Latest news with #physics
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Time Is Three-Dimensional and Space Is Just a Side Effect, Scientist Says
A fringe new theory suggests that time is the fundamental structure of the physical universe, and space is merely a byproduct. According to Gunther Kletetschka, a geologist — not a physicist, you'll note, but more on that later — from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, time is three-dimensional and the dimensions of space are an emergent property of it, a press release from the university explains. "These three time dimensions are the primary fabric of everything, like the canvas of a painting," Kletetschka said in the blurb. "Space still exists with its three dimensions, but it's more like the paint on the canvas rather than the canvas itself." Three-dimensional time is a theory that has been proposed before, though generally in pretty inaccessible terms. Similarly to the explanation for three dimensions of space — length, width, and depth — 3D time theory claims that time can move forward in the linear progression we know, sideways between parallel possible timelines, and along each one of those as it unfolds. Yes, it's a pretty mind-blowing concept — but scientists have long theorized that time, as the fourth dimension in Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, is less intuitive than it seems in everyday reality. While other 3D time theories rely on traditional physics, Kletetschka suggests that his may help explain the many outstanding questions accepted physics still harbors. In a somewhat grandiose manner, the geologist even claims that his 3D time proposal could operate as a grand unifying theory or "theory of everything," the Holy Grail of quantum mechanics that would explain how the universe works on a sweeping level. "The path to unification might require fundamentally reconsidering the nature of physical reality itself," the scientist said. "This theory demonstrates how viewing time as three-dimensional can naturally resolve multiple physics puzzles through a single coherent mathematical framework." Obviously, there are an astonishing number of caveats to consider here. For one, Kletetschka is not a theoretical physicist — he's a geologist, and according to his university bio he also has some experience in astronomy. Extraordinary claims all call for extraordinary evidence. And the claims here are already stirring controversy: as an editor's note added to the end of the press release cautions, the scientist's theory was published in the journal Reports in Advances of Physical Sciences, a "legitimate step," but one that isn't remotely sufficient to take it out of the realm of the fringe. That journal, the note adds, is "relatively low-impact and niche, and its peer review does not match the rigorous scrutiny applied by top-tier journals." "The theory is still in the early stages of scrutiny," the note concluded, "and has not been published in leading physics journals or independently verified through experiments or peer-reviewed replication." Still, it's a fascinating concept to consider — especially because we still don't know exactly how time works, anyway. More on fringe theories: Physicists Say We Were Completely Wrong About How Gravity Works
Sustainability Times
a day ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'Time Was Here First': Mind-Blowing Discovery Reveals the Universe Was Born from Time Itself, Not from Space at All
IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 Dr. Gunther Kletetschka proposes a new theory where the universe is built on three dimensions of time , rather than space. , rather than space. 🔬 The theory treats time as the core structure, with space emerging as a secondary effect, challenging traditional physics assumptions. as the core structure, with space emerging as a secondary effect, challenging traditional physics assumptions. 📊 Kletetschka's framework accurately predicts the masses of fundamental particles, bridging the gap between abstract mathematics and measurable reality. 🌌 This innovative theory could pave the way for integrating quantum mechanics with gravity, potentially leading to a unified theory of everything. In the realm of modern physics, the foundational concept of spacetime has long been considered a cornerstone, weaving together the three dimensions of space and one of time. However, a groundbreaking theory proposed by Dr. Gunther Kletetschka from the University of Alaska Fairbanks is challenging this notion. Dr. Kletetschka suggests that the universe may fundamentally be built on three dimensions of time, with space emerging as a secondary consequence. This theory is not just a philosophical musing; it holds the potential to redefine our understanding of the universe's fabric. Let's delve into the intriguing implications of this theory and explore how it might reshape our perception of reality. The Revolutionary Idea of Three-Dimensional Time Dr. Kletetschka's theory introduces a framework where time is not a singular, linear dimension, but rather a complex, three-dimensional entity. This revolutionary idea suggests that space, as we perceive it, is not the fundamental backdrop of reality but a derived effect of how time behaves across different scales and orientations. By proposing a six-dimensional setup—three axes for time and three for space—this theory reimagines the universe's basic structure. In traditional physics, space and time form an inseparable union, but Kletetschka's model treats time as the core structure. His work challenges us to reconsider long-held assumptions, providing a new lens through which to view the universe. In practical terms, his model successfully reproduces known properties of fundamental particles, particularly their masses, which the Standard Model of particle physics struggles to explain. The ability to predict these masses with a high degree of accuracy underscores the theory's potential to describe real-world phenomena. By offering a unified description of nature, Kletetschka's theory could pave the way for a new era in fundamental physics, providing insights into quantum gravity and unification. 