Physicists Reveal a Quantum Geometry That Exists Outside of Space and Time(quantamagazine.org)
quantamagazine.org
Physicists Reveal a Quantum Geometry That Exists Outside of Space and Time
https://www.quantamagazine.org/physicists-reveal-a-quantum-geometry-that-exists-outside-of-space-and-time-20240925/
14 comments
Wow this is amazing. This might be the first detection of a higher dimension.
+1 for mathematical Platonism
The Hylaean Theoric World.
If the timeline is be believed, we should start building our Maths now!
Must be amazing to have the skills to discover the hidden relationships of reality.
What’s amazing about this is they were looking for something else and saw something unexpectedly odd and discovered potentially a new dimension of reality. Wtf.
That title sure feels Lovecraftian to me
not really as the math has no reference to time or space anyway so of course any geometry derived will be outside time and space in the first place...
to go even deeper if Universe formed out of a phase transition from many possible universes...it just means at the phase transition many possible geometries on top of many possible universes..
to go even deeper if Universe formed out of a phase transition from many possible universes...it just means at the phase transition many possible geometries on top of many possible universes..
I think this misses the physics though. The math is just describing a phenomenon observed. The phenomenon implies a dimension of influence outside spacetime. This is a remarkable observation if true because no known force in known dimensions can easily account for this.
The math just demonstrates this to be likely true. Math is a tool physics uses to create logically consistent conclusions. And this one is remarkable.
The math just demonstrates this to be likely true. Math is a tool physics uses to create logically consistent conclusions. And this one is remarkable.
> The question now is whether this new, more primitive geometric approach to particle physics will allow theoretical physicists to slip the confines of space and time altogether.
I don’t think phrases like this refer to anything actually outside of space & time.
Simply that the models can calculate results without any need to reference space & time.
Lots of relations do that, but discovering a new one, with very interesting properties and structure, in an area where scientists are grasping for more insight, is encouraging.
Some examples of well known relationships that hold over physical transformations regardless of topology or direction of time are conservation laws.
I don’t think phrases like this refer to anything actually outside of space & time.
Simply that the models can calculate results without any need to reference space & time.
Lots of relations do that, but discovering a new one, with very interesting properties and structure, in an area where scientists are grasping for more insight, is encouraging.
Some examples of well known relationships that hold over physical transformations regardless of topology or direction of time are conservation laws.
Given what Lovecraft had to say about mere non-Euclidian geometry, it's a much lower bar to pass than you may expect.
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I know there are many reasons to be cautious, but this discovery has me really excited for the potential to witness incredible new leaps in science.