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The Man Who Invented the 26th Dimension

Posted by Unknown on from the beards-give-you-science-powers dept.

StartsWithABang (3485481) writes Based on all the experiments we've ever been able to perform, we're quite certain that our Universe, from the largest scales down to the microscopic, obeys the physical laws of three spatial dimensions (and one time dimension): a four-dimensional spacetime. But that's not the only possibility mathematically. People had experimented with bringing a fifth dimension in to unify General Relativity with Electromagnetism in the past, but that was regarded as a dead-end. Then in the 1970s, an unknown theoretical physicist working on the string model of the strong interactions discovered that by going into the 26th dimension, some incredibly interesting physics emerged, and String Theory was born.

13 of 259 comments (clear)

  1. Gotcha covered... by i+kan+reed · · Score: 4, Funny

    Here at discount dimension warehouse you can get 27 dimensions for the price of 26. We honor all competitors empirically undemonstrated theory coupons. More dimensions for your money.

    1. Re:Gotcha covered... by cyberchondriac · · Score: 5, Funny

      I vote for 42.. y'know, to make things consistent.

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      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    2. Re:Gotcha covered... by Bacon+Bits · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't listen to him! He sold me a dimension and when I got it home it turned out to be merely a complex vector!

      --
      The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
    3. Re:Gotcha covered... by Yunzil · · Score: 3, Funny

      These dimensions of yours; how big are they? Last time I bought one when I got it home and opened the box I couldn't even see it.

    4. Re:Gotcha covered... by operagost · · Score: 5, Funny

      Most theoretical physicists I know haven't even made it to base 3.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  2. Crazy Parakeet Man by timrod · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not to detract from his contributions to science, but the photo of him in the Medium article makes him look like some sort of Parakeet Wizard. How he stayed sane with 40 parakeets in his house is something I will never understand.

    1. Re:Crazy Parakeet Man by i+kan+reed · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm severely concerned for you if you've ever met any physics PhDs who didn't give off that vibe.

    2. Re:Crazy Parakeet Man by sjwaste · · Score: 4, Funny

      That escalated quickly.

    3. Re:Crazy Parakeet Man by Quirkz · · Score: 3, Funny

      It did not accept the apology, and actually, I'd even go so far as to say it got a little bent out of shape over the incidents. Eventually it turned into a certified basket case, and we had to replace it with another unit that had stronger mettle.

      --
      The Quirkz Handbook of Self-Improvement for People Who Are Already Pretty Okay
  3. Re:While we're at it by i+kan+reed · · Score: 3, Funny

    Because that's not necessary to explain a particular empirical observation?

  4. Where is Buckaroo Bonzai when you need him? by mmell · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just sayin'.

  5. Obligitory xkcd. by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 3, Funny

    Unscientific

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  6. Cross roads of physics and computing by WaffleMonster · · Score: 4, Funny

    "All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection" - David Wheeler

    "All problems in physics can be solved by another dimension" - Some jackass

    Is 26 dimensions better or worse than 26 levels of indirection?