Spencer Heath Archive

Item 105

Penciled by Heath on deteriorating notepad paper.

January 22, 1950

 

 

 

 

     An event (or experience) has just three fundamental and measurable elements or aspects.

    

     These elements or aspects of an event are measured in terms of dimensional units drawn from and determined under particularly described specific conditions.

    

     The first element or aspect of an event is that of mass; the second, motion; the third, duration or time.

    

     The specific dimensional units employed in the measurement of the three elements or aspects of an event are the dyne — mass in terms of its inertia, its inertial mass; the centimeter — motion in terms of length, distance or space; and the second, in terms of the repetitions (or fre­quency) of some event accepted as the standard of reference (a fractional division of a single rotation of the earth with respect to the sun).

    

     When any one of these dimensional units or any multiple of it is conceived alone, the other two are necessarily implied — else the one is wholly subjective, abstract from any experience or event. Every measurable event resolves into these three kinds of dimensions, and the cosmic process, the succession of events, is the unceasing solution and resolution of quantities of mass, motion and time. The general and inclusive term for the succession of events is action, and all particular events are com­pounded of unitary or least-magnitude events called units of action. These units, sometimes called atoms of action, are absolute, uniform and invariable as to magnitude, however diverse and variable their three-fold composition may be.

 

     For convenience in calculation, inertial mass, dynes, is always equated with gravitational mass, grams.

     Science, as pursuit of knowledge, deals with the world of objective events or experiences. Knowledge is the subjective generalization of events — the formulation of uniformities — whereby past events can be disclosed and

re-enacted and future events anticipated in the mind.

 

     In the examination of any event its primary aspect is that of matter, mass, inertia or of force as its converse, according as it is viewed as resisting or as effecting change (of motion per unit of time).

    

     Any concept of mass as either inertia or force therefore necessarily implies motion in time.

    

     Any dimension (multiple units — or a fractional unit) of mass, inertia or force then, in order to be meaningful (distinguishable from or definitely related to any other), must be stated in reference to, or per unit of motion — energy rate, and the quantity of force at this rate of motion, an energy dimension.

 

     This energy dimension (which is not yet an event, only an abstraction) can only be meaningful when stated in reference to, or per unit of, time — rate of action; and the quantity of this energy-in-action — product of its rate times its duration constitutes the entirety of any event

 

___________________________

Alvin Lowi Commentary:

Item 105

 

III B – 1,2,5,6

     D – 1

 

SUBJECT: Reiteration of the fundamental units. Equivalence

for convenience of calculation of inertial mass (force) and gravitational mass (mass)

     Science as pursuit of subjective generalizations (knowledge) from world of objective experiences (observable events)

     The statement of one of the units necessarily implies the other two in science else the statement is wholly abstract (metaphysical)

 

REMARKS: Significant remark on the subject of science

          Useful elaboration on the units