Abstract
In this essay I argue that the large discrepancy between the calculated vacuum energy density of the universe and the amount corresponding to the observed acceleration of spatial expansion places a lower limit on the wavelengths of elementary fields. I demonstrate how the lowest wavelength, highest-energy fields, which I call holons, could form the basis for a digital system akin to a structurally dynamic cellular automaton. I show how such a system could model the growth of form, and offer an increasing topological entropy corresponding to the forward arrow of time. I examine the points of commonality between the holon hypothesis and the holographic principle, but argue that the two are independent, as the former does not necessitate reference to a boundary. Finally, I comment on the development of interferometry tests for the graininess of space that could also point to a fundamental minimum wavelength.
Paul Halpern