In this chapter, it will be shown how science plays a important role in the creation of various objects like software, this universe, mass, atoms, energy and even yourself! This chapter also shows why knowledge of science is very important BEFORE you start using the products of science. Objects include everything - for example PostgreSQL, time, mass, energy, planets, sun, moon, stars, galaxies, super-clusters, humans etc... are objects made by science. This chapter also shows how laws of science and statistics favour the open-source code system like PostgreSQL and Linux. As the internet speed is increasing everyday, and internet is becoming more and MORE reliable, the open-source code system will gain very rapid momentum. And, if rules of statistics and laws of physics are correct than the closed source-code systems will eventually VANISH from this planet.
The paragraphs given below will show you - "how vast science is, how important it is for man and how it impacts software projects like PostgreSQL, Linux".
Developing a project like PostgreSQL requires resources like energy and time, hence PostgreSQL is a product of energy and time. Since energy and time can be explained only by science, there is a direct co-relation between physics and software projects like PostgreSQL, Linux.
Laws of science (Physics) applies everywhere and at all the times, to anything that you do, even while you are developing the software projects. Physics is in action even while you are talking (sound waves), walking (friction between ground and your feet), reading a book or writing software. Various branches of sciences like physics, chemistry etc all merge into one grand region called Mathematics (which is also known as the Queen of all Sciences). Everything in this world has a deep root in mathematics, including PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL uses 'Modern Algebra' which is a tiny branch of mathematics. Modern algebra deals with 'Set Theory', 'Relational Algebra', science of Groups, Rings, Collections, Sets, Unions, Intersections, Exclusions, Domains, Lists, etc...
The software like PostgreSQL is existing today because of the energy and time. It is the energy which made this world, human brains and many other things! And mass and energy are ONE and the SAME entity! The fact that mass and energy are same was unknown to people 100 years ago!
Cells in the human brains consume energy while processing (creating software), by converting the chemical energy from food into electrical and heat energy. Even while you are reading this paragraph, the cells in your brain are burning out the fuel and are using tiny amounts of energy. So STOP READING NOW ! The energy activity of neurons (brain cells) can be measured in the laboratory. For example, there are many instruments like 'Lie Detectors' and other medical instruments which can measure the energy activities of brain. All of these implies that human brain is a thermodynamic heat engine. Because human brain is a thermodynamic engine, the laws of thermodynamics applies to brain and hence thermodynamics has indirect effects on software like PostgreSQL.
As per science, it is impossible to build any system or theory (including a database software system) which will be 100 % perfect and bug free. It is like chasing a mirage, we will NEVER reach the goal of perfect system or theory. Detailed mathematical equations/discussions to prove that 'perfect system' (as well as 'imperfect system') is impossible, is a advanced topic and is beyond the scope of this document. And such a mathematical discussion deals with infinite number of dimensions (as well as primary dimensions) which are existing in nature. Unfortunately humans can see or feel only 4 dimensions but mathematics can easily explore many other dimensions. Other dimensions are 'infinitely smaller' than the atoms and atoms themselves are very minute which human eyes cannot see them! Mathematics is very powerful as it can analyze and explain the birth/death of our universe. Our universe is almost zero size if you look from other universe and vice versa. That is, our universe is not visible (does not exist) for persons in other universe! And vice versa!! Theoretically, you can exit out of our universe and travel vast distances (billions of light years) in zero time and re-enter universe at a different point of space-time! Distance between our universe and other universes is actually zero!
Even though there are infinite number of dimensions, they all can be derived/generated from a small number of PRIMARY dimensions. That is, infinite number of dimensions can combine and collapse into primary dimensions. Primary dimensions simply absorb other dimensions without themselves getting destroyed. Mathematicians use these primary dimensions to understand the birth and death of universes. The universe where you are currently living started with a BIG BANG billions of years ago (roughly 20 billion years ago) which was caused by the interactions of atomic particles of other dimensions. Just before the big bang there was a tiny point where length, breadth, height and time was ZERO (that is, our universe was NOT THERE!!) and other universes and primary dimensions were existing. Time itself was NOT there and atoms, stars, planets, galaxies were NOT there! The atoms inside your body were NOT there!! So many things happened even BEFORE the time was born!
Big bang and hence birth of our universe was caused by few atoms of primary dimensions. SOMEONE (something?) caused the dashing of few tiny atoms of other dimensions to create our universe, and new dimensions time, length, breadth, height was born! We see someone's hand in this process. That process is not very well understood by man. Man is trying to generate another universe in the lab by simulating the big bang event (Huge accelerator is under construction in Europe, another construction in Dallas, USA was stopped by US congress due to budget cuts). There are atoms of other dimensions just as we have atoms in our universe. Theoretically, you can create/generate infinite number of universes! This process is reversible, that is our universe can completely close down and vanish into few atoms of other dimensions! It is similar in anology as to how YOU were born from two tiny cells which DASHED against each other to create one single cell. That single tiny cell divided and multiplied into 6 trillion cells to become a 6 foot tall human (that is you!). There are some similarities between humans and universes, universes are born and later die, very much similar to humans.
Since PERFECT state (as well as IMPERFECT state) is impossible, universes like ours are born and later die down in a cyclic process. BUT there can NO PERFECT death, only transformation is permitted by science! Our universe is currently expanding at a tremendous rate, it is not static but is very dynamic. This universe will keep expanding untill something interferes to collapse this universe by applying pressures with external dimensions to aborb and annihilate our universe!! Two possibilities are - removing the mass from our universe via black holes (a slow process), or injecting more mass into our universe via white holes (a rapid big crunch process). There can be millions of universes in existence but there can be very few universes which are built from primary dimensions. You are not only made up of atoms of this universe but also by atoms of other dimensions! In black holes the atoms and particles from our universe get sucked into and are completely transformed and converted to particles of other dimensions! In the center of black hole time is zero and length, breadth, height is zero! And black hole is EXIT/ENTRY door to and from other universes. Entry/Exit doors to other universes can open up anywhere, even inside your body!
There can be infinite number of colors, computer langauages, computer chip designs and theories but there CANNOT be ONE SINGLE PERFECT color, computer language, design or system! What you can have is only a NEAR PERFECT color(wavelength), system, database, or theory! Nature is like a Kaliedoscope.
By combining the energies of millions of people around the world via internet it is possible to achieve a NEAR PERFECT system (including a database software system). Individually, the energy of each person will be minute, but by networking a large number of people, the total energy will be huge which can be focused on a project to generate a near perfect system. Human beings are creatures of finite energy and resources, frequently guilty of errors ranging from the trivial to the profound. Because of our propensity for error varies broadly with particular skills, particular experience and the vagaries of the moment, the discovery and elimination of software bugs produced by ordinary human error can be greatly facilitated by bringing a great many minds to bear on the problem. In addition, more individuals represent extra person hours of code and its asocciated function.
It is very clear that internet can network a vast number of people, which implies internet has a lot of energy and time which can produce much higher quality software products in much shorter time as compared to commercial companies. Even big companies like Microsoft, IBM cannot overpower and overrule the laws of Physics but will eventually SURRENDER UNTO laws of science!
Today, there are too many SQL RDBMS databases in the world aiming at only one specification ANSI/ISO SQL. Man must not waste his time creating too many SIMILAR/IDENTICAL software packages and there are many other topics in science which need good attention.
Conclusion is - because of laws of science, 'open source code' system like PostgreSQL, Linux will be always much better than 'closed source code' system and it is possible to prove this statement scientifically.