Five Theories About the Universe to Blow Your Mind

Sideprojects
8 Nov 202215:02

Summary

TLDRThis intriguing script delves into various cosmic theories, some of which could potentially reshape our understanding of the universe. It explores the possibility of a fourth spatial dimension, suggesting our universe is trapped within a membrane, which might explain gravity's relative weakness. The script also questions the nature of gravity itself, proposing that our current models may be flawed. It touches on the idea that the speed of light might have once been faster, challenging the special theory of relativity. Additionally, it humorously considers the notion that Adolf Hitler's 1936 Olympic broadcast could have been humanity's first contact with extraterrestrials. Finally, it introduces the Boltzmann brain hypothesis, which posits that we might be brains that randomly formed after the universe's heat death, filled with false memories—a concept that, while absurd, has gained serious consideration in some cosmological circles.

Takeaways

  • 🧐 The concept of a fourth spatial dimension is being explored to explain why gravity is weaker than the other fundamental forces. This idea is part of brane cosmology, which suggests our universe exists within a membrane, with gravity potentially leaking into higher dimensions beyond it.
  • 🌌 Dark matter, which is proposed to account for unexplained gravitational effects, is itself unobservable and only inferred by its gravitational influence. This has led to alternative theories that suggest our understanding of gravity itself might be flawed and in need of revision.
  • 🚀 The speed of light is a constant in a vacuum, but theories suggest that it may have been faster in the early universe. This idea is an alternative to the inflation theory and could potentially be tested in the future.
  • 🌟 Adolf Hitler's opening speech at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin might have been the first human-made signal powerful enough to escape Earth's atmosphere and possibly be detected by extraterrestrial civilizations.
  • 🤔 The Boltzmann brain hypothesis, which argues that it's more statistically likely for a single brain with false memories to form after the universe's heat death than the entire observable universe, has gained new consideration with advancements in multiverse theories.
  • ⚖️ The hierarchy problem in physics questions why gravity is so much weaker than the other forces, and several theories, including string theory and brane cosmology, attempt to address this.
  • 🔍 Scientists are actively pursuing the possibility of extra spatial dimensions to explain various phenomena, including the weakness of gravity.
  • 🌌 Other universes might exist adjacent to ours, within their own membranes, and could be influencing our gravitational forces.
  • 🔭 Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider aim to provide concrete proof for the existence of dark matter, which is currently only hypothesized based on gravitational effects.
  • 🔥 Theoretical physics is considering the possibility that the speed of light was once much faster due to extremely high temperatures in the early universe, which could have implications for our understanding of physics.
  • 🤓 The idea that we might be living in a universe that's a fluctuation from maximum entropy, as proposed by Ludwig Boltzmann, is taken more seriously with the advancement of multiverse theories.
  • 🧬 Quantum physics and the random nature of quantum particles were not considered when Boltzmann first proposed his theories, which might offer explanations for the ordered state of the universe despite thermodynamics predictions.

Q & A

  • What is the issue with the gravitational force in the standard model of physics?

    -The issue is that gravity is significantly weaker compared to the other three natural forces. The standard model struggles to explain why this is the case, especially since at the time of the Big Bang, all forces should have existed as one and then separated into the four forces we observe today, with comparable strengths.

  • What is the concept of brane cosmology or braneworld theory?

    -Brane cosmology, also known as braneworld theory, suggests that our universe is trapped inside a membrane and exists entirely within this membrane, while a higher-dimensional space, referred to as the bulk, exists outside of it. This theory proposes that the gravitational force can leak out into the bulk, which could explain why gravity appears weaker compared to other forces.

  • What is the hierarchy problem in physics?

    -The hierarchy problem refers to the large discrepancy in the strength between gravity and the other fundamental forces. It's a challenge to explain why gravity is so much weaker, and it's considered one of the unsolved problems in theoretical physics.

  • What is Dark Matter and why was it proposed?

