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Dark Energy May Lurk In Hidden Dimensions

Posted by kdawson on from the offspring-of-sterile-neutrinos dept.

Magdalene writes in to let us know about a sketch of an idea, that might one day become a theory, to explain the dark energy that is making the universe flee faster and faster apart. It posits that dark energy may be the result of a new kind of neutrino wandering in tiny extra dimensions above our familiar three. She adds, "There is no word yet on whether Sphere or Square are available for comment." From the article: "The mysterious cosmic presence called dark energy, which is accelerating the expansion of the universe, might be lurking in hidden dimensions of space. This idea would explain how the dimensions of space remain stable — one of the biggest problems for the unified scheme of physics called 'string theory'... To get the same amount of acceleration seen by astronomers, Greene and Levin calculate that the extra dimensions should have a scale of about 0.01 millimeter."

3 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. Now that... by jd · · Score: 3, Interesting
    ...dark energy has fallen into an interdimensional rift in the fabric of space/time, can we shove the astrophysicists who insist on inventing the unobservable to fix their theories in with them, and get on with fixing whatever the error in the models really is? Please?

    There is nothing worse than a scientist who fixes the observation to meet their theory, to paraphrase the illustrious but equally fictional Sherlock Holmes.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    1. Re:Now that... by perturbed1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      What part of such an LHC-observation scenario do you find as "total nonsense"? Afterall, physics (especially the LHC) needs two things: 1) a multitude of theories to debunk and 2) money. There are theorists which will "die" if the LHC does not observe large extra dimensions. So most such theorists say: "if this theory is correct, then large extra dimensions must be small enough so that we havent observed them before but are large enough to be observed at the LHC." I can see nothing that can be called total nonsense here -- as long as the clause "if this theory is correct" is included.

      And I am an experimentalist. With very little taste for things that theorists believe to be true. So there you go... I spend my days hoping to reproduce a mini-singularity one day... ;)

  2. Funniest title ever by suv4x4 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Dark Energy May Lurk In Hidden Dimensions

    So.. let me get that straight. We solve the problem of energy we can't detect and dimensions we can't prove exist? Simple! We tuck the one into the other and thus explain everything in a single shot. Brilliant!

    Now allow me walk away for today as I am laughing my guts out.