On the General Nature of Physical Objects and their Interactions, as Suggested by the Properties of Argumentally-Coupled Oscillating Systems

Abstract

The work reported here originates in the discovery, four decades ago, of a previously unknown type of self-organizing interaction among oscillating systems -- so-called argumental interactions -- and of "quantized" modes of behavior in macroscopic argumentally-coupled oscillators, having no equivalent in the classical theory of oscillations. Recently the present authors have been jointly pursuing new lines of investigation into argumental interactions and their possible significance for the foundations of physics. Among other things, the study of argumentally-coupled oscillators suggested to the authors a new general way of looking at physical objects, their interactions and their aggregative,"social" behavior as manifested on all scales of observation. We believe this new viewpoint, which differs significantly both from that of classical physics and from quantum theory as presently understood, might lead to a more coherent understanding of many natural phenomena which until now have been studied only in a piecemeal fashion. To make the authors' train of thought intelligible to the reader not familiar with the field of argumental interactions, we have combined the presentation of our ideas with an extended review of experimental and theoretical results on argumentally-coupled oscillators and the associated "Macroscopic Quantization Effect". Our review serves the additional purpose of introducing this little-known, but most interesting field of research to a broader scientific audience.