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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Evidence for a parallel universe? |
| 2007-11-26 |
| Last August, astronomers working on the analysis of data being acquired by NASA’s WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) satellite announced that they found a huge void in the universe. A void is a region of space that has much less material (stars, nebulae, dust and other material) than the average. Since our universe is relatively heterogeneous, empty spaces are not rare, but in this case the enormous magnitude of the hole is way outside the expected range. The hole found in the constellation of Eridanus is about a billion light years across, which is roughly 10,000 times as large as our galaxy or 400 times the distance to Andromeda, the closest “large” galaxy. The dimension of the hole is so big that at first glance, it results impossible to explain under the current cosmological theories, although scientists put forward some explanations based on certain theoretical models that might predict the existence of “giant knots” in space known as topological defects. However, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill physics Professor Laura Mersini-Houghton made a staggering claim. She says, “Standard cosmology cannot explain such a giant cosmic hole” and goes further with the ground-breaking hypothesis that the huge void is “… the unmistakable imprint of another universe beyond the edge of our own“. The idea of alternative, or parallel universes has been around for quite a while and has provided considerable inspiration for Sci-Fi literature and sparked endless philosophical debate, but although begin seriously considered within the scientific realm it never crossed the limits of speculative of purely theoretical grounds. Perhaps until now. If Mersini-Houghton is right, Eridanus’ giant hole would be the first experimental evidence for the existence of another universe. The implications of this possibility are obviously of huge importance for everybody, but it also has further relevance for the astrophysics community as it would bring support for the hotly debated string theory and other central debates. But Mersini-Houghton and colleagues’ theory of entangled universes make testable predictions, providing the opportunity to confirm or refute the claim as more data arrive to the astronomers’ computers. Her model predicts the existence of two voids rather than one, one in each hemisphere of our universe. The one that has been found by WMAP’s data lies in the Northern hemisphere. They expect new data will show a second similar void in the Southern side. This and other cutting-edge experimental projects testing Mersini-Houghton’s ideas will tell us whether a new era in cosmological thinking has indeed arrived. |
| Posted by:Delphi |
| #12 Such a massive void could easily prepresent a "brane" (membrane), where an alternate universe branched or co-seeded from our own. Then again, it could also be the well-swept locale of a massive supernova or some huge matter-anitimatter annihilation as well. Perish the thought we might omit the possibility that this immense and vaccuous region is the fundament of Gore and Carter's braincase, but we'll leave that to the experts. Or not. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-11-26 23:21 |
| #11 Steady state they're Mr. James, be cool, else the black helicopters 'l get youz. Not even Patty the Buchannan can save you from them. |
| Posted by: Thomas Woof 2007-11-26 20:26 |
| #10 the unmistakable imprint of another universe beyond the edge of our own“. Unffingmistakable ! This is what passes for science today ? Homeschool, boys and girls, it's your only chance. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-11-26 18:25 |
| #9 When I think "huge voids", I think Hugo Chavez, Al Gore, John Kerry, and Jimmy Carter for some reason. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-11-26 16:42 |
| #8 So if you get caught in an interphasic rift and cannot get out, try to stay alive; you'll have to wrest control the ship from an evil version of one of your childhood heroes. |
| Posted by: Korora 2007-11-26 14:51 |
| #7 Sounds cool, but these days I'm sold on the fancy-new E8 unification theory. |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2007-11-26 14:49 |
| #6 No Boss but all the unpaired socks of our universe are there. |
| Posted by: GORT 2007-11-26 12:22 |
| #5 You mean the parallel universe where I'm married to Naomi Watts and have a few billion in the bank? |
| Posted by: Boss Sholuque1228 2007-11-26 11:38 |
| #4 "...they found a huge void in the universe." ---------- From the 1975 movie "Love and Death" Boris (Woody Allen): Something's missing. Doctor: What? Boris: I don't know, I feel a void at the center of my being. Doctor: What kind of void? Boris: Well... an empty void. Doctor: An empty void? Boris: Yes. I felt a full void about a month ago but it was just something I ate. |
| Posted by: mhw 2007-11-26 11:22 |
| #3 It is just a gas bubble. Give the Universe some GasX and it will go away. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-11-26 11:19 |
| #2 This is but a gate of Hell. Don't send any probe in it. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2007-11-26 11:06 |
| #1 Evidence for a parallel universe? The NYT, WaPo, Koss Kiddies, DU, etc all demonstrate that there is in fact an alternate universe. Obviously, it's not parallel cause there appears to be an intersection where they appear in my universe. You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the Twilight Zone! Cue the music. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-11-26 11:02 |