    -Dark Matter is a hypothetical form of matter that is believed to make up approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. It was proposed to explain the observed gravitational effects on celestial bodies, such as the rotation speeds of galaxies, which cannot be accounted for by visible matter alone. Dark Matter does not interact with the electromagnetic force, making it invisible and detectable only through its gravitational effects.

  • What is the logical problem with the Dark Matter theory?

    -The logical problem with the Dark Matter theory is that its existence is inferred solely from the gravitational effects it supposedly causes. This is considered circular reasoning because Dark Matter was proposed to explain these unexplained gravitational effects in the first place.

  • What alternative to the Dark Matter theory is mentioned in the script?

    -The script mentions that our understanding of gravity itself could be wrong, and that a new understanding of the gravitational force might eliminate the need for Dark Matter to explain the observed phenomena.

  • What is the speed of light and why is it considered a constant?

    -The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 300,000 kilometers per second and is considered a universal constant because it is the fastest speed at which any information or matter can travel according to Einstein's theory of special relativity.

  • What theory suggests that the speed of light may have once been faster?

    -An alternative theory to the inflation theory suggests that at the origins of the universe, when it was extremely hot, light could have undergone a phase change that allowed it to travel at speeds exceeding its current maximum speed, approaching effectively infinite speed.

  • What is the Horizon problem in the context of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)?

    -The Horizon problem refers to the uniformity of the temperature across the universe, which should not be possible given the size of the universe and the time since the Big Bang. The CMB, being the oldest measurable light in the universe, shows consistency in temperature, which contradicts the expectation that light and heat should not have reached all parts of the universe.

  • What is the concept of a Boltzmann Brain in cosmology?

    -The Boltzmann Brain is a theoretical concept that suggests it is more statistically likely for a single brain with false memories to form after the universe has reached maximum entropy (the heat death of the universe) than for the entire observable universe to form. It was initially proposed as a reductio ad absurdum argument against the idea that the universe could fluctuate from a state of maximum entropy to a more ordered state.

  • What is the significance of the 1936 Olympic Games broadcast in the context of potential alien contact?

    -The broadcast of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin is considered to be the first human-made signal powerful enough to escape Earth's ionosphere and travel into outer space. This means that it could potentially be the first transmission received by an extraterrestrial civilization, making it significant in the context of potential first contact.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 The Possibility of a Fourth Spatial Dimension

This paragraph delves into the concept of a fourth spatial dimension, which is proposed to solve the mystery of gravity's relative weakness compared to other fundamental forces. The standard model of physics struggles to explain why gravity is so weak, and string theory suggests that at very small scales, forces could be equal in magnitude. However, a more compelling theory, called brane cosmology or braneworld, was introduced in 1999 by Lisa Randall and Raman Sundrum. It posits that our universe is confined within a membrane, with additional spatial dimensions existing in a higher-dimensional space beyond our own. According to this theory, the gravitational force is weak because it can 'leak' into these extra dimensions, unlike other forces that are trapped within our brane. This concept could also explain the existence of other universes, existing in parallel but imperceptible to us due to their different spatial dimensions. While experiments have been conducted to detect these extra dimensions, they have yet to yield any concrete evidence, leaving the theory as a compelling but unproven solution to some of the universe's most perplexing questions.

05:01

🌑 Rethinking Gravity and the Enigma of Dark Matter

The second paragraph challenges our understanding of gravity and introduces the concept of dark matter. Despite being the first force discovered, gravity remains one of the least understood natural forces, particularly in relation to the motion of celestial bodies. Galaxies rotate faster than expected, and some galaxies move away from us at speeds that seem impossible, leading to the proposal of dark matter. This theoretical substance is thought to make up about 85% of all matter in the universe, providing the additional gravitational force needed to explain these phenomena. However, dark matter's invisibility, as it does not interact with the electromagnetic force, means that its existence is inferred solely from its gravitational effects. This reliance on indirect evidence has led some to propose that our theories of gravity itself might be flawed and in need of revision. Historically, Isaac Newton's laws of gravity were replaced by Einstein's general theory of relativity, which also has its limitations, particularly within the event horizon of a black hole. The paragraph suggests that our current models of gravity may be incomplete and that a new understanding could potentially eliminate the need for dark matter, or at least require a reevaluation of its role in the cosmos.

