The scientific community has come a long way to understand our Universe and how it works. However, there are still many things that we do not know. Like Werner Heisenberg once so eloquent said, “Not only is the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think “How do we make sense of our Universe and the nature of reality? Physics. You have probably taken a course in physics or two. One way of thinking about physics is like the science of the Universe and everything in it. in fact, the physical word derives its name from the Greek word φύσις (phýsis), which translates as “nature”.
Along with chemistry and biology, physics is a hard science that uses testable predictions, hypotheses, experiments, mathematics, and models. Anyone who studies or works in any subcategory of the subject will surely tell you that the world of physics is exciting. It helps us take a peek behind the curtain of reality.
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In many areas related to physics, such as particle physics, astrophysics, and quantum information science, the more we learn about the Universe, the stranger it seems to be. Perhaps that is why the science fiction genre has such a special place in modern culture and among physicists. Today, we are going to look at some of the strangest mind-blowing ideas put forward by the world of physics, both theories and thought experiments.
1. There may be evidence of a parallel universe going back in time.
Earlier this year, the Internet went wild with news of NASA’s alleged discovery of a parallel Universe where time is flowing backward. Of course, if you’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that you should take everything you see and hear on the Internet with a grain of salt. So the next obvious question; It is true? The short answer is no. The story was exaggerated. In summary, NASA scientists actually found evidence of fundamental particles that can completely alter our current understanding of physics. Or, they could simply be particles that interact with ice in an unknown way.
Playing on the idea of the above assumption, the particle signals were discovered during an experiment in Antarctica. While the researchers claim that there is no evidence of the existence of a parallel universe where time recedes, it is fascinating to consider. The fact that it’s not true it does not make the idea less interesting. If such a parallel universe existed, it would be the opposite of ours, in which time goes back, where the positive is negative, where the left is the right, etc.
2. Parallel universes could really exist.
Starting from our previous entry, we must bear in mind that scientists have not completely left out one of the favorite tropes of science fiction. And there is some evidence in physics that points to the possibility of parallel universes. Essentially, a parallel universe is exactly what it seems, a universe that exists alongside ours but is not detectable. In this universe, everything, or just some things, can be different. It can be footballer, professional player, famous writer or designer.
We do not know for sure if the universe is flat, spherical, or hyperbolic (to name the three most probable shapes). If the Universe is flat, this could imply that there could be many, possibly infinite, universes. However, the fun does not end there. Tufts University Cosmologist Alexander Vilenkin think of our Universe as just a “bubble”, part of an infinite network of other bubble universes. What’s even crazier is considering that the laws of physics might work differently in these alternate universes.
3. Wave-particle duality is not intuitive … at all.
This one has us scratching our heads. According to the principle of wave particle duality found in quantum physics, matter and light exhibit the behavior of waves and particles, depending on the circumstances. Waves can exhibit particle-like properties, and particles can exhibit wave-like properties. In quantum physics, this allows us to make descriptions of matter and energy based on wave equations that focus on the probability of a particle. This is one of the many reasons why particle accelerator research is so exciting.
4. Quantum entanglement is creepy.
Albert Einstein called quantum entanglement “a creepy action at a distance,” and he is about to discover why. In short, the tangle describes when the particles connect, so that the actions performed on one affect the other, even if they are separated by great distances. Let’s say, if you had two tangled electrons. Let’s call them particles “A” and “B”. Now let’s say we did something that changed the state of particle A; this would cause particle B to take the state of particle A, regardless of the distance between them. But wait, there is more. It is theorized that this change of state will occur at least 10,000 times the speed of light; almost instantly Researchers are not exactly sure why this is happening or how it is possible, but it seems to exist. Researchers from the University of Glasgow took a photo of this phenomenon, just last year. Look, it’s creepy.
5. You can be Neo from Matrix.
Simulation theory is another fun concept in physics, especially this year. With all the weird things going on in the world, it can be comforting to think that we are living in a simulation. Initially proposed by Nick Bostrom, simulation theory focuses on a modern hypothesis that has its roots in the 17th century, when the philosopher René Descartes suggested something similar.
Simulation theory assumes that we are living in an advanced digital construction, such as computer simulation, that a superior form of intelligence oversees. Think of Sims or Matrix. Nick Bostrom breaks this “thought experiment further into your published article, “Are you living in a computer simulation?”
Bostrom suggested that our world could have been created by members of an advanced “post-human” civilization with great computing power who chose to run simulations of their ancestors.
Bostrum’s argument is extrapolated from looking at current trends in technology, including the rise of virtual reality and efforts to map the human brain. After all iIf there is nothing supernatural in what causes consciousness, one day we should be able to reproduce it. When that happens, it will be just a small step towards a post-human world.
Now, you may want to be seated for this next part. While researching super string theory, theoretical physicist Jim Gates he came across a shocking potential discovery. She claims to have discovered what could be described as computer code in the mathematics that underlies our world, similar to checksums that make the Internet work. All of this remains highly theoretical, but no less shocking in its potential. In fact, the idea of simulation theory has taken over the technological world so much that There are already two tech billionaires secretly involving scientists to work on getting us out of the simulation.
For more information on simulation theory, be sure to stop by here.
6. Quantum temperature. Than?
Quantum temperature sounds like a plot device in a science fiction movie. But be patient. Imagine that one day you and your friends decided to bake cookies. You acquire and mix all the ingredients, finally place your cookies in the oven and set the correct baking temperature. However, by checking your cookies later, nothing has changed and your oven is still at room temperature. Or maybe some of their cookies started baking, and some didn’t. What has happened? Do you need a new oven or are you hanging out in the quantum world.
In the quantum world, if you haven’t learned yet, things act strangely. Normally, heat flows smoothly from hot spots to adjacent cold spots, heating an object or room evenly. Not in the quantum world. Researchers have found that temperature behaves strangely here. Using graphene, a material made from a layer of single-layer carbon atoms, the researchers found that electrons that carry heat can move in waves, causing some spots on the graphene to heat up and other areas to stay cool. They can even control these waves. Taking advantage of this effect would be revolutionary.
7. The quantum zen effect will melt your brain.
You are probably familiar with Schrödinger’s cat. Basically it’s a meme right now. In short, it is a mental experiment in which a cat is trapped in a box with a radioactive source that has the same probability of decomposing or not in the course of an hour. If the radioactive material decomposes, this activates a detector that releases a poison that kills the cat. The question is, how can we know if the cat is dead or alive after an hour? Or, according to Schrödinger, “when Does a quantum system cease to exist as superposition of states and become one or the other? ”
In other words, until we actually open the box, the cat exists in two states simultaneously. The moment we take a look, the status is revealed. Nothing new.
However, if you could look inside the box thousands of times per second to monitor the radioactive material, this could alter its behavior. In theory, it could delay or accelerate the decomposition of radioactive material. This is known as The anti-zeno quantum effect. Spend some time thinking about it.
Perhaps we are not supposed to fully understand our Universe. Or, maybe there is someone out there who already has it? Like Douglas Adam once wrote“There is a theory that states that if someone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even stranger and more inexplicable. There is another theory that claims that this has already happened.”
What is your favorite theory in physics? What ideas still surprise you? For more topics on physics or the quantum world, be sure to stop by here.
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