Bachelor thesis defense by Silke Dam Larsen Egholm

Title: Fundamental Theories - First Principles and Anomalies

Abstract:

The thesis seeks to provide answers to the following questions:
- What are the principles of our current scientific paradigm?
- What is the fundamental theory of physics?
- What are the First Principles of this theory?
- What are its anomalies – discrepancies between theory and observation?
The thesis serves as groundwork for the proposal of a novel physics theory
that addresses the fundamental questions about the composition of the Uni-
verse and the mechanisms of change.

The importance of c, ℏ and G governs the regime of physics’ current funda-
mental theories. No theory is valid for all three parameters. The combined
theories of General Relativity (GR) and Standard Model of particle physics
(SM) are found to cover the broadest range of phenomena.

First Principles  and anomalies for SM are listed, along with first principles of
GR and anomalies of the main test field of GR, cosmology. It is found to be
debatable which principles are most fundamental. Similarly for anomalies,
where the lists vary over time due to the increasing precision of experiments
and ever greater theoretical understanding.

GR asserts that the Universe exists within a malleable spacetime, while
SM posits that the Universe consists of excitations in all-pervasive quantum
fields, with interactions occurring as coupling between these fields.
The conclusion offers also personal reflections, including an alternative list
of first principles for SM, a list of open questions for cosmology, and a list of topics that might benefit from a novel theory.