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+--- Thread: DM alters constants + SLAC theorist interview + CJ on strings + Challenge to basics (/thread-1614.html)
DM alters constants + SLAC theorist interview + CJ on strings + Challenge to basics - C C - Nov 21, 2015
Dark matter might cause fundamental constants to change over time
EXCERPT: The fundamental constants of nature—such as the speed of light, Planck's constant, and Newton's gravitational constant—are thought to be constant in time, as their name suggests. But scientists have questioned this assumption as far back as 1937, when Paul Dirac hypothesized that Newton's gravitational constant might decrease over time. Now in a new paper [....has....] theoretically shown that dark matter can cause the fundamental constants of nature to slowly evolve as well as oscillate due to oscillations in the dark matter field. This idea requires that the weakly interacting dark matter particles be able to interact a small amount with standard model particles, which the scientists show is possible....
SLAC theorist explains quantum gravity
EXCERPT: In this Q&A, Particle Physics and Astrophysics Professor Lance Dixon of Stanford University and the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory explains one approach to developing such a theory, called quantum gravity....
The Universe As We Know It
EXCERPT: [...Clifford Johnson...] describes his research as an attempt to under-stand the basic fabric of nature, is a renowned expert in string theory, the closest thing scientists have to a single theory that explains everything in the universe—all of reality. If he and his fellow physicists are right, strings may be the most basic unit of existence. Every particle of force or matter may boil down to a simple, one-dimensional, vibrating string....
Ground-breaking research could challenge underlying principles of physics
EXCERPT: An international team of physicists, including a Plymouth University academic, has published ground-breaking research on the decay of subatomic particles called kaons – which could change how scientists understand the formation of the universe....
RE: DM alters constants + SLAC theorist interview + CJ on strings + Challenge to basics - elte - Nov 22, 2015
I wonder if maybe Einstein wouldn't like string theory and say it lacks elegance.