10:02

🔥 The Variable Speed of Light and the Early Universe

This paragraph explores the possibility that the speed of light was once faster than its current constant value, which is a fundamental principle in physics. The theory suggests that in the extremely hot conditions of the early universe, light could have undergone a phase change, allowing it to travel at speeds much greater than its current maximum, possibly approaching infinite speed. This idea is proposed as an alternative to the inflation theory, which explains the uniformity of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) by suggesting a rapid exponential expansion of the universe shortly after the Big Bang. The inflation theory, while elegant and widely accepted, is untestable and raises questions about why such an event occurred only once. The variable speed of light theory offers a different perspective and could potentially be tested in the future, which would have profound implications for our understanding of physics, particularly Einstein's theory of special relativity. If confirmed, this theory would necessitate a significant rethinking of established physical laws and the nature of the universe itself.

📡 Hitler's Speech as First Contact and the Boltzmann Brain Paradox

The final paragraph discusses two speculative ideas: the possibility that Adolf Hitler's opening speech at the 1936 Olympic Games was the first human broadcast to escape Earth's atmosphere and potentially be detected by extraterrestrial civilizations, and the Boltzmann brain hypothesis, which challenges our understanding of the universe's organization. The first idea, inspired by Carl Sagan's novel 'Contact,' suggests that Hitler's speech could have been the first human signal to reach outer space, although it would have been weak and unlikely to be detected unless an alien civilization was actively searching for it. The second idea, the Boltzmann brain hypothesis, is a thought experiment that emerged from considerations of thermodynamics and the universe's tendency toward maximum entropy or disorder. It posits that it is more statistically likely for a single brain with false memories to form after the universe has reached its heat death than for the entire organized universe to exist as we perceive it. While initially a reductio ad absurdum argument against certain cosmological theories, the Boltzmann brain concept has gained new relevance with the advancement of multiverse theories, suggesting that we may be more likely to be such a brain with false memories than living in the universe as we believe it to be. This idea, while far-fetched, raises intriguing questions about the nature of reality and our place in the cosmos.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Brain Cosmology

Brain Cosmology, also known as 'braneworld', is a theoretical framework that proposes the existence of at least a fourth spatial dimension. It is central to the video's theme as it attempts to solve the hierarchy problem in physics, explaining why gravity is weaker than the other fundamental forces. The script mentions that our universe might be trapped within a membrane, with gravity leaking into a higher-dimensional space known as the 'bulk', which could be a reason for gravity's comparative weakness.

💡String Theory

String Theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. It is mentioned in the script as an attempt to address the problem of gravity's weakness by suggesting that at very small distances, the forces could be equal in magnitude. This theory is integral to the broader discussion on the nature of the universe and the fundamental forces within it.

💡Dark Matter

Dark Matter is a hypothetical form of matter that is thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. It is invisible as it does not interact with the electromagnetic force, meaning it neither emits nor reflects light. The script discusses Dark Matter as a proposed solution to explain the observed gravitational effects that cannot be accounted for by visible matter alone, such as the unexpected speeds of galaxies.

💡General Relativity

General Relativity is a theory of gravitation developed by Albert Einstein, which describes gravity not as a force, but as a consequence of the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. The video script references General Relativity as it solves the problem of Mercury's orbit and changes our understanding of gravity, suggesting that it warps space-time, creating a well that other objects fall towards.

💡Speed of Light

The speed of light is a universal constant, approximately 300,000 kilometers per second in a vacuum, and is considered the maximum speed at which information or matter can travel. The script introduces a theory suggesting that in the early universe, light could have traveled at speeds much faster than its current known limit due to extremely high temperatures, challenging the special theory of relativity.

💡Inflation Theory

Inflation Theory is the most commonly accepted explanation for the Horizon problem in cosmology, which questions how the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) could be so uniform across the universe. The script describes this theory as proposing a massive, exponential expansion of the universe shortly after the Big Bang, which would carry existing light and heat, allowing for uniformity.

