This is the landing page for any updates regarding my short eBook, Staring into the Abyss. The Kindle link is below.
https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B083BB541C&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_vG4cEbPY6BTFT
Shortly after I published my book (naturally), a person from Fermilab named Don Lincoln released a YouTube video saying that while relativistic mass is taught, the equations are actually just a mental shortcut and the particles do not interact with the gravity field in the way I described. Here is a link to the video - https://youtu.be/LTJauaefTZM . His video mentions a paper, here. https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-ph/0602037.pdf .
Ironically, I met Dr. Lincoln several times when he came to speak to Chicago Mensa. His first lecture resulted in him meeting a friend of mine who became his wife. I've since lost track of both of them but it is rather ironic that this person was the one to bring this knowledge to me, even indirectly. It's also a bit funny because in the years before he met his future wife, she acted like she had a crush on me when my then-wife mentioned how much of the housework I did at our place at the time. I think this was just her personality of rather over-the-top expression, not an actual crush. But she was a dear friend and kind soul. I was happy they found each other because they both deserved to be treasured like that. He's a great guy too, and I lived five miles from Fermilab for around two decades. They have an interesting culture and I adore the place and the people there. I'm glad they chose him as spokesperson for their YouTube channel because he's a great communicator and deserves the spotlight.
While he mentions that not all physicists accept this concept, it does seem rather definitive as a counter-argument to the core premise of relativistic neutrino frame dragging. That said, I expected from the start that the concepts were not literally true, but may lead to a partial truth that would form at least three pivots before solving part of the problem. And there is a LOT more in the book than just this concept. I just re-read it five years after writing it to see if I found it outlandish or interesting. I'm rather happy with the writing style and mix of deep cosmology and whimsy that I regarded more as epic poetry than science. I'd forgotten several concepts I brought up in the book and was amused to re-discover them. I did bring up the non-destructive quantum communications AI shell with Issac Arthur when we both spoke at an International Space Development Conference. He was very dismissive of quantum entanglement as a future communications system, although I've also heard that it's been used experimentally with satellites. While on the subject of science at the time of the writing, I seem to recall that the short-lived theory that neutrinos could travel faster than light was due to a piece of faulty equipment in the European experiment, and that's a key reason I didn't bring it up directly in the book.
I still see the value of examining the edges of human understanding in the expansion of the inventive and analytical mind. I'm trying to get more practical in recent works, but I do keep up with the field for this reason. The key experiment that triggered the creation of the book should run its five-year course this year, if it hasn't already. So, I may be updating this entry soon - particularly if someone else claims it proves dark matter or energy and they were the first to propose it.
I've also kept this book un-promoted because I regard it as a sort of mad maiden aunt in the attic with regards to my scientific and engineering work. But there's a great line from Ray Bradbury's Farewell Summer sequel to Dandelion Wine. Douglas' mother goes on a rant that everything is too calm and needs to be stirred up. She turns to her young son and tells him to let the mad maiden aunt out of the attic. Shocked, he says, "IS there a mad maiden aunt in the attic?"
"No.", she responds, "But there SHOULD be."
I encourage you now as then to capture your edge case thoughts on paper for future generations or at least evidence to your grandkids that you weren't so damned boring. I once found teenage poetry written by an aunt (not mad, but rather sassy and sweet) whom I'd only known as an elderly widow when I was a teen. It was so funny reading "goth" poetry from pre-WWII in her voice contemplating her future death, I guess not knowing how long she'd hang around being loved by family more than six decades later.
All the best, always.
Kent Nebergall
August 8, 2023