We are all taught that light — and indeed all matter — possesses wave-particle duality. But have we ever truly questioned why? Textbooks often rely on two simple examples: light is described as a particle because it can displace electrons and is influenced by gravity, yet it is also a wave because it exhibits diffraction. Another common comparison is water; while water waves diffract through slits, water as a substance can also exhibit non-diffractive physical properties depending on the scale.
In both cases, I see a common thread: the relationship between waves and matter. We know that waves transmit energy; theoretically, a water wave transmits energy without transporting the water molecules themselves. Therefore, I propose a reverse inference: if a wave is the manifestation of energy moving through matter, then the essence of a “wave” is energy itself.
From this, we can conclude that the properties and origins of “waviness” come from energy. Wave-particle duality, therefore, is not an inherent property of matter, but rather the manifestation of energy passing through it. I believe that matter gives an object its particle characteristics, while energy provides its wave-like characteristics.
This brings us to a critical question: If a photon is simply a localized “packet” of energy, why can light travel without a medium? In my view, perhaps what we call a “medium” isn’t a medium at all. Consider our current understanding of the Big Bang: if the universe began as a singularity, how could it have contained so many particles? We know that the fields of different particles cannot occupy the same space — which is why we cannot walk through solid walls. Even if fields could overlap, the problem of particle incompatibility remains. Therefore, I make a bold hypothesis: Particles, or matter itself, are simply manifestations of highly concentrated energy.
This hypothesis leads to a deeper curiosity: What causes energy to spontaneously converge? General Relativity tells us that massive celestial bodies (possessing vast potential energy) warp spacetime, causing energy to flow inward — this is what we call gravity. Building on this, I envision a system where high energy attracts low energy, forcing it to orbit at high speeds, much like a miniature solar system.
Between these energy entities, invisible “hands” — similar to electric field lines — reach out in all directions. High-energy centers attempt to grab as many low-energy units as possible, pulling them into orbit. These low-energy “hands” are then fully occupied by the high-energy center, preventing them from attracting other energy. However, high-energy centers themselves can link together, forming large-scale matter.
What, then, determines attraction and repulsion? In our past studies, we learned that atoms tend toward stability — perhaps energy does the same. At the beginning of time, energy naturally gravitated toward union. The energy bound within existing matter is immense, originating from the Big Bang itself. The reason current energy levels cannot spontaneously generate matter is simply that they are not powerful enough. The likelihood of union depends largely on the density of energy distribution after dispersion. Energy units that quickly find “partners” tend to form small-scale matter with intense repulsive or attractive forces. In contrast, larger matter exhibits relatively smaller forces, as these interactions are determined by Low-Energy Boundaries.
The formation of matter depends on the energy it encounters. When high-energy units converge, they form larger structures. Because most of their “hands” are already entangled with each other, fewer hands remain to pull in low-energy units, resulting in a thinner surrounding Low-Energy Ring. Such matter does not easily attract or repulse and possesses less external force. This Energy Boundary can be understood as a shield formed by circulating energy; the amount of energy in this ring determines the thickness of the “shell” it can pull in. This explains why, even when we categorize atoms by the same size, some remain far apart while others can sit very close or even interconnect.
Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission are, respectively, the union and the tearing apart of these high-energy cores. During fusion, as the energy rings between boundaries merge, a portion of the low-energy shell dissipates, releasing energy. In fission, the connection between two massive energy centers is severed, causing energy to leak from the point of disconnection; due to the drive for stability, energy from the shell quickly rushes in to fill the gap.
Finally, the reason light travels so incredibly fast is that it breaks down the energy that was once fused into particles back into its primal form. This maximizes the energy’s potential, allowing it to operate in an unlocked state, free from the constraints of material structure.