💡Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the thermal radiation left over from the time of recombination in Big Bang cosmology, which is the oldest measurable light in the universe, emitted about 300,000 years after the Big Bang. The script uses CMB as evidence for the uniformity of the universe's temperature, which is a key point in discussions about the Horizon problem and Inflation Theory.

💡Extra Dimensions

Extra Dimensions refer to the concept that there may be more than the three spatial dimensions and one time dimension that we experience in everyday life. The script discusses the possibility of extra spatial dimensions as part of the 'brane cosmology' theory and mentions that experiments have been designed to test for their existence.

💡Boltzmann Brain

Boltzmann Brain is a thought experiment in cosmology that suggests it is more statistically likely for a single brain to form spontaneously in a high-entropy universe than for an entire ordered universe to form. The script uses this concept to illustrate a paradoxical outcome of certain multiverse theories, where it is statistically more likely that an individual is a Boltzmann Brain with false memories than part of the universe as we know it.

💡Hierarchy Problem

The Hierarchy Problem in physics is the question of why the strengths of the fundamental forces vary so greatly, specifically why gravity is much weaker than the other forces. The script discusses this problem in the context of the 'brane cosmology' theory, which offers a potential solution by suggesting that gravity is weak because it can 'leak' into extra dimensions.

Highlights

The concept of a fourth spatial dimension is proposed to explain the weakness of gravity compared to other forces.

String Theory suggests forces could be equal at tiny distances, but this isn't a fully satisfying answer.

Brane cosmology, or 'braneworld', proposes our universe is trapped within a membrane with additional spatial dimensions existing outside.

Gravity is weaker because it can 'leak' into extra dimensions, unlike other forces trapped within our brane.

The existence of other branes and universes is a possibility, existing in imperceptible dimensions adjacent to our own.

Experiments have been designed to test for large extra dimensions, though no conclusive results have been found.

The possibility that our understanding of gravity itself might be fundamentally flawed.

Dark Matter was proposed to explain gravitational anomalies, but its existence relies on circular reasoning due to its invisibility.

Alternatives to Dark Matter involve reevaluating our understanding of gravity, which has a history of being revised.

The speed of light may have been faster in the early universe due to extreme temperatures.

A variable speed of light challenges the special theory of relativity and could explain the uniformity of the cosmic microwave background.

The 1936 Olympic Games broadcast might have been the first human signal to escape Earth's atmosphere and potentially reach extraterrestrial civilizations.

The likelihood of extraterrestrials decoding our early broadcasts is considered, highlighting the challenge of interstellar communication.

Boltzmann brains are a theoretical concept suggesting that it's more probable for a single brain with false memories to form after the universe's heat death than the entire universe as we know it.

Advanced theories of the universe and the multiverse have given new weight to the possibility of Boltzmann brains, challenging our understanding of reality.

The Boltzmann brain hypothesis is generally dismissed as too absurd, but it raises important questions about the nature of our universe.

Transcripts

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and there's a little bizarre series

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about the universe some of them are

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already debunked bordering on conspiracy

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theories or are just downright silly

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other Tsar Milly Cosmic thought

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experiments they can't be proven one way

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or the other and are just ideas designed

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to challenge what we believe about the

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universe all around us while in same

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conspiracy theories and unprovable

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thought experiments can be fun today

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we're going to look at four theories

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that may actually be true and one that

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almost certainly is but we'd definitely

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prefer that it totally was

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foreign

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[Music]

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there's a fourth spatial dimension

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one of the major problems in the

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standard model of physics is try to

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explain why the gravitational force is

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so weak when compared to the three other

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Natural Forces according to the theory

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at the time the Big Bang all four forces

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should have existed as one before

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breaking off into the four forces that

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we observed today but at the point when

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they split they should have been

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comparable in strength so why then is

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gravity so weak String Theory attempted

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to address this problem by positing that

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at tiny enough distances the forces

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could be equal in magnitude but this

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isn't an ideal answer and scientists

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kept on searching in 1983 the idea of

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brain cosmology was introduced though