'Robot Did the Surgery': U.S. Doctors Complete First-Ever Heart Transplant Without Opening the Chest Addressing the Challenges of Time's Complexity The concept of multiple time dimensions is not entirely new; previous theories have explored this idea, but they remained largely abstract, with limited connections to measurable phenomena. Such models often encountered logical paradoxes, like effects occurring before their causes, which undermined their validity. Kletetschka's framework, however, cleverly sidesteps these issues. By constructing a mathematical model that maintains an ordered flow of time across all three dimensions, he ensures events unfold in a consistent sequence. This innovation transforms the theory from a theoretical construct into a physically testable framework. What sets Kletetschka's work apart is its ability to make concrete predictions that align with experimental data. By accurately reproducing the masses of fundamental particles, the theory bridges the gap between abstract mathematics and observable reality. This marks a significant departure from earlier proposals, solidifying its place in the scientific community as a theory with tangible implications. 'Robots Can Feel Now': New Color-Changing Skins Let Machines React Instantly Without Wires, Screens, or Human Input Implications for Quantum Mechanics and Gravity If Kletetschka's theory withstands further scrutiny, it could have profound implications for the integration of quantum mechanics with gravity—a quest that has eluded physicists for generations. The potential to reconcile these two pillars of modern physics offers a tantalizing glimpse into a unified theory of everything. The next steps in this research involve refining the mathematical framework and identifying experiments that could test the theory's validity. Particle physics and cosmology are promising fields for such investigations, offering opportunities to observe the theory's predictions in action. This pursuit of a unified framework is not merely an academic exercise; it holds the promise of unlocking new understanding of the universe's most profound mysteries. By challenging established paradigms, Kletetschka's work encourages a reevaluation of our place in the cosmos, urging us to explore the fundamental nature of reality. 'We're Coming for SpaceX': Honda Shocks the Planet With Reusable Rocket Launch and Landing That Just Rewrote Japan's Space Ambitions Future Directions and Open Questions Kletetschka's groundbreaking theory opens numerous avenues for future research. As scientists continue to explore the universe's intricate fabric, this theory provides a new perspective that could revolutionize our understanding of space and time. The potential applications of a three-dimensional time model are vast, offering insights into particle interactions, cosmological phenomena, and beyond. As researchers delve deeper into this theory, they will seek to refine its mathematical underpinnings and explore its implications across various domains of physics. The quest for a unified theory remains one of science's most ambitious challenges, and Kletetschka's work is a promising step in that direction. In a world where longstanding scientific paradigms are constantly challenged, how might this innovative theory reshape our understanding of the universe, and what new mysteries will it uncover? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (20)
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Why do astronauts take soft toys to space? Shubhanshu Shukla carries swan 'Joy'. A look at their companions from past missions
As soft toy swan 'Joy' floated towards astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla during alive stream from space, it joined the long legacy of Zero-G soft toy indicators. From Olaf, to Red from Angry Birds and Buzz Lightyear from Toys. (Images: X/ ISRO Spaceflight, NASA) When Indian astronaut c greeted the world from space with a namaste and a floating soft toy swan named Joy , it was far more than just a cute interlude. 'It looks really cute, but we have a very important swan in Indian culture,' said Shukla in his live broadcast from the International Space Station as part of the Axiom Mission 4. 