Our universe encompasses everything around us. Its laws of physics control every possible interaction, from the gravitational attraction that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun to the complex chemistry that gives rise to life. But for astronomers and physicists there are still some big questions about why the universe is the way it is. One of the most famous is the mystery of dark matter, which only makes its presence felt through the influence of its gravity. Another is the dominance of a certain set of subatomic particles - the familiar ones such as electrons, protons and neutrons that we call 'matter' when there was nothing in the Big Bang itself to prevent the formation of equal amounts of 'antimatter.
A new theory developed by two Canadian physicists suggests a radical new way of looking at the universe, along the way offering solutions to these and other major questions. According to Neil Turok and Latham Boyle of the Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, we may be looking at one aspect of a universe of two halves. Boyle and Turok's theory, developed with Kieran Finn of the University of Manchester, originates from questions of symmetry. In physics, a symmetric process is one that produces the same result if the values of one or more properties involved are flipped or reversed. A process such as a simple interaction between particles may be symmetric under different transformations of this kind, and as a broad rule of thumb, as structures become more complex they become less symmetric.
Denne historien er fra Issue 157-utgaven av All About Space UK.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 157-utgaven av All About Space UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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15 AUTUMN STARGAZING TARGETS
Go on a night-sky treasure hunt as the brighter evenings give way to the cooler months
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE WHY IS VENUS SO DRY?
A new study reckons the answer lies high in the Venusian atmosphere
WHEN BLACK HOLES TURN WHITE
Can bouncing black holes help physicists find the ultimate theory of everything?
THE MOON'S THIN ATMOSPHERE IS MADE BY CONSTANT METEORITE BOMBARDMENT
While the solar wind also contributes to the atmosphere, meteorites are the main culprit
INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL AND HOW TO BECOME A SPACE TOURIST
Having explored much of the Solar System, attention is now turning to the stars beyond
NASA'S PERSEVERANCE ROVER FINDS POSSIBLE SIGNS OF ANCIENT RED PLANET LIFE
Further analysis is needed, but a rock contains potential evidence that life once existed on Mars in the distant past
A NASA TELESCOPE MAY HAVE FOUND ANTIMATTER ANNIHILATING IN POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST EXPLOSION SINCE THE BIG BANG
The massive explosion was captured in 2022
Jameel Janjua "This is how we get to Mach 3”
Jameel Janjua made it to the bitter end in a Canadian government astronaut selection in 2009, but wasn't chosen. He found a different path to space through Virgin Galactic
BOEING NEEDS TO IMPROVE QUALITY CONTROL ON THE SLS MOON ROCKET
The NASA Inspector General's report finds serious quality-control issues affecting the upgraded version and expects cost overruns and delays
DARK ENERGY
THE MOST DOMINANT FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE IS ALSO ITS MOST MYSTERIOUS AND MOST UNANTICIPATED