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the most influential model would not be

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proposed until 1999 by physicists Lisa

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Randall and romance sunroom the idea of

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brain cosmology also referred to as

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brainworld is that there is at least a

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fourth spatial Dimension and possibly

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even more now we're all familiar with

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the three spatial Dimensions plus the

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fourth time dimension in which we exist

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and that seems to be pretty

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encapsulating of the entire universe so

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how then could there be further spatial

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Dimensions well the answer to that is

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that our universe is trapped inside a

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membrane hence the brain in the Theory's

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name our visible Universe exists

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entirely within this membrane while the

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majority of what exists also referred to

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as the bulk is some sort of higher

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dimensional space outside of the

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membrane now it may sound a little bit

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far-fetched but this theory is being

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seriously pursued by scientists as a

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possible solution to many of the

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unanswered questions about the universe

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under this Theory the weak and strong

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nuclear forces in the electromagnetic

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force are trapped within the membrane

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but the gravitational force has no such

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restriction as such much of the

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gravitational force leaks out into the

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bulk this accounts for why it is so

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comparatively weak similarly other

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membranes could exist next to us which

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also influence the gravitational force

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there could be other universes Trapped

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In Their Own own membranes only a

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microscopic distance away from ours but

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because they could exist in spatial

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Dimensions that are completely

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imperceptible to us we would have no

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idea that they were even there it is

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regarded as one of the more elegant

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solutions for the hierarchy problem and

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experiments have been designed to try

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and prove the existence of large extra

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Dimensions thus far these have not

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yielded any results other than to

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constrain what the extra Dimensions

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could actually be then again because we

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are trying to test for extra spatial

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Dimensions that we don't actually know

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how to perceive detecting evidence of

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their existence may prove to be more

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complicated than we realized

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gravity may be wrong

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okay once again we find ourselves faced

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with the issue of gravity the

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gravitational force was naturally the

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first of the four forces that humans

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discovered if you drop something it

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falls down seems pretty straightforward

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however of the four natural forces

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gravity is the one we actually

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understand the least we do have a pretty

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good idea of how gravity works or at

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least how we think it works despite the

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hierarchy problem presented by it being

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so many orders of magnitude weaker than

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the other forces however we have seen

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other issues related to our

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understanding of gravity as well one

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such problem is the speed at which

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celestial bodies move we can observe

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galaxies rotating much faster than they

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should be able to or we could see

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galaxies traveling away from us at

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speeds far exceeding what should even be

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possible scientists have proposed a

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solution to this dilemma in the form of

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Dark Matter dark matter is everywhere in

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the universe accounting for roughly 85

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percent of all matter it is six times

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more abundant than the visible matter

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that we're familiar with this dark

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matter and the gravity exerted by its is

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the reason we see objects moving in ways

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that would otherwise be impossible to

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explain however Dark Matter does not

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interact with the electromagnetic force

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this means it does not absorb reflect or

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emit light making it completely

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invisible and well that's how it got its

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name the only problem is that because

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it's invisible we have no proof that

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dark matter actually exists the only

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proof for the existence of dark matter

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is the gravitational effect that it has

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on other objects throughout the Universe

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now so you may have noticed that it's a

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bit of a logical problem there the only

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proof we have the Dark Matter exists is

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the gravitational effect that it has but

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Dark Matter was proposed as a

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theoretical solution for gravitational

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effects that we couldn't otherwise

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explain it somewhat circular reasoning

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there which is why experiments like

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those at the Large Hadron Collider hope

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to provide more concrete proof for the

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existence of Dark Matter however there

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is another possible solution it could be

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wrong notice about dark matter

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but about gravity itself in fact we

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already know that the current series of

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gravity are wrong and this isn't the

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first time that we've made that

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Discovery gravity is put forth by Isaac

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Newton worked great for a while he

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described gravity as an attractive Force

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but there were some problems for example

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Mercury's orbit moved closer to the Sun

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at a faster rate than Newton's equations

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predicted Einstein's general relativity

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solved this problem and changed our

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understanding of gravity rather than

