Black holes. Portals. Dark matter. Parallel worlds. Team Instinct. As common as these terms are today, we're sadly still no closer to knowing the true nature of the universe we live in. To make things worse, we may never reach that day. We are still trying to reach that point.
But in attempting to
understand these concepts, we use two distinct sets of rules: Quantum
Mechanics, which is the study of all things super-small (atoms, quarks, Ant-Man
on occasion), and General Relativity, which is the study of larger things
(people, planets, also Ant-Man).
The issue? Two sets of rules
don't exactly make it easy to explain the already mind-boggling terms listed
above. For example, dark matter can be both infinitesimal and super-massive at
the same time, so how can we possibly put something like this into perspective?
That's where String Theory comes in.
String theory is a
hypothetical explanation that could potentially unify ALL MATTER in the known universe,
big or small. Wouldn't that make things so much easier to understand?
In theory, yes. But, like
everything in our universe, the concepts presented within string theory are
nearly-impossible for our feeble human minds to comprehend, and would
undoubtedly only lead to more feelings of societal insignificance regarding our
place in the cosmos, depression epidemics, and a global blanket of general
malaise about this whole “existence” thing. String theory opens doors to a
universe which is stranger than our imagination. So, that said, below are the
most fascinating ideas presented within String Theory.
String Theory Holds That
Everything Is Literally Connected
First and foremost, let's
clarify that title. What do “strings” have to do with the universe? Does it
mean we're all tied together in a marvelously delicate knot of energy, time,
evolution, and coincidence?
Actually, it kind of does.
According to string theory, all particles are just tiny vibrating strings
called gravitons, with each type of vibration matching to a different particle
across multiple dimensions (more on that next). In our current understanding of
the universe, there are four dimensions: X (left-to-right), Y (top-to-bottom),
Z (forward-and-backward), and Time itself. That is, we can move in three
spatial dimensions, and time is constantly moving around us.
And those strings? They
stretch across each one simultaneously, unifying time and space, and providing
a common set of principles that can be applied to everything from atoms to
galaxies.
But if that wasn't tricky
enough...
There Are an Extra Six
Dimensions (and They're Totally Crazy)
…try to imagine your
existence within the additional six hypothetical dimensions created by string
theory. It's hard enough rolling out of bed each day, but imagine knowing
there's another you in another dimension, one very similar to our own, who's
already showered and out the door. And is probably going to get a raise today.
That bastard.
But why do you know your
doppelganger is out there? Because you've just glimpsed into the Fifth
Dimension, one originally posited by German mathematician Theodor Kaluza, and
Swedish physicist Oskar Klein. Together, the two developed the Kaluza-Klein
Theory, which is a unified field theory of gravity and electromagnetism.
Through their research, Kaluza and Klein sparked the concept that if these two
principles exist unseen, then perhaps they are emerging from another plane
entirely.
From here, the crazy only
intensifies: the Sixth Dimension is not just a world similar to our own – but
an entire plane of possible worlds, all starting at the same time as ours. The
Seventh, one that allows access to these theoretical planes, and which
experiences time in an entirely different way than our own dimension. That is,
dimenson seven's Big Bang could have started just a few million years earlier,
and their Earth (relatively speaking) is still a little behind the evolutionary
process – which might actually explain why you're not getting that raise today.
The Eighth and Ninth
Dimensions are exponential variations on the seventh which would provide us
with a kaleidescopal view of universes that have varying histories, laws of
nature, perceptions of time itself, all culminating in the Tenth Dimension: an
unfathomable realm in which everything about the known universe can be
perceived all at once.
Forces from Other Dimensions
Could Have Had an Effect on the Big Bang
Four forces of nature walk
into the beginning of the known universe. Thankfully, this is not the third
sequel to the box-office dud, Force of Nature. Although the consequences of any
of the following going even slightly awry would be just as big of a disaster.
Nature has four fields:
Gravity, Electromagnetism, Strong Nuclear Force, and Weak Nuclear Force. As
stated above, string theory is an attempt to explain the behavior of all matter
under one umbrella – and these four are the keys. By examining the behavior of
each field, scientists have deduced that, although we cannot directly
experience these other dimensions, there is at least abstract evidence, such as
gravitational anomalies during the Big Bang, that could eventually prove their
existence.
So, if nothing existed in
our universe prior to the Big Bang – then what other gravitational forces could
be pulling on it? This is where string theory strikes once again: if there really
are other dimensions and parallel universes existing outside our own, then, in
theory, it's very much possible their gravitational forces could have an effect
on the beginning of ours.
The Universe Is Nothing More
than a Projection
While string theory has been
in existence for the better part of a century, it has often deviated into other
forms as our ability to research the universe advances. So if you thought
things were insanely complicated before, try to reverse your understanding of a
massive three-dimensional universe that's constantly expanding – and, while
you're at it, lose a whole dimension, too.
Like an on-stage recreation
of Tupac Shakur, the “Holographic Principle” is a terrifying scenario that
hopefully doesn't signify the direction we're collectively headed.
In 1997, physicist Juan
Maldacena proposed a variation on string theory: if every particle in the
universe is made up of strings, then what if each string exists in only two
dimensions, yet holds all of the information necessary for us to visualize
three? That is, the universe as we know it is nothing more than a flat plane of
existence which sprawls out toward an infinite horizon.
On the surface (so to
speak), it sounds a little easier to comprehend than similar theories, but if
the universe is nothing more than a projection – what does that say about us?
Black Holes Could Be Portals
to Different Dimensions
Okay, most of you probably
saw this one coming. After all, with so many theories about the universe,
wormholes are about as 'vanilla' as they come. It seems that with any bizarre
theory out there, they somehow manage to fit in to nearly every single one.
Talking about black holes? There's a wormhole nearby. Maybe a film about time
travel? Better inject some scientific jargon about wormholes, two points
connecting, instantaneous travel, and so on.
Point is, it's almost as if
we've been dulled to how real wormholes could potentially be – especially when
talking about string theory.
And with that in mind, we're
also talking about multiple-dimensions. Thus, entering one end of a wormhole
could potentially allow for travel not only between our universe, but into an
entirely new dimension altogether. One that may not even have the same physical
laws as ours.
Could this be a way to fully
understand our entire universe? To potentially reach the theoretical tenth
dimension?
The Universe Is Going
Through an Endless Cycle of Creation and Destruction
Or, more specifically,
branes. Short for membranes, long for their position in spacetime according to
quantum mechanics, branes are hypothetical objects which live on strings
themselves. But these aren't just “objects” in the traditional sense, but
rather potential worlds sharing a space with those other six dimensions
mentioned above.
And because of the nature of
these branes, a new concept of the creation of our universe formed, one called
the “ekpyrotic universe.” In this scenario, our universe is going through an
endless cycle of creation and destruction.
So how do these branes come
into play? One theory suggests that in between the universe's best day ever and
worst of all time, perhaps two of these branes collided with one another,
creating our dimension as the result. By researching this process, scientists
have also gleaned that this type of cosmic smashing may hold the answers to
what happened before the Big Bang.
At the end of the day
(relatively speaking), string theory works to unite not just all matter in the
universe, but potentially every field as we know it.
Via Ranker
Will learning this affect my daily life in any way? No. Is this reason to not pursue the answers? No. I'm just glad it's not up to my tired-out, old-school self.
ReplyDelete(The Tupac hologram suggestion rang eerily of hard solipsism, BTW....lol)