The Davey Dialogues - An Exploration of the Scientific Foundations of Human Culture. John C. Madden
4, 2012, two competing research groups, both based at CERN, announced that each had discovered a boson “consistent with” a Higgs boson. The wording was appropriately cautious. The Higgs boson is estimated to have a lifetime of about one zeptosecond (10-21 seconds) and would be accompanied by vast showers of unrelated particle interactions which obscure the event of interest. The discovery of the Higgs boson opens up new realms of exciting research. Some theories imply the existence of a whole family of Higgs-like bosons, some or all of which may interact with dark matter. Other theories implicate Higgs particles in a posited rapid expansion of the universe immediately following the Big Bang.[33]
An intriguing alternative explanation for the unexplained expansion of our universe is put forward by string theorists. They think that gravity may not be confined to the three spatial dimensions we are familiar with, and may be “leaking” into some of the other dimensions postulated by string theory, thus having a reduced effect in the dimensions we can observe. In this scenario, it is the reduced impact of gravity, rather than the countervailing force of the dark energy, that is driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. Yet others believe that our galaxy may inhabit a part of the universe that is much less dense than average, so that the velocity of expansion of the universe will vary from place to place, instead of being uniform throughout the universe, as most current theories assume. Clearly there is much yet to understand about our universe!
The Big Bang itself continues to be an intriguing enigma. While theories which explain the behaviour of the universe after the Big Bang are relatively well developed, the cause of the Big Bang itself is still unexplained.
One promising approach described by Neil Turok[34], the Director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada, envisages the universe as a cyclic process which, after its expansion phase then contracts down to a very small (but not infinitely small) size, followed by another expansion phase. Whether or not there is more than one universe, the idea that our universe might be oscillating between two extremes has some intuitive appeal, though the complex mathematics involved in all these cosmological theories render further enquiry forbidding for all but the highly trained expert.
Another enduring challenge to our understanding lies in the field of quantum physics. Quantum theory seems like an essential component to our understanding of our world, since it is an integral part of the Standard Model, which provides an excellent explanation, accurate to many decimal places, of observed phenomena. In particular, it is brilliant in explaining the strong and weak nuclear forces, as well as the electromagnetic forces, but, as already mentioned, it has yet to be reconciled with what we know about gravitational force. In this latter domain, it is still Einstein’s theories of Special and General Relativity that govern. Attempts to reconcile the two approaches into a combined “Theory of Everything” have failed miserably thus far.
For most of us, the most confusing aspect of quantum theory is the concept of non-locality, that is, the prediction, confirmed by experiment, that two widely separated particles can be “entangled” in such a way that changes in the state of one particle immediately affect the other, without there being any observable force to effect such a change. Furthermore, the changed states seem to take place simultaneously, which is to say that the communication between the two seems to be faster than the speed of light, which, according to relativity theory, is the fastest speed at which such communication can occur.[35]
This property of quantum entanglement is currently being vigorously investigated by researchers intent on developing, for example, ultra-high-speed quantum computers, but even the most brilliant minds (notably including Einstein and Niels Bohr) seem to have had the same difficulty the rest of us more intuitively experience in reconciling the observed fact that particle entanglements over very large distances really occur, perhaps even extending right across the universe, with the lack of any observable force to give effect to the entanglement.
In the circumstances, the idea that the force or forces from which the entanglement results might operate in one or more dimensions inaccessible to us has some attraction.
So, how about you, Davey? Do you have entanglement in your universe? And if so, do you understand it? Is it possible that entanglement can happen between particles in different universes, and if so, is that perhaps how you are able to communicate with me?
– That’s a lot of questions to ask all at once!
First of all, yes, I am familiar with the idea of entanglement. Indeed I observe it all the time. It is an important phenomenon in my universe. I may lack your ability to review past history, since we lack radioactive isotopes, but we do have useful features in our universe that you seem to lack.
For example, you could not have known that in my universe we live in six spatial dimensions, and entanglement works in only three of them. It is very hard for me to imagine anyone living in only three spatial dimensions, and of course, since I can hear but not see you, my imagination gets no help from just listening to you talk. As far as I know, entanglement of particles between universes is possible between some, but not all universes. Indeed, I believe it is quite rare. However, it is possible between your universe and mine, a situation that has made communication with you humans possible for me.
Our universe is undoubtedly much more stable than yours, possibly as a result of having those three extra dimensions. I believe our past was very like our present.
– You come with very exciting news today! What is it like in your universe?
– What do you mean? It all seems pretty normal to me.
I was dumbfounded by his answer! Six dimensions! Everyday particle entanglement similar to what we call quantum entanglement! This hardly seemed normal to me. It took me a few seconds to see my question from his perspective, and even then, I was a little surprised that he had failed to see it from mine.
– Sorry, but you have to understand that what is normal for you is not at all normal for me.
– If only I could see you, it would probably be obvious, but sadly I cannot.
– Okay. Try this! Do you have weather? Trees? Sunlight? Nighttime? Animals?
– I think we have some, or possibly all, of these things. But it is sometimes hard for me to figure out what is our equivalent of those things you call weather, trees and sunlight, for example. It is harder still to understand how they might resemble what may be our equivalents. With no electromagnetic radiation and six spatial dimensions, when you have only three, resemblance is a hard word to define.
But I might be able to help you understand what you call non-locality. Let’s go back to your example of the hose suspended in the distance on which, with binoculars, you are able to see ants crawling. Instead, let’s assume that you see two trains approaching each other from opposite ends of the suspended hose, and apparently running on tracks on the hose. A head on collision seems certain to be about to occur.
But what you are looking at (essentially) is a one-dimensional hose. However, unseen by you are two pairs of tracks on a flat ribbon, rather than what looks to you like a (one-dimensional) hose. To your amazement, the trains roll right past each other. Ah, you may say to yourself, this is amazing. The trains just passed right through each other without any impact! The second spatial dimension is unobservable by you, though it can be inferred as one explanation for the fact that the trains passed each other without colliding. I can tell you that the quantum non-locality observation is the result of you not being able to envisage other dimensions through which a local force can operate.
– An interesting idea. I wonder if what you say is correct. Maybe our two universes have no relevance at all to each other.
– I totally disagree. Several things you have said already have helped me to understand the plight of my superhumans, as I have already told you. That is what makes what you are telling me so very important!
I can tell that this subject was a difficult one for you to try to explain to me. From listening in on conversations on Earth I have learned that many humans do yearn to know more about their origins.
And now you even have me wondering how I came about, and why our universe