Thursday 1 November 2012

Conserving Independence Momentum - the physics

Energy equals half the mass multiplied by the square of the velocity of any given body - so says the universal law on momentum, with the previso the object is in a vacuum and is not hit or effected by any other object.

If the energy in this momentum equation is the energy required to achieve a 'Yes' vote in 2014 then velocity becomes political leadership and mass becomes the electorate.

What pure physics tells us is that nothing actually happens in a vacuum of the sort the Newtonian physics of momentum requires because of stuff like gravitational pull, friction and collisions are constantly impacting on momentum in the real world. What pure physics (quantum mechanics and its fellow travellers) has established, and where Newton was spot on, is that Energy is always conserved.

So what has this got to do with the independence debate?

Like Newtonian phsyics many of us would prefer the independence referendum and debate to take place in a vacuum with no other disturbances as it would make things so much easier to predict, linear with less chance of external events interfering with the momentum and taking energy out of it. One example would be the impact on the Newtonian momentum of independence the recent MSP defection over the SNP stance on NATO has caused and the energy lost through the impact on the mass by naval gazers. Some worry about the impact on velocity (leadership) this stramash has caused while working within this linear construct the Bitter Together campaign seeks to remove all the leadership velocity it can by attacking what it sees as the leadership of  the independence movement - Alex Salmond (aka Wee Eck).

The problem with the 'Bitter Together' approach is it fails to address the problems to the Newtonian  relationship on momentum caused by quantum mechanics view of velocity. This states velocity can be expressed in many different forms depending on the external forces acting on it. In effect by the 'Bitter Together' camp solely attacking the Wee Eck velocity vector (WEv) they are ignoring all the other vectors that make up the overall leadership velocity component of the Independence Momentum (IE) which we can call Vmax (Vmax) and is made up of multiple velocities for example:

Blair Jenkins(BJv),
Dennis Cavanagh (DCv),
Nicola Sturgeon, (NSv)

and the others like:

John Grogan (JGv),
STUC for Independence (STUCv),
the Greens (Gv),
the SSP (SSPv)
and non aligned others (Xv)

and still in the closet:

Libdems and Conservatives (CLCv).

It is clear that Vmax is the sum of many different velocity (leadership) vectors all adding together to drive the independence velocity vector (Vmax) in one direction.

What the mathematics of vectors also makes clear that unless the opposing vector is acting straight against WEv then its impact is dissappated by the angle of attack and the amount of opposing velocity applied. As Bitter Together's velocity (BTv) acts on fairly oblique angle with little real velocity the impact on WEv is small in any case and the impact on Vmax is negligible. It appears mathematically that: 

As Vmax >> WEv >> BTv : means Vmax - (BTv-WEv) = Vmax; 

Thus it could be argued that even when (BTv - WEv) is close to zero there is no actual impact of the Bitter Together campaign in terms of the overall leadership velocity Vmax.

So we can consider Vmax is a constant for the purposes of the independence argument.

The problem with the electoral mass for independence is it is currently a variable of between 37% and 51% of the available electoral mass depending on how it is measured, with a mean of 44.5%.

Using these outer parameters for electoral mass as the first deviation limit (+1) in the electoral Bell Curve relating to independence. We can then apply the laws of mathematical probablilty to this problem and calculate the tipping point when independence electoral mass becomes critical. This value works out at 40% of group mass in statistical work carried out on random groups and their acceptance of change that ensures change occurs.

So if the electoral mass is greater than 40% for independence and Vmax remains a constant then there will be sufficient momentum to reach independence when:

 IE =  M>40%/2.Vmax squared.

In other words folks if each of us changes one 'mibee's aye; mibees naw' to a yes or one No to a Yes then independence is inevitable because you cannae whack quantum mechanics.

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