Some scientists say that humans living in three-dimensional space-time do not know the other six dimensions.
-Text/reporter Tang Yi Wu Youlu
A physicist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found the inspiration to observe six-dimensional space. His method of observing six-dimensional shapes was published in this month's Physical Review Letters.
In addition to four-dimensional space-time, there are six other spatial dimensions unknown to human beings.
We all know that we live in a three-dimensional space, and if we add time, it is a four-dimensional space-time. But some scientists say that there are six other spatial dimensions that humans still don't know.
On February 2, 2007, a message in Physical Review Express said: A physicist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison sought inspiration from space and put forward the hypothesis that the human world is not complete on the basis of the "string theory" of physics. In addition to three-dimensional space and time, there should be six other spatial dimensions. These "hidden" spatial dimensions are curled up at every point in our universe with extremely tiny geometric shapes. Six-dimensional space can accept any possible shape, and it is consistent with its own world and has its own physical laws.
This is undoubtedly like a blockbuster falling on the physics community. If there is a six-dimensional space, then Einstein's "theory of relativity" shows that his theory itself is not perfect.
For human beings, we are used to the concept of three-dimensional space. How can we imagine and accept six-dimensional space? What shape is this mysterious six-dimensional geometric figure? Does the elusive six-dimensional space really exist?
Why can't humans see the other six dimensions?
Professor Zhu Chuanjie from the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences told the reporter that "the universe should be ten-dimensional" is a conclusion drawn by scientists through mathematical equations based on the argument of a superstring theory. At present, people only know one-dimensional time, two-dimensional plane, three-dimensional space and the concept of "four-dimensional space-time" mentioned by Einstein. In addition, superstring theory predicts that there should be six other unknown spatial dimensions.
Then why can't the other six dimensions see it?
Take the water pipe as an example. Professor Zhu said that people stand on the front of the water pipe, and the water pipe is a straight line. We only see its front and back, and it is one-dimensional. When people stand on a plane and look at the water pipe, they can see the top, bottom, left and right sides of the water pipe, so what people see is two-dimensional. When people look at this water pipe in three-dimensional space, it is in our eyes, so it is three-dimensional.
But what if people put this water pipe in a two-dimensional plane and then put this two-dimensional plane in a three-dimensional space? Therefore, scientists imagine that water pipes are as thin as hair. Scientists believe that six "hidden" spatial dimensions are curled up at every point in our universe with extremely tiny geometric shapes.
This method of observing six-dimensional shapes is published in Physical Review Letters, because it can prove that it is feasible to observe these elusive dimensional shape features through experimental data. At the same time, the existence of six-dimensional space is also the main aspect to confirm the superstring theory.
◆ Viewpoint confrontation
Does six-dimensional space exist or not?
From vast galaxies to subatomic particles, "superstring theory" covers the physical laws of all objects. For decades, many scientists have been arguing about the "superstring theory", and there are various voices for and against it.
Advocates:
No point of view can be refuted.
Many advocates of superstring theory say that no one who disagrees can refute it at present. Once the superstring theory is verified to be correct, people can understand the universe released by Bigbang 65.438+0.3 billion years ago by deciphering them, and "see" the mysterious six-dimensional geometry after crossing the black hole with the help of the time machine.
"However, you don't have to worry about not seeing the ten-dimensional world." Physicists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said, "Because our brains are used to only three-dimensional space, it is difficult to perceive other six-dimensional spatial structures. Although scientists have simulated similar six-dimensional geometric figures with computers, no one can know exactly what their shapes are. "
He said, "Our idea is to go back to that time and see what happened. Of course, we can't really go back. "
Many sci-fi lovers dream of traveling by time machine, and some scientists try to prove the feasibility of time travel with the latest principles, and also try to discuss it with superstring theory.
Lacking the necessary time machine, they used another best thing, a picture of the cosmic energy released by BIGBANG. The energy released by this explosion did not change in the following 654.38+300 million years. It can be captured by satellite, such as wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe in the United States. Drawing the energy map of the universe can help people have a general impression of the embryonic form of the universe.
Against:
The six-dimensional space is just an artificial imagination.
"I'm not interested in superstring theory." When the reporter interviewed He Zuoxiu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he made it clear that this was only an artificial imagination, and there was no need for discussion or research value at all.
"I personally object to string theory researchers speaking in such a positive tone. Maybe we really have some truth, maybe we have just been studying how many angels can dance on the tip of a needle. " Li miao, a researcher at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said this in his personal blog.
◆ Background knowledge
The magical theory of everything.
Li Miao, a researcher at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the so-called superstring theory is also called string theory or The Theory of Everything.
According to li miao, one of the founders of modern string theory is physicist Schwartz, who works in California Institute of Technology. He "lived for ten years" and turned the theory that only a few people knew into the knowledge that thousands of people are learning now. Schwartz was able to get rid of his three-year postponed position and eventually became a full professor at California Institute of Technology.
1968, an Italian physicist working in MIT turned over a mathematical manual and found that a simple function satisfies duality, which is the famous Veneziano formula. The superstring theory originates from this formula.
According to superstring theory, there is a thin line vibrating inside each elementary particle, just like the vibration of a string, so this thin line is called "string" by scientists. We know that different strings vibrate in different modes, so the vibration produces different tones. Similarly, the string inside the particle also has different vibration modes, but the vibration of this string does not produce tones, but particles. In other words, each elementary particle is composed of a string.
According to superstring theory, particles do not exist, only strings move in space; Different particles are just different vibration modes of strings. All interactions in nature, all matter and energy can be explained by the splitting and combination of strings.
The motion of a string is so complicated that the three-dimensional space can no longer accommodate its trajectory, and it must have a space as high as ten dimensions to satisfy its motion, just as human motion is so complicated that it cannot be completed in the two-dimensional plane and must be completed in the three-dimensional space.