String theory was originally developed to describe the fundamental particles and forces that make up our universe. The new research, led by a team from Imperial College London, describes the unexpected discovery that string theory also seems to predict the behaviour of entangled quantum particles. As this prediction can be tested in the laboratory, researchers can now test string theory.
Over the last 25 years, string theory has become physicists' favourite contender for the 'theory of everything', reconciling what we know about the incredibly small from particle physics with our understanding of the very large from our studies of cosmology. Using the theory to predict how entangled quantum particles behave provides the first opportunity to test string theory by experiment.
"If experiments prove that our predictions about quantum entanglement are correct, this will demonstrate that string theory 'works' to predict the behaviour of entangled quantum systems," said Professor Mike Duff FRS, lead author of the study from the Department of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London.
"This will not be proof that string theory is the right 'theory of everything' that is being sought by cosmologists and particle physicists. However, it will be very important to theoreticians because it will demonstrate whether or not string theory works, even if its application is in an unexpected and unrelated area of physics," added Professor Duff.
Professor Duff recalled sitting in a conference in Tasmania where a colleague was presenting the mathematical formulae that describe quantum entanglement: "I suddenly recognised his formulae as similar to some I had developed a few years earlier while using string theory to describe black holes. When I returned to the UK I checked my notebooks and confirmed that the maths from these very different areas was indeed identical."
The discovery that string theory seems to make predictions about quantum entanglement is completely unexpected, but because quantum entanglement can be measured in the lab, it does mean that at last researchers can test predictions based on string theory. There is no obvious connection to explain why a theory that is being developed to describe the fundamental workings of our universe is useful for predicting the behaviour of entangled quantum systems. "This may be telling us something very deep about the world we live in, or it may be no more than a quirky coincidence", concluded Professor Duff. "Either way, it's useful."
String theory
String theory, and its extension M-theory, are mathematical descriptions of the universe. They have been developed, over the last 25 years, by theoreticians seeking to reconcile the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics. (The former describes the universe at the level of cosmology - the very large, while the latter describes the universe at the level of particle physics - the incredibly small). One of the major bugbears, especially of M-theory, is that it describes billions of different universes and ‘anything’ can be accommodated in one or other of the M-theory universes. Researchers have no way of testing which of the answers that string/M-theory gives us is ‘right’. Indeed, they all may be right and we live in one universe among an infinite number of universes. So far no one has been able to make a prediction, using string theory, that can be tested to see if it is correct or not.
Qubit (quantum bit) entanglement
Under very precisely controlled conditions it is possible to entangle the properties of two quantum particles (two quantum bits, or qubits), for example two photons. If you then measure the state of one of these entangled particles, you immediately affect the state of its partner. And this is true if the particles are close to one another or separated by enormous distance. Hence Einstein’s apposite description of quantum entanglement as ‘spooky action at a distance’. It is possible to entangle more than two qubits, but calculating how the particles are entangled with one another becomes increasingly complex as more particles are included.
Professor Duff and his colleagues realised that the mathematical description of the pattern of entanglement between three qubits resembles the mathematical description, in string theory, of a particular class of black holes. Thus, by combining their knowledge of two of the strangest phenomena in the universe, black holes and quantum entanglement, they realised they could use string theory to produce a prediction that could be tested. Using the string theory mathematics that describes black holes, they predicted the pattern of entanglement that will occur when four qubits are entangled with one another. (The answer to this problem has not been calculated before.) Although it is technically difficult to do, the pattern of entanglement between four entangled qubits could be measured in the laboratory and the accuracy of this prediction tested.
Explore further:
Vanquishing infinity: Old methods lead to a new approach to finding a quantum theory of gravity
More information:
M. J. Duff FRS et al., “Four-qubit entanglement from string theory.” Physical Review Letters 2010. prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v105/i10/e100507
blownfuse
Just_some_guy
Sep 01, 2010Honor
Sirinx
Not too good start for every "right theory of everything".
Sirinx
http://en.wikiped...andscape
So that any experimental proof of string theory would remain valid only for this particular solution, thus leaving string theory unfalsifiable. Actually string theory was proven wrong already in different experiments, trying to detect the presence of extradimensions. Another predictions of string theory (existence of cosmic strings and/or primordial micro-black black holes) failed as well...
http://www.scient...tra-dime
MaxwellsDemon
Hesperos
wsbriggs
"Strings are the threads that multi-dimensional Hansels & Gretels use to avoid the wicked witches of the stellar abyss." Hans Krystian Andresson.
