The theory of everything is falling apart
As we travel together through the arrow of time (sequence of events), more and more minds are combining to solve our greatest challenges
At the dawn of the 20th century, many physicists thought that everything that was needed to be known about how the universe works was already discovered. The famous quotation from Lord Kelvin “There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains are more and more precise measurements.”
It didn’t take long for him to be proven wrong. A couple of years later, Albert Einstein came up with the theory of relativity which set a new foundation for physics. This theory resulted in the creation of two new fields in physics: the physics explained by two interrelated theories (e.g. general relativity), relating to planets, stars, galaxies…etc., and the physics that explained the minute (e.g. Quantum mechanics), relating to atoms, subatomic particles, electromagnetic waves…etc.
Quantum mechanics is incompatible with general relativity because in quantum field theory, forces act locally through the exchange of welldefined quanta. From here came the idea of combining the two fields together and creating a unified equation that explained how the entire universe works. Albert Einstein did not like the peculiarity of Quantum Mechanics, since it challenged his theory of relativity. Therefore, Einstein worked on a unified theory while completely ignoring the whole field of physics but unfortunately he passed away trying to do so.
By the end of the century, many different theories came along trying to unify physics, most notably the “Super String Theory (SST)”. The theory tries to answer the question: What are the basic fundamental, indivisible, and uncuttable constituents that make up the universe around us? Well, according to this theory, subatomic particles are not the end of the story, as we might have thought before. Everything in the universe, from matter particles (electrons and quarks) to radiation particles (photons and gravitons) are all built up from vibrating strings of energy. They vibrate in different frequencies, which create diversity in the universe. From here unification is accomplished.
Now, when this theory is tested mathematically, it turns out that it does not work in a universe with only three spatial dimensions. It works in a universe with ten dimensions of space and one dimension of time.
So, does that mean that there are more dimensions than we have previously thought? Well, before we focus on what is the reality, let us discuss this theoretically. In string theory, extra spatial dimensions can exist on a very small scale. They intertwine and create streams of fabric-like patterns from which the strings of energy, previously mentioned, can exist within them. Therefore, the geometry of these extra dimensions of space affects how the strings vibrate. If physicists are able to know what these extra dimensions appear as, they would be able to calculate the allowed vibrational patterns for the aforementioned strings and ultimately being able to explain why and how the universe is what it is.
Physicists are still in the process of mathematically calculating the shape of those extra dimensions, and also proving experimentally if the SST is correct. Scientists have built the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located on the Franco-swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland, for the sake of proving this theory. What the LHC is designed to do is to send particles around a tunnel in opposite directions and near the speed of light. The hope was that a collision would occur with enough energy and thereby sending debris into extra dimensions, which could prove the SST. Unfortunately, this has not happened yet, which leaves this theory up in the air. Now, it does not mean that all hope is lost, there may be more left from the story (theory) than we currently know. Only time will tell.
Why should we care about unifying physics? There are many reasons why we should care. But most importantly, the unification of physics will unveil more and more about our reality,
which will advance our scientific knowledge. From it, many doors of opportunity will open for humanity, and we will leap into a new future. For example, if we were able to unify physics into one equation, we will be able to solve some of the mysteries in the universe. We will be able to calculate what happens inside a black hole or perhaps solve the mystery of dark matter and energy. One may ask, “How does that help us advance our technology?” Well, like many past theories, it might help us indirectly over time. The biggest example of that is how Einstein’s astounding theory of relativity helped us find our way home via a Global Positioning System (GPS). As humans, we strive to gain more knowledge and thus satisfy our curiosity, but most
importantly to manipulate nature to our advantage. As we travel together through the arrow of time (sequence of events), more and more minds are combining to solve our greatest challenges. So, will you be the next Einstein that will leap over the biggest barrier in physics?