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being an attractive Force Einstein saw

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gravity as warping space-time around an

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object thus creating a well that other

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things would fall towards this new

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understanding remained consistent with

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everything that was expected from

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Newtonian physics while also correcting

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issues in the areas are Newton's

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formulas didn't work unfortunately

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general relativity also breaks down as

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well we just aren't exactly sure where

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we know that at some point within a

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black hole that Einstein's theory stops

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working and research is currently

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working to figure out where exactly once

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we know the exact point where breaks

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down we may be able to figure out

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exactly what was wrong until that

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happens it's hard to say exactly what

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the fate of gravity will be perhaps our

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new understanding of the gravitational

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force will still require the existence

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of dark matter or perhaps we will learn

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the double Leafs about gravity were just

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so fundamentally flawed that dark matter

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is no longer necessary to reconcile our

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expectations with reality

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the speed of light may once have been

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faster

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if you've ever taken a physics class you

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undoubtedly know that the speed of light

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in a vacuum is 300 000 kilometers a

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second and that is the fastest that

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anything in the universe can possibly

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travel at colder temperatures light

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moves more slowly not because the

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temperature itself but because colder

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temperatures make air more dense and

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light travels more slowly through denser

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objects but what if this worked in the

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other direction as well it's hard to

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imagine it being hot enough for a vacuum

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to somehow become even more of a vacuum

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however one Theory suggests that the

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origins of the universe it was so hot

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that light essentially underwent a phase

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change like water turning into steam as

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a result of this change light was able

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to far exceed its current maximum speed

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approaching effectively infinite speed

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this theory was proposed as an

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alternative to inflation Theory the most

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commonly accepted explanation for the

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Horizon problem in Cosmic microwave

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background or CMB The Horizon problem is

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that the temperature across the universe

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is even which should definitely not be

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possible likewise CMB is the oldest

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measurable light in the universe having

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been emitted out 300 000 years after the

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big bang and the light is equivalent

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everywhere the consistency of CMB shows

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that the temperature across the universe

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should have been the same but this

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doesn't make logical sense as the

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universe was so big that light and

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thusly heat should not have reached all

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of it the inflation theory proposes that

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a fraction of a second after the big

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bang the universe underwent a massive

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exponential expansion outward that

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lasted for only a fraction of a second

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as space-time expanded exponentially the

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existing light and heat was carried with

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it and then propagated as normal it's an

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elegant solution that answers a lot of

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problems and because it only happened

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once billions of years ago it's also

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well completely untestable in addition

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to being an untestable Theory it raises

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the question of why why would this have

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happened why for only such a short time

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and why never again these these are

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questions that we just don't have

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answers for because the untestable and

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difficult to rationalize nature of

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inflation the alternate theory was

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proposed that extremely high

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temperatures allowed light to travel in

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incredible speeds following the Big Bang

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This would run contrary to Weinstein's

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theory of special relativity but it does

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hold one advantage over inflation Theory

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the physicists who proposed the most

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recent iteration of the theory believed

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that they could actually prove it it is

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believed that in the near future the

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idea of a previously variable speed of

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light could be tested if so this Theory

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will live or die by the result of those

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experiments it's impossible to predict

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what the results would be but if testing

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were to confirm this Theory it would

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require rethinking much of what we

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believe we know about physics

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Adolf Hitler could make first contact

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with extraterrestrials

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we're not proposing that Hitler at the

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age of 133 is alive and well in South

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America and will soon be launching

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himself into space to make first contact

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with an alien civilization though such a

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conspiracy theory probably does exist

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because of course it does instead we're

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going to be looking at an idea first

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presented by Carl Sagan in his 1985

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novel contact which was later adapted

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into a 1997 film starring Jodie Foster

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Humanity has been broadcasting messages

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into space for decades though much of it

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wasn't intentional most signals that

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were transmitted over the airwaves were

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either at too lower frequency or too low

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power to escape Earth's ionosphere

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however as Sagan put forth the First

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Signal broadcast that was powerful

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enough to escape Earth's atmosphere and

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travel into outer space was the opening

