From the curious child known as "Question Time" in his Irish village to a detective and a leader of international data analysis projects at Europol, Francis J Martin has always been driven by a need to find patterns and truth in complex information. His career was built on asking the right questions and sifting through vast quantities of data to separate signal from noise.

Now retired from law enforcement, he applies this same rigorous, investigative mindset to a personal quest: solving the fundamental "problem of time" in physics. Dissatisfied with circular definitions and untested assumptions, he used his expertise in information management to synthesize insights from physics, cosmology, and philosophy.

His work is guided by a principle he once wrote:-

"An unchallenged assumption is a curtain on the window of knowledge."

Tackling the Big Questions

The Investigator's Mindset

'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' - Sherlock Holmes

My approach is to ruthlessly apply Occam's razor by stripping away unsupported assumptions. Then study what remains for clues and patterns to the truth.

• On Time: I asked, can I touch the past or future? Take a photo of it? No. They are not physical entities. So, what then remains? What does a clock actually measure? This simple question, pursued over many years, led to the Energetic Time Theory.

• On History: I start with a scientific fact: virgin births do not happen. So, that brings up the question, who was the father of Jesus? The investigation must begin there."