Xaero
http://www.abc.ne...7489.htm
"..It's time to stop searching for a grand plan that explains the Universe and accept that Nature is imperfect", argues Professor Marcelo Gleiser.
Very, very imperfect, I'd say...
TabulaMentis
Big Bang - Big Crunch models are great. Mix in a little holographic principle and away we go. A new CMB test would be wonderful.
Vibrating strings contain bytes of information that work well with entangled quantum systems. It is getting close to Halloween, so there is nothing better than a little spooky action going on around this time of the year.
Is this article saying some black holes have qutrit centers? Wow, wouldn't it be interesting if that were found to be true. Maybe the Borgs already have us under their control?
gurloc
Xaero
http://www.math.c.../?p=3127
gold2_718
TabulaMentis
As you may well know, Lisa Randall talks about an interesting theory she calls a GRAVITYBRANE in a book titled WARPED PASSAGES written by her and someone else.
It does sound a little bit like a press release. The article is like a trial balloon or throwing something against the wall to see if it will stick.
gold2_718
Lisa Randall is the only author in "Warped Passages" (I have a copy on my shelf). In her research papers (a bit denser than the book :-), she calculated the effect of the of the high energy collisions at the LHC for the case where our universe has more than three large dimensions and we are stuck in three by Branes. She found that the particles would experience exponentially-higher gravity as they tried to move out of the three-dimensional space and showed what the effect would look like to the particle trackers. I call this a clear prediction for a scientific test of one form of string theory -- the first in more than 30 years of research. It is better than the 'test' in this article because there are already predictions for the results if the extra dimensions do not exist.
getgoa
The same is true for deciphering the bible with math equations as seen on history documentaries what goes up must come down--like Copernicus found a truth that encompassed the whole world and everything in it and Isaac Newton's gravity is another example. The biblical example following this line of thinking is found here:
Ecclesiastes 3:17 found phrase
And I said in my heart: God shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing.
Think about it--generation x is wicked and Jesus in the light of thinking was among thieves who did not want to get judged and so this phrase is true:
Proverbs 21:7 found 4
The robberies of the wicked shall be their down
Xaero
It's not a rocket physics at all, but it's difficult to express it with formal math - which is why string theorists missed this controversy completely.
Actually there is one special situation, which still enables string theory working. The microwaves of cosmic background noise are spreading in invariant speed and they're violating the dimensionality of space-time in subtle way. Therefore these two postulates of string theory are fulfilled just for CMB noise, which explains the huge landscape of string theory solutions derived.
gold2_718
@getgoa, Godwin thanks you
TabulaMentis
You need to better than that, show us some science!
How did Moses part the sea?
How did Jesus walk on water?
How does the New Jerusalem fly?
getgoa
TabulaMentis
We need more data!
Here is an example, please see the following link:
http://bible.cc/r...1-16.htm
The link provides math, shapes, values. This way we have an idea of what the New Jerusalem UFO will look like.
Xaero
tkjtkj
Your point was mentioned by the authors:
""This may be telling us something very deep about the world we live in, or it may be no more than a quirky coincidence", concluded Professor Duff. "Either way, it's useful."
rjm1percent
ElasfarSovereign
Umm...WoW! o.o You're kidding right???
JIMBO
I'm pulling for him & the stringers to finally knock one out of the park.
questioner
hodzaa
Note that the third dimension of water surface plays a role of temporal dimension, which is perpendicular to remaining spatial dimensions. As such it's always defined by direction of density gradient at water surface, i.e. it has an "arrow" with compare to spatial directions. The transverse waves cannot spread in time direction, as they can penetrate the underwater in limited way only.
If we imagine the gravity field of massive body like density gradient of vacuum, then the time dimension will be perpendicular to surface of this body. This enables us to travel in time around massive body in limited extent - not only in space.
hodzaa
At first, it's a concept of extradimensions, which is as great, as misunderstood in context of physics. It's misunderstood, because extradimensions are all around us. The well known cosmic background noise violates dimensionality of 4D space-time in the same way, like the various short distance forces: the dipole force, van der Waals forces, Casimir force, etc. The force constant of these forces violates the inverse square law, i.e. the dimensionality of space-time, in which they're spreading. For example Casimir force is indirectly proportional to fifth power of distance at the case of spherical objects, so it's effectively spreading in six dimensions.