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ceremony of the 1936 Olympic Games in

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Berlin this could make Hitler's opening

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speech at the Olympics and alien

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civilizations first encounter with

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humans though contact was a fiction

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novel it was based in hard science many

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scientists dispute the claim that this

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will be the first transmission received

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by extra Industrials but they do admit

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that yeah

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it is actually possible although the

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signal was relatively weak compared to

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messages that have been beamed into

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space with more clear intent it could

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easily travel hundreds if not thousands

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of light years into space though

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scientists believe that because of the

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low intensity of the signal it is likely

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to be missed they state that aliens

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would need to be listening to the void

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of space extremely intently in order to

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find the signal while that is true

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there's no reason to believe that they

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wouldn't be doing exactly that after all

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we certainly are the bigger obstacle

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would be that whatever civilization were

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to encounter this broadcast may have no

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way to decode it they would certainly

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recognize it as a technological

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broadcast of some kind instead of

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something naturally occurring but that

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doesn't mean it would be able to

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separate the audio and the visual

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information from the signal and

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reproduce the video that was being

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broadcast around Earth it's

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understandable that scientists would

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want to try and debunk this Theory as

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best as possible given the rather

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non-controversial statement that Hitler

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was a bad dude however there is no

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denying that the Olympic broadcast was

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almost certainly the first man-made

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signal powerful enough to break through

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the ionosphere and that if aliens are

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looking hard enough they could find it

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you are a boltzmann brain that's the

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heat death of the universe in 1896

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Austrian physicist Ludwig boltzmann

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first published a theory that tried to

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account for why the universe wasn't as

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chaotic as thermodynamics seemed to

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predict that it should be thermodynamics

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was a relatively new field at the time

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and one of the main principles of

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thermodynamics is that the Universe

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tries to maximize entropy or disorder

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the universe is over 13 billion years

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old which means that it had a long time

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to spiral into chaos so why then is

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everything in the universe so organized

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why does it follow these rigid and

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precise rules well the field of quantum

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physics didn't exist yet and the

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seemingly random nature of quantum

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particles had yet to be observed so this

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was a pretty logical question to ask it

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is paper boltzmann presented our

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hypothesis the hypothesis was that even

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after the universe had reached maximum

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entropy also known as the heat death of

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the universe that it would randomly

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undergo fluctuations to a more ordered

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State possibly creating something like

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the universe that we see today other

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cosmologist didn't believe this was

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likely and the boltzmann brain was

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proposed as a reductio and absurdum

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argument against the theory the idea is

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that smaller fluctuations are more

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likely than large ones as such it is

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more likely that the random fluctuations

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formed a single human brain full of

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false memories than it is to have formed

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the entirety of our observable universe

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it sounds like a silly idea because it

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was intended to be like Schrodinger's

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cat it was meant to be a ridiculous

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argument for a century it remained a

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ridiculous argument meant to disprove

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Boltzmann's Theory however in 2002

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something changed there's theories about

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the universe and a possible Multiverse

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became more advanced and better

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understood the maths showed something

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startling statistically speaking you are

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far more likely to be a boltzmann brain

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that randomly formed eons after the heat

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death of the universe and was filled

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with false memories including a belief

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that you existed a point when the

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universe was much younger obviously this

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was never the goal nobody is trying to

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prove that boltzmann brains exist

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they're trying to prove that they don't

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many scientists are able to Simply

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disregard the idea as being far too

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silly to be worth consideration but for

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others it's a serious problem in most

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theories of the universe it's less

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likely that the Universe actually exists

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as we believe it does and it's more

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likely that everyone who believes

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they're watching this video right now is

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boltzmann brain that randomly formed

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with false memories of having watched

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this video fortunately even those that

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view this as a problem with current

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theories don't believe it's the reality

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in which we're all living we just hope

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that someday that maths is uh going to

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agree with them

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Related Tags
Cosmic TheoriesPhysics PuzzlesExtra DimensionsGravitational ForceString TheoryDark MatterSpeed of LightBig BangMultiverseBoltzmann Brain