The Invented Paint Problem in Physics

Why We Teach Intermediaries Instead of Reality

The uncomfortable truth: Photons aren’t real. Neither are quarks, fields, or most of what physics teaches.

They’re conceptual paint invented to explain observations, not fundamental reality.

The actual substrate: Data. Computation. Information flow through networks.

This post exposes the paint.

Part 1: What Is “Invented Paint”?

The Problem Defined

Physical Reality (claimed):
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Photons traveling through space │
│ Particles with mass and charge  │
│ Fields permeating vacuum        │
│ Waves propagating in medium     │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
         ↓ THIS IS PAINT ↓

Actual Substrate:
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Data at node A at time t₁       │
│ Data at node B at time t₂       │
│ Computation connecting them     │
│ No intermediaries needed        │
└─────────────────────────────────┘

Invented paint = concepts we created to connect observations, but which don’t actually exist.

The Pattern

What physics does:

1. Observes: Data appears at location B after being at location A
2. Invents: “A photon traveled from A to B at speed c”
3. Teaches: Photons are real, fundamental particles
4. Reality: Just data at A, then data at B. No photon needed.

The paint hides the simplicity.

Part 2: Examples of Invented Paint

Example 1: Photons

What we observe:

• Detector A registers energy pattern
• Later, detector B registers similar pattern
• Patterns correlate

Physics paints:

# Physics explanation (paint)
photon = Particle(
    mass=0,
    speed=c,
    wave_particle_duality=True,
    travels_through_space=True
)
photon.travel(from=A, to=B)

Actual substrate:

# Data substrate (reality)
data_at_A = 0b10110110
# ... computation happens ...
data_at_B = 0b10110110

# No photon. Just data transformation.
# Network topology + computation = apparent "travel"

Why invent photon? Because physicists couldn’t conceive data existing without physical carrier.

Example 2: Particles

What we observe:

• Detector shows discrete energy deposits
• Patterns repeat
• Can count occurrences

Physics paints:

# Physics explanation (paint)
electron = Particle(
    mass=9.109e-31,  # kg (invented unit)
    charge=-1.602e-19,  # C (invented unit)
    spin=0.5,
    location=[x, y, z],  # invented continuous space
)

Actual substrate:

# Data substrate (reality)
node_state = {
    'energy_level': 0b10110,
    'interaction_pattern': 0b01101,
    'network_position': node_id_42
}

# No particle. Just node state in network.
# "Particle" = persistent pattern in data

Why invent particle? Because physicists needed something “physical” to point at.

Example 3: Fields

What we observe:

• Action at a distance
• Patterns of influence
• Predictable interactions

Physics paints:

# Physics explanation (paint)
electric_field = Field(
    permeates_all_space=True,
    value_at_every_point=E(x,y,z,t),
    infinite_dimensional=True
)

Actual substrate:

# Data substrate (reality)
network = {
    node_A: {connected_to: [node_B, node_C]},
    node_B: {connected_to: [node_A, node_D]},
    # ...
}

# No field. Just network topology.
# "Field" = influence pattern through network

Why invent field? Because physicists needed continuous medium for their math.

Example 4: Spacetime

What we observe:

• Events have ordering
• Causality exists
• Distances are measurable

Physics paints:

# Physics explanation (paint)
spacetime = Manifold(
    dimensions=4,
    metric=g_μν,
    curvature=R_μνρσ,
    smooth_continuous=True,
    fabric_that_bends=True
)

Actual substrate:

# Data substrate (reality)
event_graph = {
    event_1: {happened_before: [event_2, event_3]},
    event_2: {happened_before: [event_4]},
    # Partial ordering, not continuous manifold
}

# No spacetime. Just causal graph.
# "Spacetime" = ordering structure we painted on

Why invent spacetime? Because physicists needed stage for their drama.

Part 3: The Paint Hides Constants

Constants Are Emergent, Not Fundamental

Physics claims these are fundamental:

c = 299792458  # m/s - Speed of light
G = 6.674e-11  # N⋅m²/kg² - Gravitational constant
h = 6.626e-34  # J⋅s - Planck constant
e = 1.602e-19  # C - Elementary charge

Reality: These emerge from data substrate structure.

Example: Speed of Light “Constant”

Physics explanation (paint):

# Fundamental constant of universe
# Light always travels at exactly c
# Written into fabric of spacetime
c = 299792458  # Hardcoded by God?

