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Two Absolute Zeros: An Essay in the Philosophy of Physics

Authors: Olszewski, Mariusz Stanislaw;

Two Absolute Zeros: An Essay in the Philosophy of Physics

Abstract

This essay examines the concept of physical "absolute zero" across three domains: thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and gravity. Absolute zero temperature (0 K) is the energetic terminus where all thermal motion ceases – an asymptote that can be approached but never reached. The speed of light (c) is a different kind of boundary: a constitutive constraint for massless waves, implying zero rest mass, zero spacetime interval, and zero proper time. Unlike 0 K, c is not an asymptotic limit but a state always attained by massless objects. Does gravity possess its own separate zero? Candidates include the event horizon, the Planck length, and flat space. The essay argues that in general relativity, gravity requires no third zero because it is geometry itself – the stage, not an actor. However, under the Multipolar Time Hypothesis (TSV), the question reopens. In TSV, time is a dynamical stream of possibility impulses, and gravity becomes a relation between geometry and that stream. The event horizon then appears as a zero of absorptive symmetry – not a zero of energy or geometry, but a zero of isotropy. The essay concludes with an open question: whether the asymmetry between the two known zeros (0 K and c) is complete or merely provisional, depending on what gravity ultimately turns out to be.

Keywords

absolute zero, speed of light, general relativity, philosophy of physics, event horizon, thermodynamics, Multipolartime Hypothesis, gravity

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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