one electron in the universe?

Question

Feyman used space-time diagrams to show that there is only one electron!

Is this an accepted theory by the world?
Can it be proved or disproved?

Answer 1

Every electron in the universe is exactly identical to every other electron. It's not just that we can't tell them apart, nature itself can not tell the difference (this has observable consequences in physics). Not only that, the description of a positron moving forward in time is identical to the description of an electron moving backward in time (this was demonstrated by very easily using Feyman diagrams).

This had led Richard Feynman to suggest that there is only one electron in the universe moving back and forth in time, so the reason that all electrons are indistinguishable is that they are in fact all the same electron.

However, this conjecture is NOT taken very seriously, not even by Feyman himself, because Feynman only wanted to illustrate as forcefully as anyone can that electrons are completely identical.

However, if we accept the one electron model, we will have to explain some very weird dynamics: for instance, successive measurements of electrons obey the Pauli Exclusion Principle, which states that no two identical fermions (electrons in this case) may occupy the same quantum state simultaneously.

It is also difficult to explain mass (when building a model of the entire universe, as opposed to locally-measured mass), since presumably we could observe gravity generated by electron mass.

And, of course, the one electron will also has to be traveling backwards in time simultaneously to be acting like a positron. So as you can see, there are many obstacles to overcome in trying to explain the one-electron model.

In any case, until we have a real grasp of the true nature of space and time (via a fundamental theory of quantum gravity), we will never truly know whether there is only one electron, or if there is anything at all.

Answer 2

Time is just a function of this universe. Since we know all particles have part of their existences outside the universe, there's no real reason to believe that one particle can't exist in more than one place at once. Maybe a lot more. There might only be one electron by that viewpoint. But, right now, it's more of a philosophical question than a scientific one.

Answer 3

Microscopes have shown otherwise.