Physicists Create Universe Smaller Than a Marble

5 years ago Science

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At LancasterUniversity, they're unraveling the secrets of how to build a universe. In fact, they have already formed one, or something very much like it. This scientific breakthrough lies in the bottom of a chamber no larger than your pinky finger, filled with helium and cooled to 0.0003 degrees Fahrenheit above absolute zero.

By placing helium in a state which most closely resembles the form it held at the beginning of the universe, scientists have created an opportunity for the gas to go through several low-energy evolutions. These defects in space-time, are represented by tiny whirlpools in the helium, which are created by the rapid expansion, and equally rapid slowing of the expansion; something that it's believed our own universe did at the big bang and in the moments thereafter.

How, then, did our universe go from whirlpools that could fit in a thimble to galaxies larger than our imaginations can properly comprehend? Physicists, ever ready with their dry wit, have deemed these phenomena "inflation." Nobody knows how this works or why, this happened; vast amounts of energy aren't something you'd like to replicate in a lab. Black holes and supernovas aren't pleasant lab partners. It's quite evident to the researchers however, that inflation, or something very much like it took place and, lacking the ability to do field research of lab trials, they have built scale models. This is where the tiny galaxies come in.

The theory being presented by the physicists in LancasterUniversity is that inflation is the product of violent competition: a series of collisions between universes known as "3-branes;" a term related to string theory which I'm frankly not smart enough to explain to you. Suffice to say that our universe is one, because it exists in 3-5 dimensions.

What the string theorists claim is that in a collision of two 3-branes, or two different modes of pure helium like that containing the mini-galaxy, the universe will rapidly expand and stop instantly, mimicking the halting advance of the universe's growth. Remarkably, when super cooled helium in different phases is mixed, it does exactly that: symmetries in the solution disappear, and aberrations form; the first step in several that lead to the forming of galaxies out of nothing. The secrets of the universe it seems, aren't safe for long.

Sources 1, 2, 3,

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Comments

Old Comments

MyBrane says

Feb 13th, 2010 at 12am
Wow, not to sound geekish, but I enjoyed reading this. I also enjoyed reading the comments, especially those about war, famine and strife. Here's something to think about: If you sustained a severe wound, would you be satisfied with just anesthetics and painkillers, or would you want a surgeon to fix it properly. Likewise, war and famine, fear, poverty are just different side-effects of a shortage of resources. I.e; they're afraid of running out of resources, so they take it from the next guy. Or, they're running out, but they don't have the strength to take it from the other guy, nor the guts to overcome their ego, and just plain ask nicely. The situation would change when there's a real abundance of stuff, and well, there just is, we're just not managing it well. Take for instance, paper. WE don't really need paper, we just need a medium to write on. Computers and the internet are obviously the best way around this, as we have virtually limitless space to 'write' on. Think about other stuff, oil for instance, we already have alternative, what's holding us back? Back to the article though, scientist may have their own personal reasons for doing this research. What's for sure is that either intentionally or as a side-effect, some technology/understanding will surface that significantly solves our problems. I see here positive progress to understanding the fundamentals behind things like fusion power, terra-forming, gravity and more. The power of humans to make a better world lies in our knowledge and wisdom, not in our purses, for purses tend to have holes.

Dan says

Nov 12th, 2009 at 12am
The title of this article is misleading and fairly outrageous if I may say so. Based on what I just read here, they did not create a new universe, they created a vastly simplified model of one aspect of the universe in order to study inflation.

Ethan says

Sep 14th, 2009 at 12am
Anything relying on the string hypothesis is pretty much guaranteed to be bogus. The phenomena may be real, the explanation involving 3-branes is not.

Pat says

Sep 13th, 2009 at 12am
"The galaxy is on Orion's belt!"

ben says

Aug 12th, 2009 at 12am
Do you think the Scientists took Sunday off?

Frater F.E.I.T.C.T.A.J. says

Aug 8th, 2009 at 12am
HAHAHA LOL -- they forget relativity already? Who says this universe doesn't also fit in a thimble! It would just be a massive thimble to us!

Phil E. Drifter says

Aug 8th, 2009 at 12am
My head asplode.

John says

Jun 27th, 2009 at 12am
@guy Global poverty is created by governments through the IMF and World Bank. Read a book and stop letting yourself be brainwashed.

thavi says

Jun 6th, 2009 at 12am
i saw a great image of the cycle of research, where at the blog/website portion of information distribution and interpretation, you get bull shit articles like this which don't make a god damned bit of sense or leave out vital experimental information in order to write a good article about creating a universe. Supercooled helium does not a universe make.

Daniel Davis says

Apr 23rd, 2009 at 12am
"which are created by the rapid expansion, and equally rapid slowing of the expansion; something that it’s believed our own universe did at the big bang and in the moments thereafter. How, then, did our universe go from whirlpools that could fit in a thimble to galaxies larger than our imaginations can properly comprehend? Physicists, ever ready with their dry wit, have deemed these phenomena “inflation.” Nobody knows how this works or why, this happened." Isn't this "I don't know but it happened so believe it" exactly what you complain about me saying? The only value to an education from a "small liberal arts college" is being able to identify one's own contradictions. If you haven't even that much, why bother?