Why does space have 3 dimensions?

Why does space have 3 dimensions? Why not 2? Or 4? Or 7? It’s because physics wouldn’t work properly. Let’s take a look at the major reasons for why physics needs 3 dimensions.

Finally a Use for String Theory

String theory was supposed to be physics’ grand theory of everything. While it’s (so far) failed in that aspect, string theory’s principles should still be useful because its mathematical framework is so solid. In a new paper, researchers have demonstrated that by applying string theory to networks in the world of biology. Let’s take a look.

The Multiverse Just Killed Our Dreams of a Final Theory

A unified theory – that explains the interactions in the standard model of particle physics from one common origin – has been a goal of physicists ever since the completion of the standard model. But according to a recently published paper which analyzed the properties of the laws of nature in a multiverse, a unified theory might be incompatible with the presence of life in our universe. Let’s take a look at both of these ideas and why they might be incompatible.

Action at a Distance Can Explain Dark Matter, Physicists Show

Physicists don’t actually know what the universe is really made of. The currently most popular theory is that most of the universe is made of dark matter, a mysterious type of matter that we can only detect through its gravitational pull on other objects. But according to a new paper, we’ve misunderstood how gravity works. The authors say that gravity really can do action at a distance and that explains the observations that we currently ascribe to dark matter. Let’s take a look.

Surveillance Tech Is Shockingly Advanced

Scientists across the globe are pushing surveillance technology to new levels that will probably shock you. Researchers are using radar to track people through walls and reconstructing sounds from visual recordings, while corporations like Walmart and Home Depot are quietly deploying Bluetooth tracking and facial recognition tech. Let’s take a look at the biggest developments coming to surveillance technology.

AI Is Coming For Scientists’ Jobs. Seriously.

AI has been rapidly advancing over the past few years, and the technology is now becoming more widely adopted by scientists. What will the consequences be? Will AI begin replacing scientists? How will publishers handle the influx of AI-assisted papers? Is this the beginning of the singularity? Let’s take a look.

We Thought This Particle Was Impossible To Measure!

The #1 most-wanted particle in physics is the graviton, a quantum of gravity. If physicists were to prove that gravitons exist, they would unambiguously prove that Einstein’s theory is ultimately wrong and must be replaced by a more complete theory that gives quantum properties to space and time. In a recent paper, a physicist came up with an ingenious experiment that could prove that gravitons do exist. Let’s take a look.

It’s The End Of An Era For Physics.

It’s a new year, and according to a new paper, physics is headed into a new era. Over the past few years, the field of physics has seen a major shift in research priorities – let’s take a look at that shift, why it’s happened, and where physics is headed next.

Why Quantum Computers might never work

Quantum computers have made a massive splash over the past years, with quantum computing projects racking up billions of dollars in private and public investment. But according to a small group of physicists, quantum computers will never scale to any meaningful level. Let’s take a look at their reasoning.

The Clean Energy Breakthrough Everyone Missed

Wind, solar, and hydro power are known quantities in the world of renewables. But a new type of renewable energy is breaking on to the scene: wave power. According to industry experts, harnessing the waves off of the U.S.’s coasts could generate up to 1,400 terawatt-hours of electricity each year, equalling 1/3 of the country’s power consumption. Let’s take a look at how wave power is progressing and where it’s headed.

Crazy: Scientists Compute With Human Brain Cells

Human brains are roughly 100,000 times more energy-efficient than current AI systems. So why don’t we build computers using human brain cells? Don’t worry, researchers are one step ahead of you there – different teams across the globe are racing to develop neuron computers; processors that integrate living brain neurons into their chips. Let’s take a look at how this technology is developing and when we might see brain cells chips in the future.

Are Black Holes Real?

I have been alerted that black holes don’t exist, again. This isn’t the first time I have been asked to assess an argument which seems to prove that black holes aren’t real, but let’s take a look at all the new developments in this debate.

Yes, Chaos Can Create Order, New Experiment Shows

Physicists have theorized for decades that chaos doesn’t just destroy order, it can also create it. This could in turn mean that the laws of nature that make our universe the way it is could be emergent from chaos. In a recent study, physicists demonstrated order emerging chaos in an experiment. Let’s take a look.

Are We Using the Wrong Kind Of Electricity?

When electricity first emerged as a technology, Edison and Tesla clashed in the “war of currents,” arguing over whether alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) should be the global standard of electricity. While AC won that battle, it’s become clear that DC is more efficient than AC at many modern-day tasks. Let’s take a closer look at how industries and grids across the world are switching to DC.

This Is Why Wormholes Are Making Headlines Right Now

Wormholes are hypothetical tunnels in spacetime that appear in both Einstein’s theories and quantum physics. Recently, wormholes have been making a lot of headlines. Let’s take a look at a few recently-published wormhole papers and figure out why wormholes are important for physics today.

How close is AGI? What the experts say.

Every AI company is trying to build towards artificial general intelligence, or AGI. But how long will it actually take AI firms to build human-level intelligence? Let’s take a look at AGI timelines from across the industry. What do Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Demis Hassabis say? And what other data do we have to go by? I have a brief summary.

Nanobots: The Truth Behind the Headlines

Scientists have talked about nanobots for 40 years, and according to headlines they’re almost ready for use in the medical field. But operating tiny machines in the human body comes with a wide variety of problems that modern physics and medicine struggle with. Let’s take a look at how close we are to bringing the nanobots of sci-fi into reality and what those tiny “robots” actually look like.

Surprise: Free Will Needs Quantum Physics to Fail, Physicists Show

Some physicists believe that human consciousness is somehow linked to the indeterministic element of quantum physics. But according to a surprising new argument that just appeared on the arXiv, a world where everything is ruled by quantum physics is incompatible with the idea of free will. Let’s take a look.

China Makes Breakthrough With Thorium Nuclear Reactor. Where is the West?

Nuclear reactors that use thorium as fuel have many advantages over those that use uranium. Thorium is common and easy to mine, its waste is safer to handle, and the material also can’t be used as easily in weapons. Recently, a team of scientists from China announced a breakthrough in their thorium reactor project – let’s take a look at just what they’ve done and what the rest of the world is doing for developing thorium nuclear reactors.

What is time, really?

What is time? That question is hard to answer because it’s really asking a bunch of different questions, like “Why does it feel like time passes?”; “What separates now from the future and past?”; “Where does time come from?” and “What do we even mean by time?” Today I have a look at all those questions and what physics has taught us about them.