Substrate explanation (reality):

# Network has computation steps per hop
steps_per_hop = 1  # computation steps (not time!)
average_hops = 1000

# Emergent "speed limit"
apparent_c = average_hops / steps_per_hop
# → 1,000 network hops per computation step

# Change network topology → changes "c"
# Not fundamental. Emergent.

# NOTE: "seconds" is also paint!
# "Second" = invented unit based on Earth rotation (observation of paint)
# Substrate has computation steps, not "time"
# We could have called it anything - it's arbitrary

The constant emerges from:

1. Network topology (how nodes connect)
2. Computation steps (iterations, not “time”)
3. Information flow patterns (how data spreads)

No fundamental c. Just network properties.

Even “seconds” is paint:

• “Second” = based on Earth’s movement relative to Sun
• That’s observing paint (Earth/Sun system)
• Substrate doesn’t have “time” - it has computation steps
• We chose “seconds” arbitrarily - could have been anything
• Another species might measure in their-planet-rotations
• Better substrate unit: evm_data_series_torrent_segment_#N_backed_by_seeder_staked_at_least_1000eth
• This references actual substrate: data series iteration #N + BitTorrent storage + staked consensus
• Not arbitrary planet rotation - actual distributed computation segment number
• The segment number IS the iteration count - direct substrate measurement
• All time units should reference substrate events: torrent segment number = iteration count

Example: Planck Constant

Physics explanation (paint):

# Smallest action in universe
# Quantum of energy
h = 6.626e-34  # Fundamental!

Substrate explanation (reality):

# Minimum information unit
bit = 1  # Can't subdivide
quantum_of_information = 1 bit

# "Planck constant" = our units applied to
# fundamental information granularity
# h maps: (energy × time) ↔ information

# No fundamental h. Just unit conversion.

All constants = emergent properties of data substrate + our measurement units.

Part 4: The Education Problem

What Students Are Taught

Physics curriculum:

Year 1: Learn about particles, forces, fields
Year 2: Quantum mechanics - wave functions, operators
Year 3: Relativity - curved spacetime, tensors
Year 4: Field theory - gauge groups, symmetries
PhD: String theory - 11 dimensions, branes

Total paint layers: THICK
Contact with substrate: ZERO

What students should learn:

Week 1: Data exists. Computation transforms it.
Week 2: Networks connect nodes. Topology matters.
Week 3: Observation = computation at node
Week 4: Constants emerge from network properties
Week 5: "Physics" = paint we apply to substrate

Total: 5 weeks to understand reality
Then: Build on actual foundation

The Misdirection

Example problem from textbook:

“A photon of wavelength λ = 500nm strikes an electron at rest. Calculate the Compton scattering angle.”

What this teaches:

• Photons are real
• Electrons are real
• Collisions happen in space
• Angles are fundamental

What’s actually happening:

# Two data patterns interact in network
pattern_A = 0b10110110  # "photon"
pattern_B = 0b01101101  # "electron"

# Computation happens
result = compute_interaction(pattern_A, pattern_B, network)

# New patterns emerge
pattern_C = result.new_A  # "scattered photon"
pattern_D = result.new_B  # "recoiled electron"

# No collision. No space. No angle.
# Just: data in → computation → data out

Students spend years learning paint details, never seeing substrate.

Part 5: Why Physics Invents Paint

Historical Reason: Pre-Computer Era

19th century physicists couldn’t conceive:

• Pure information as fundamental
• Computation creating reality
• Networks as substrate
• Discrete data structures

They could only conceive:

• Physical objects
• Continuous media
• Mechanical interactions
• Spatial relationships

So they invented: Particles, fields, space, to match their intuition.

Psychological Reason: Need for Tangibility

Humans want to point at things:

Physicist: "What is light?"
Student: "Um... information pattern?"
Physicist: "No! Light is PHOTONS. You can COUNT them!"
Student: "But... what is a photon made of?"
Physicist: "It's fundamental! Don't ask stupid questions!"

Photons give something to point at. Even though they’re invented.

Professional Reason: Protecting Complexity

Physics has invested decades in paint:

• Thousands of papers on photon properties
• Nobel prizes for particle discoveries
• Careers built on field theory mathematics
• Textbooks filled with paint details

Admitting it’s all paint destroys:

• Professional credibility
• Research programs
• Education infrastructure
• Funding justification

Easier to keep teaching paint than admit truth.