If string theorists would be more insightful, they would use Casimir force or CMB as an arguments for ST already.
hodzaa
Other concepts, like the supersymmetry or AdS/CFT duality are as good, as the concept of extradimensions, but they're not specific to string theory. Supersymmetry was proposed originally in context of QED, so it cannot serve as an argument of string theory validity. AdS/CFT duality was applied to string theory first, but it's concept of holographic principle actually and as such it was applied to another theories as well - so it cannot serve as a conclusive evidence of string theory, too. The same is true about usage of various gauge groups in so-called heterotic string theories.
questioner
thats like what i was saying isnt it.. diferent and intrinsic motions of freedom, i think i understand the dimensions "higher dimension" .. i am a novice physicist as u saw me reference the what the bleep dvd set LOL .. we basically said the same thing diferently i rekon. have u seen the example on "what the bleep do we know, down the rabbit hole" that im talking about... ANYWAY .. whats string theory got to do with quantum entanglement .. oh yeh the top scientists just overlooked that one did they! hahaha wtf
(how do u guys do that light writing like what some one else has just said the indented style)
CSharpner
tabula... i apologize for accidentally voting a 1 on your response. i meant to vote 5. :(
CSharpner
ELASFAR...
SAME APOLOGY TO YOU. I ACCIDENTALLY MARKED YOUR RESPONSE WITH A 1 WHEN I MEANT 5. I VOTED SO MANY DOWN, MY THUMB AUTOMATICALLY WENT FOR THE ONE STAR INSTEAD OF THE 5TH. ALSO, SORRY FOR ALL CAPS... SOMETHING SCREWY WITH MY PHONE.
CSharpner
Questioner, please start with using punctuation, caps, and avoiding shorthand. Aside from that, I'm glad you've chosen to pursue the sciences. God speed to you.
SteveL
Were you actually reading the posts before voting on them? Or, do you get a Pavlovian vote 1 response when you see posts with certain names? I noticed some posters seem to elicit that response.
Drew_L
Sep 03, 2010michaelick
JIMBO
Shame on U !
Musashi
getgoa
Sep 05, 2010getgoa
Ravenrant
The other side of the coin are the fools who think string theory is correct. Hidden dimensions? Not happening. Guess again.
genastropsychicallst
Sirinx
Yes, for example there... Physicists have searched for new forces predicted by string theory to exist in extra dimensions, but found nothing:
http://physicswor...ws/17025
http://physicswor...ws/29972
Skeptic_Heretic
Statements of constraining values are not statements of absence.
daywalk3r
It's more a matter of how much car accident statistics can tell about the cause of car accidents. Some have accepted that there simply is no explainable cause, or that we will never be able to determine it.
Then they decided to throw a party in Coppenhagen, and rest is history :)
And what if "enough" would equal "infinite"?
We would need infinite processing capabilities to make an infinitely precise prediction. So setting a scope/resolution would always be mandatory in every prediction/simulation. This in essence limits our prediction accuracy to finite values, regardless of level of our understanding of the Universe, unless infinite processing capabilities are a possibility.
getgoa
The English have brought down light from the beginning of time according to the bible and so how can it not be a wonder now that the theory of everything can be tested?
People should know that the light of the bible has written in it consequences of stars it is called Deutoronomy something the english can smell rather than hear.
The english are paralelling in the light of the bible the same story of Egypt for cheating famine--so instead of agreeing with 2012 they agree with 2060.
getgoa
Ecclesiasticus 11:36
Receive a stranger in, and he shall overthrow thee with a whirlwind, and shall turn thee out of thy own.
I will never let the English in so forget it.
Skeptic_Heretic
To defend visitors with greater vigor than you will defend your offspring.
yyz
"so instead of agreeing with 2012 they agree with 2060."
Seems a paper was posted at arXiv today( http://arxiv.org/...74v1.pdf ) that specifically looks at the possibility of a massive body entering the solar system over the next couple of years (specifically to cover up thru 2012) and upsetting Earth in its' orbit.
From the abstract; "It turns out that the orbit of the Earth would not be macroscopically altered by a close (0.2 au) passage of such an ultrafast body X in the next 2 yr. On the contrary, our planet would be hurled into the space if a Sun-sized body X would encounter it by moving at v/c = 10E-4. On the other hand, this would imply that such a X should be now at just 20-30 au, contrary to all direct observational and indirect dynamical evidences."
The author notes that the strategy outlined can be extended for any temporal interval and dates so as to head off similar future doomsday predictions! Planet X take note. o_O
hodzaa
http://www.techno...iv/25191
ChiRaven