Hard Problem of Physicalism

A more nuanced version of materialism's problem. Physicalism claims everything is physical or supervenes on the physical. The hard problem is defining "the physical" without circularity. Physics describes the behavior of matter, but doesn't define its essence. Furthermore, if physics is just our best current model, then physicalism becomes the claim "everything is whatever our current physics says it is," which is both provisional and strangely empty. It's materialism with a philosophy degree, but still struggling.

*Example: "She's a physicalist but admits physics doesn't have a clue about consciousness. The hard problem of physicalism: she believes consciousness is 100% physical, but 'the physical' is an ever-changing list of quarks, fields, and maybe strings. She's betting on a mystery being solved by a moving target."*

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Metaphysics (Physics of Physics)

In this specific, modern context, it's the study of the fundamental assumptions, interpretations, and unsolved conceptual puzzles within physics itself. It's not the ancient philosophical field of "metaphysics" (the study of being), but a pragmatic examination of physics' own foundations. It asks: What does quantum mechanics actually tell us about reality? What is the nature of space and time? How do we interpret the mathematical formalism? It’s the troubleshooting manual for when the math works perfectly but the story it tells seems insane.

Example: The endless debates over the Copenhagen Interpretation vs. the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics are Metaphysics (Physics of Physics). The equations predict outcomes identically; the fight is over what the math means for the nature of reality—a question physics itself, as a tool, is unequipped to answer.

by Dumu The Void February 4, 2026

Frequency Physics

The overarching scientific discipline that studies the role of oscillations, waves, and resonant frequencies as foundational phenomena across all scales of the universe—from the quantum vacuum's "zero-point fluctuations" to the orbital frequencies of planets and the vibrational modes of galaxies. It seeks a unified description where energy and information are always conveyed and structured by frequency, and where constants like the Planck length or the speed of light emerge from fundamental harmonic relationships. It's the search for the universe's base pitch and its overtones.

Example: The hypothetical "Theory of Everything" sought by some physicists, which attempts to explain all forces as vibrations of tiny, one-dimensional "strings" in String Theory, is a pinnacle of Frequency Physics. Each elementary particle (electron, quark, photon) corresponds to a unique resonant frequency of a vibrating string, making the cosmos a cosmic symphony of unimaginably small notes.

by Dumu The Void February 4, 2026

Apophenia/Pareidolia of the Laws of Physics Theory

The most radical extension, proposing that the fundamental laws of physics themselves (like gravity or quantum mechanics) might be products of these cognitive biases on a cosmic, human scale. It's the idea that we have looked into the universe's raw, potentially chaotic or computationally irreducible processes and, in our need for comprehension, imposed a story of neat, mathematical, causal "laws." The order we worship may be the ultimate face we've seen in the cosmic static.

Apophenia/Pareidolia of the Laws of Physics Theory Example: This mind-bending theory asks: What if F=ma or E=mc² are not discovered truths about reality's fabric, but are like seeing a face on Mars? They are the immensely useful, predictive, and consistent patterns that our particular form of intelligence, evolved on a middling planet, is able to project onto a universe whose true nature might be patternless, lawless, or governed by logic utterly alien to us. Our physics, in this view, is a spectacular, productive, and possibly species-specific pareidolia.

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 6, 2026