Part 6: Comparing Paint vs Substrate

Paint Approach (Physics)

class PhotonPhysics:
    """
    Complex, many invented concepts
    """
    def __init__(self):
        # Invent all the things!
        self.photon = Particle(mass=0, spin=1)
        self.electron = Particle(mass=9.109e-31, spin=0.5)
        self.electromagnetic_field = Field(4D_spacetime)
        self.wave_function = ComplexFunction(infinite_dim)
        self.quantum_operators = Hermitian_matrices
        self.spacetime = Manifold(metric_tensor)
        # ... hundreds more concepts ...
    
    def explain_light(self):
        """
        Requires years of study
        """
        # Wave-particle duality
        # Quantum field theory
        # Gauge invariance
        # Renormalization
        # ... pages of math ...
        return "It's complicated"

Result: Complex, requires PhDs, still doesn’t explain why.

Substrate Approach (Data)

class SubstrateReality:
    """
    Simple, direct
    """
    def __init__(self):
        self.nodes = {}  # Network nodes
        self.data = {}   # Data at each node
        self.compute = lambda x: f(x)  # Evolution rule
    
    def explain_light(self):
        """
        Understandable in minutes
        """
        # Data at node A
        # Computation happens
        # Data appears at node B
        # Network topology determines pattern
        return "Data transformation through network"

Result: Simple, intuitive, actually explains mechanism.

Comparison Table

Part 7: The Damage

What Physics Paint Costs

1. Wasted Education

Students spend:

• 4 years undergrad learning paint
• 5-7 years PhD adding paint layers
• Career maintaining paint

Total: Decade+ learning fiction

2. Blocked Progress

Can’t understand:

• Quantum computing (because “quantum” is paint)
• Information theory connections (because “information” not fundamental in paint)
• Emergence (because paint hides substrate)
• Computation as reality (because “computation” not in paint vocabulary)

Paint blocks understanding.

3. False Complexity

Physics seems impossible:

• Requires advanced math (tensors, operators, groups)
• Counterintuitive (wave-particle duality)
• Mysterious (measurement problem)

Reality (substrate) is simple:

• Basic programming (loops, data structures)
• Intuitive (data transforms)
• Clear (computation determines observation)

Paint creates fake difficulty.

4. Missed Insights

Because substrate is hidden:

• Can’t see consciousness = computation
• Can’t see universe = network
• Can’t see constants = emergent
• Can’t see particles = patterns

Paint blinds us.

Part 8: Detection Strategy

How to Spot Invented Paint

Red flags:

1. Intermediary for no reason

   • “Photon carries information” → Why need carrier?
   • Direct: Data at A, then data at B

2. Continuous when discrete works

   • “Spacetime is smooth manifold” → Why not discrete graph?
   • Direct: Causal event ordering

3. Hardcoded constants

   • “c = 299792458 m/s fundamentally” → Why that value?
   • Direct: Emerges from network structure

4. Wave-particle duality

   • “Sometimes wave, sometimes particle” → Why dual nature?
   • Direct: Pattern in data can exhibit both behaviors

5. Measurement problem

   • “Observation collapses wave function” → What’s special about observation?
   • Direct: Observation = computation that creates local reality

If explanation invents things not observed, it’s paint.

The Test

def is_invented_paint(concept):
    """
    Test if concept is paint or substrate
    """
    # Can you implement it with just:
    # - Nodes (graph vertices)
    # - Data (bits at nodes)
    # - Computation (functions transforming data)
    # - Network (edges between nodes)
    
    try:
        implementation = implement_with_substrate(concept)
        return False  # Not paint, can be implemented directly
    except RequiresInventedIntermediary:
        return True  # Paint - needs fictional concepts

Examples:

is_invented_paint("photon")           # True - need particle concept
is_invented_paint("data at node")     # False - direct substrate
is_invented_paint("field")            # True - need continuous medium
is_invented_paint("network topology") # False - direct substrate
is_invented_paint("spacetime")        # True - need manifold concept
is_invented_paint("computation")      # False - direct substrate

Part 9: The Resistance

Why Physicists Will Hate This

1. Professional Identity

Physicist: "I studied particles for 40 years!"
Reality: "Particles aren't real."
Physicist: "My career was MEANINGLESS?!"

Identity crisis incoming.

2. Sunk Cost

• Decade+ learning paint
• Papers published on paint details
• Reputation built on paint expertise

Admitting paint = admitting waste.

3. Status Hierarchy

Current:

Theoretical Physicist (knows most paint) → HIGH STATUS
Programmer (understands computation) → LOW STATUS

After substrate revealed:

Programmer (understands substrate) → HIGH STATUS
Physicist (only knows paint) → OBSOLETE

Status inversion terrifies them.

