution of their detection is a continuous wave pattern showing interference fringes as long as there is no way to measure which slit the electron goes through. If there is such a way the fringes disappear. One can do the experiment at very low particle flux so that there is only one electron in the apparatus at a time. Wait long enough and one sees the wave fringe pattern build up. Therefore, we are forced by the facts to conclude that in some sense and electron is interfering with itself. This is the central mystery that Feynman is describing.

Using the properties of one electron he has deduced the functionalities of the universe.

http://www.qedcorp.com/pcr/pcr/f.html

Answer 3

First of all, chances are Feynman was joking, sort of. He was a funny, strange guy.

But Feynman's point was twofold:

1. Every single electron in the universe is precisely the same. Down the to very last detail. Quite literally, if you've seen one, you really have seen them all. So you could argue there's only one of them, or at least, that the rest are copies. (Which one's the original? All and none of them. That's quantum, baby!)

2. Feynman diagrams, as models for nuclear reactions, model antiparticles as merely the original particle moving backwards through time. It turns out, (at least in Feynman diagrams,) that there's no difference between a reaction with a set of particles and the same reaction with their antiparticles, provided you flip time to move in the opposite direction, and that this property can actually be applied to individual particles in the reactions. Therefore, there are no positrons, merely electrons travelling backwards through time.

Therefore, there's only one electron in the whole universe! QED!

Like I said, he was a funny guy, the kind of fellow that thinks the joke:

"Plank's constant is neither"

is actually funny.

Answer 4

maybe he means that since an electrons actual position is impossible to determine, and that we can only give a prediction as to where it is located (the electron cloud) that only one electron exsists because we can not be sure as to where electrons are at all. Additionally, electron speed is incredibly fast and electrons have almost 0 mass so thats how it travels from place to place. I personally have no clue as to how he could theorize this but this is the only way i can imagine rationalizing it.

Just my 2 cents

Answer 5

If every other electron in the world is moving backwards in time, why on earth would you need more than one moving forward in time? For that matter, there is really no such thing as matter. The only thing that exists is energy, matter is purely an illusion.

Answer 6

hi Roarchu, who says all the mass in the universe is at relax? fairly the different, i might say. All mass is in relative action. additionally, i don't see the relationship between Gravitational rigidity and magnetic rigidity. there is not any way of understanding however if the variety of electrons and protons in the universe are equivalent or not, we are able to in basic terms remark approximately what seems to be the case in our tiny nook, and in our tiny nook, protons and electrons seem balanced in variety.