June 29th Announcement May Change Our Understanding Of Reality

A Grand Unified Theory

The following post is based on a post by @puwulitics and is reproduced with their permission.

On the 29th, the results of a ~15 year long scientific study on low-frequency (long-distance) gravitational waves will be announced by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) and their scientific partners.

They were studying waves to test a theoretical concept called Supermassive Black Hole Binaries (SMBHB).

If they've detected gravitational waves from SMBHB, their results might fundamentally change how we view the world.

Quantum mechanics specifically deals with the micro (i.e. superpositions of subatomic particles, massless photons). Superposition is the ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same time until measured. The double-split experiment explains this.

Basically, what that experiment shows is if you have 2 slits in a partition, that sits in front of a wall, and shine a beam of light at it - you'd expect to see 2 slits of light go through the partition and show up on the wall.

However, what you actually see is multiple (more than 2) slits of light of different sizes and brightness. This is because, until it is measured, light photons are in a superposition state and travel all possible paths they could take.

If you’re struggling with quantum mechanics at this point, this video is quite a good introduction to the double slit experiment.

Achieving superpositions gets harder as the object becomes larger, or macro. Einstein's theory of Relativity (special and general) explains the macro world.

Quantum Mechanics and Relativity are slightly compatible with one another but ultimately they haven't been able to be merged into one theory that explains everything. Neither theory has fully been able to account for gravity.

That's where SMBHBs come into play. If they confirm the existence of SMBHB, aka super scale quanta, we would be able to use their research to conduct experiments testing quantum gravity.

If quantum gravity is proven, it ultimately means that we've confirmed the existence of a grand unified theory - i.e. General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics combine.

We'd be able to develop a theory that explains everything. It would open the door to our understanding the universe, understanding dimensions, understanding reality itself.

One implication of proving quantum gravity, and creating a grand unified theory, is being able to prove the Hologram Theory is correct. That theory suggests that spacetime (our tangible 3 dimensional universe) is actually the result of entanglement in an underlying dimension.

That underlying dimension is projecting our reality almost like a hologram. Take away the entanglement and spacetime ceases to exist. Take note, the word hologram doesn't inherently suggest a simulation.

Another aspect of Hologram theory is the idea that not only is our dimension projected from underlying entanglement - but infinite possible dimensions are projected. Multiverses, if you will. That's because, if super scale quanta can obtain a superposition, spacetime itself is likely to exist in a superposition.

Just as the photons in the double slit experiment travel all possible paths, until measured, the underlying entanglement of spacetime "travels" - or exists - in a state of all possible resulting dimensions.

To further elaborate this point, think of Schrödinger's cat. If you put a cat in a box with some poison (essentially) and close the box - the cat is in a superposition. Until the box is opened, and the cat is seen (aka measured), the cat is both alive and dead.

Both pathways exist simultaneously, and one doesn't become reality until the box is opened and you see that the cat is alive or dead.

If spacetime is confirmed to be in a superposition, it allows for a lot of fun ideas. Will we be able to force outcomes out of spacetime through measurement or other unknown actions, i.e. control spacetime? Travel through dimensions?

Will inter-dimensional beings visit us?

Another "theory" related to this topic is nonlocal realism - which was just proven to be correct.

One could argue it lends credence to the hologram theory.

The scientists behind it even won a Nobel prize for their work. For proving that the universe isn't locally real. Ask yourself this, is the moon still in the sky when you're not looking at it? According to the Nobel prize winners - it's not.

We create our own reality, or at least - the underlying entanglement creates the spacetime we perceive. Space that's only there when you're looking...

If the universe isn't locally real, and spacetime is the result of underlying entanglement - what is human consciousness? Where does it come in to play? Is it part of the underlying entanglement or is it only a result of it - just like spacetime. If our brains die, do we die?

Physicists are trying to create spacetime in a lab - they think it'll be easier to observe its creation rather than guess how ours was made or test quantum gravity. If we succeed, it opens up the door to the big questions; was our spacetime created & if it was - why & by whom?