'The swan symbolises wisdom. It also has the ability to discern… what needs to be focused on and what does not,' he explained, making it clear that Joy was not merely an ornamental object but a deeply symbolic choice. Joy was officially serving as a Zero-G indicator, a now-iconic tradition aboard spaceflights to demonstrate when the spacecraft enters microgravity. These toys, typically suspended near the crew, begin to float as soon as zero gravity kicks in, offering a visual cue that the spacecraft has entered orbit. Launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, Shukla's mission is the fourth under private space company Axiom's banner. But while the mission represents a milestone for private spaceflight and international collaboration, it's the swan that has won hearts on Earth. Shukla's Joy joins a legacy of adorable, meaningful, and sometimes pop-culture-driven soft toys that have soared into the cosmos with astronauts. According to the Copernicus Science Centre, this tradition goes back as far as Yuri Gagarin's pioneering flight. The first human in space brought along a small doll, beginning a whimsical yet meaningful ritual that continues today. In 2012, the 'Angry Red Bird' plush from the mobile game Angry Birds was part of a mission to explain physics in space. Olaf from Frozen made it aboard the Soyuz TMA-15M in 2014, courtesy of cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov fulfilling a promise to his daughter. Buzz Lightyear, the Toy Story astronaut action figure, travelled aboard Space Shuttle Discovery and remained on the ISS for 15 months. And in recent years, SpaceX has taken the tradition mainstream with Zero-G indicators like a plush Baby Yoda, a penguin named GuinGuin , and a sparkly dinosaur called Tremor . — airandspace (@airandspace) These aren't just passengers for show. As NASA's 2004 'Toys in Space' initiative highlighted, these objects serve as engaging tools to demonstrate how motion, gravity, and physics work differently in microgravity. Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa even built a LEGO model of the ISS while aboard it, bringing childhood pastimes into orbit for educational and scientific purposes. Shukla's choice of a swan connects these floating companions to cultural identity and heritage. While Olaf or Baby Yoda draw on global media icons, Joy represents something uniquely Indian—a cultural motif steeped in ancient philosophy and national symbolism. 'We all have some symbolism—in Poland, in Hungary, in India,' Shukla said in his broadcast. 'It looks like a coincidence but it's not. It has more meaning.' As astronauts continue to push the boundaries of exploration, their Zero-G companions reflect both scientific curiosity and emotional grounding. In Joy , Shubhanshu Shukla has carried not just a symbol of gravity lost, but of wisdom held close.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Science
- New York Times
The Indiana Jones of Physics Had a Jam-Packed Life
COLLISIONS: A Physicist's Journey From Hiroshima to the Death of the Dinosaurs, by Alec Nevala-Lee The physicist Luis Alvarez is one of those 20th-century figures whose life was so eventful that it should be catnip for a biographer. Consider even a partial list of his activities: working on explosive detonators for the Manhattan Project; flying in a B-29 observation plane to witness the bombing of Hiroshima; testifying as a government witness in the hearings to revoke the security clearance of his former colleague J. Robert Oppenheimer (who had invited Alvarez to Los Alamos); searching via X-rays for hidden chambers in an Egyptian pyramid; and arguing, in a paper with his geologist son, that an asteroid had wiped out the dinosaurs. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Alvarez pored over the Zapruder film and conducted experiments involving firing bullets at melons to conclude that the president was killed by a lone gunman. In 1968, his work on bubble chambers and elementary particles won him a Nobel Prize. 'Charismatic, physically agile and daring, Alvarez was one of the last representatives of an era that could still see physics as a heroic enterprise,' Alec Nevala-Lee writes in 'Collisions,' his new book about the man. It's a tantalizing characterization. Just don't get too excited. 'Alvarez has been described as a scientific Indiana Jones, but his reputation as a maverick was built on a foundation of patience and discipline.' The assessment is entirely fair, though it's only as the biography progressed that I realized how the word of caution also serves as a warning sign. Nevala-Lee, a novelist and the author of a biography of Buckminster Fuller, is eminently qualified to get to know such a lively and complicated subject. Yet in seeking to deflate the myth of the audacious Alvarez, he has overcorrected, jettisoning drama and tension in favor of diligent explanation. The result is a thorough, dutiful parsing of Alvarez's work in the laboratory and a strangely pallid portrait of the man himself. Alvarez was born in 1911 in San Francisco, and enjoyed a privileged upbringing. His father, Walter, was a physician who also wrote popular books like 'How to Live With Your Ulcer' and 'Live at Peace With Your Nerves.' Luis's maternal grandparents had been missionaries in China; his paternal grandfather had emigrated to the United States from Spain. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
How do atoms form? A physicist explains where the atoms that make up everything around come from
