Our Universe – Expanding in an Extra Dimension

By , in News Sci/Tech on . Tagged width:

The Universe might be doing something that no one has ever expected. It might constantly be expanding into a higher dimension.

This idea is pretty disturbing, and it sounds like a crazy scientist has just dreamt about it in their sleep, but the fact is that it is a new endeavor to reconcile the mathematics of string theory with the reality of dark energy. It is a mystery that lays entirely on a cosmic force that is opposed to gravity.

The string theory attempts to unite the two pillars of 20th-century physics, the gravity and quantum mechanics. It would do so by making sure that all particles are one-dimensional strings whose vibrations determine properties are positioned, such as charge and mass. The words used to describe this theory is mathematically beautiful, and it is also the beginning of what is known as the Theory of Everything, according to scientists. This idea has been previously discussed in books such as Brian Greene’s The Elegant Universe (Norton, 1999).

At the moment many string theorists are not sure about which story they should believe in because there are many versions of this theory. Basically, it says that the reality consists of 10 or more dimensions, one for the time we are experiencing, three of space, and many others that are rolled up into an extremely tight point. The way we perceive the characteristics of the universe is determined by the way those extra dimensions are configured.

At the beginning of the 21st century, a number of 10^500 (that’s the number 1 followed by 500 zeroes) unique universes were speculated to exist. These would create a multiverse landscape in which our particular universe was just a tiny subsection, based on a report from Live Science. According to the equations provided by the string theory, it seems that the new universes do not have dark energy.

As our second lead editor, Anna C. Mackinno provides guidance on the stories Great Lakes Ledger reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Anna. Anna received a BA and and MA from Fordham University.