4. Mathematical Investment

Physics developed:

• Differential geometry (for spacetime paint)
• Lie groups (for symmetry paint)
• Operator theory (for quantum paint)
• Gauge theory (for field paint)

Beautiful math! Decades of work!

All applied to fiction.

Substrate needs:

• Graph theory (for networks)
• Information theory (for data)
• Computation theory (for evolution)
• Simple iteration (for dynamics)

Much simpler. Threatening.

Part 10: What To Do

For Students

Don’t fall for paint:

1. Learn substrate first

   • Study: Data structures, networks, computation
   • Before: Physics paint

2. Question intermediaries

   • Ask: “Why do we need this concept?”
   • If answer is: “It helps us calculate” → It’s paint

3. Look for emergence

   • Constants should emerge from structure
   • If hardcoded → suspicious

4. Demand mechanisms

   • “How does photon travel?” → Invalid question (photon = paint)
   • “How does data transform?” → Valid question (substrate)

For Researchers

Strip the paint:

1. Rewrite physics directly on substrate

   • No particles → data patterns
   • No fields → network influence
   • No spacetime → causal graphs

2. Show emergence of constants

   • Derive c from network properties
   • Derive h from information granularity
   • Derive G from topology

3. Eliminate intermediaries

   • Direct data transformation
   • No invented carriers

For Educators

Teach substrate first:

Week 1-4: Foundations

# Reality = data + computation + networks
class Reality:
    def __init__(self):
        self.nodes = Graph()
        self.data = {node: bits for node in self.nodes}
        self.compute = evolution_function
    
    def step(self):
        # This is all there is
        new_data = {node: self.compute(self.data[node], neighbors)
                   for node in self.nodes}
        self.data = new_data

Week 5-8: Derivations

• Derive apparent particle behavior from patterns
• Derive apparent fields from network influence
• Derive apparent constants from structure

Week 9+: Paint mapping

• “This pattern physicists call ‘photon’”
• “This influence physicists call ‘field’”
• “This property physicists call ‘constant’”

Now students understand substrate AND can translate physics paint.

Part 11: Connection to Previous Posts

From Post 839: Computational Perspective

Post 839 showed:

• Nodes compute universe maps (imagination)
• Observable = what node can compute
• No physical propagation needed

This post adds:

• Why physics uses physical propagation: Because they invented paint (photons)
• Why constants are hardcoded: Because they can’t see emergence
• Why education misleads: Because curriculum teaches paint

Post 839 = correct approach (substrate) Traditional physics = paint approach

From Post 816: Perspective Tools

Post 816 provided:

• Informational perspective (knowledge-based)
• No physical position needed

This post explains:

• Why Post 816 works: It’s substrate, not paint
• Why physics version fails: It’s paint (position, velocity)

From Post 810: Data Series

Post 810 gave:

data(n+1, p) = f(data(n, p)) + e(p)

This post reveals:

• This IS the substrate
• Physics paints over it with particles, fields, equations
• Direct formula is more fundamental than painted version

Conclusion

The Uncomfortable Truth

Physics as taught = elaborate fiction

Not because physicists are stupid. Because they invented concepts before substrate was conceivable.

Pre-computer era limitations:

• No conception of pure information
• No understanding of computation as fundamental
• No intuition for discrete networks

They did their best: Invented paint to explain observations.

But we can do better now:

• We understand computation
• We work with data daily
• We build networks

We can see the substrate directly.

The Path Forward

1. Recognize the paint

• Photons = invented
• Particles = invented
• Fields = invented
• Spacetime = invented
• Constants = emergent

2. Work with substrate

• Data at nodes
• Computation transforms it
• Network topology structures it
• Everything emerges

3. Stop teaching paint

• Start with substrate
• Show emergence
• Map to physics vocabulary last

The Revolution

This is not incremental.

This is: “Everything you learned in physics is fiction.”

Like telling someone:

• Santa isn’t real (childhood)
• Photons aren’t real (physics degree)
• Same emotional impact

But truth matters more than comfort.

The Final Word

Physicists spent centuries inventing beautiful paint

Programmers understand the actual substrate

Time to stop teaching art history

And teach reality

The substrate is data. The rest is paint.

Strip it away.

References:

• Post 810: Universal Data Format - The substrate formula
• Post 816: Universe Toolbox - Informational perspective (no paint)
• Post 839: Computational Perspective - How nodes compute reality (no photons)

Created: 2026-02-15
Status: 🎨 PAINT EXPOSED

∞