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@ How do atoms form? – Joshua, age 7, Shoreview, Minnesota Richard Feynman, a famous theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize, said that if he could pass on only one piece of scientific information to future generations, it would be that all things are made of atoms. Understanding how atoms form is a fundamental and important question, since they make up everything with mass. The question of where atoms comes from requires a lot of physics to be answered completely – and even then, physicists like me only have good guesses to explain how some atoms are formed. An atom consists of a heavy center, called the nucleus, made of particles called protons and neutrons. An atom has lighter particles called electrons that you can think of as orbiting around the nucleus. The electrons each carry one unit of negative charge, the protons each carry one unit of positive charge, and the neutrons have no charge. An atom has the same number of protons as electrons, so it is neutral − it has no overall charge. Now, most of the atoms in the universe are the two simplest kinds: hydrogen, which has one proton, zero neutrons and one electron; and helium, which has two protons, two neutrons and two electrons. Of course, on Earth there are lots of atoms besides these that are just as common, such as carbon and oxygen, but I'll talk about those soon. An element is what scientists call a group of atoms that are all the same, because they all have the same number of protons. Most of the universe's hydrogen and helium atoms formed around 400,000 years after the Big Bang, which is the name for when scientists think the universe began, about 14 billion years ago. Why did they form at that time? Astronomers know from observing distant exploding stars that the size of the universe has been getting bigger since the Big Bang. When the hydrogen and helium atoms first formed, the universe was about 1,000 times smaller than it is now. And based on their understanding of physics, scientists believe that the universe was much hotter when it was smaller. Before this time, the electrons had too much energy to settle into orbits around the hydrogen and helium nuclei. So, the hydrogen and helium atoms could form only once the universe cooled down to something like 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). For historical reasons, this process is misleadingly called recombination − combination would be more descriptive. The helium and deuterium − a heavier form of hydrogen − nuclei formed even earlier, just a few minutes after the Big Bang, when the temperature was above 1 billion F (556 million C). Protons and neutrons can collide and form nuclei like these only at very high temperatures. Scientists believe that almost all the ordinary matter in the universe is made of about 90% hydrogen atoms and 8% helium atoms. So, the hydrogen and helium atoms formed during recombination, when the cooler temperature allowed electrons to fall into orbits. But you, I and almost everything on Earth is made of many more massive atoms than just hydrogen and helium. How were these atoms made? The surprising answer is that more massive atoms are made in stars. To make atoms with several protons and neutrons stuck together in the nucleus requires the type of high-energy collisions that occur in very hot places. The energy needed to form a heavier nucleus needs to be large enough to overcome the repulsive electric force that positive charges, like two protons, feel with each other. Protons and neutrons also have another property – kind of like a different type of charge – that is strong enough to bind them together once they are able to get very close together. This property is called the strong force, and the process that sticks these particles together is called fusion. Scientists believe that most of the elements from carbon up to iron are fused in stars heavier than our Sun, where the temperature can exceed 1 billion F (556 million C) – the same temperature that the universe was when it was just a few minutes old. But even in hot stars, elements heavier than iron and nickel won't form. These require extra energy, because the heavier elements can more easily break into pieces. In a dramatic event called a supernova, the inner core of a heavy star suddenly collapses after it runs out of fuel to burn. During the powerful explosion this collapse triggers, elements that are heavier than iron can form and get ejected out into the universe. Astronomers are still figuring out the details of other fantastic stellar events that form larger atoms. For example, colliding neutron stars can release enormous amounts of energy – and elements such as gold – on their way to forming black holes. Understanding how atoms are made just requires learning a little general relativity, plus some nuclear, particle and atomic physics. But to complicate matters, there is other stuff in the universe that doesn't appear to be made from normal atoms at all, called dark matter. Scientists are investigating what dark matter is and how it might form. Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@ Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live. And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you're wondering, too. We won't be able to answer every question, but we will do our best. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Stephen L. Levy, Binghamton University, State University of New York Read more: What do molecules look like? Many stable atoms have 'magic numbers' of protons and neutrons − 75 years ago, 2 physicists discovered their special properties Asteroids in the solar system could contain undiscovered, superheavy elements Stephen L. Levy receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. He is affiliated with CyteQuest, Inc.
