Reality on a Stick

Last year, I read an article on the emergence of Brane theory (called M theory in some cricles), which posits the existence of parallel universes, each consisting of far more dimensions than the average cookie can conceive. I get excited just thinking about it. So excited, in fact, that I haven’t once managed to provide an adequate characterization to my interlocutor.

Thank goodness for high budget radio productions with expert guests. In fact, you get 3 theories in one sitting (but the other two–string theory soup, and older universe offspring–aren’t nearly as cool as BRANE theory.)

And while you’re listening to this, just think how lucky you are that you were able to hear it in simple, entertaining metaphors rather than my hackneyed butcherous ranting.

Sit still and listen to it. It’s worth it.  (Click image above)

The Big Bang theory of the origin of our universe is widely accepted by the physics community. The idea that our universe started out as some infinitesimally small point, which expanded out to what we see today, makes a lot of sense. Except for one small thing. That initial point, called a singularity by physicists, is a physical impossibility. According to the models we have today, the temperature of the universe at that first moment would have had to be infinite, which mathematically makes no sense. Also, the singularity doesn’t do a good job of explaining where all the matter and energy we see today in the universe came from. So, physicists are increasingly starting to look at other branches of physics to see what they can do to replace the singularity with a more reasonable proposition, one which can actually be explained by existing science.

[via Clusterflock via Boing Boing via CBC Radio]

Steve

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