Guys…
I know this is going to sound like I'm about to get a case of the munchies… but… what
is the universe?
Dude...
Hello there humble viewers, Trace here for DNews.
James Cameron said, "Science is curiosity acted upon."
Scientists all over the world, throughout history, have attempted to answer what is
this place we're all living in!
So, with the help of Smithsonian.com, I pulled them together in one big trippy universe explainer.
It all started with the Big Bang theory.
This theory says the universe was densely packed, smaller than the head of a pin, and
expanded by 100 trillion trillion times in a tiny fraction of a second.
Since then, scientists figured the universe was constantly expanding, but didn't have
direct evidence until earlier this year when cosmologists detected ripples in the cosmic
background radiation left behind by that event.
Those ripples, if they can be independently verified, may prove that expansion expansion!
Assuming that is all correct, and that IS how the universe got started, we're still
not answering WHAT THIS IS, MAN.
One theory says our universe was born in an unstable false vacuum in spacetime.
Think of it this way, IF the universe expanded 100 trillion trillion times in a fraction
of a second, what caused it to eventually slow?
Some physicists believe it was our universe impacting neighboring ones, like bubbles in
foam, but instead of air inside, each one is a universe…
This is called the multiverse theory, and it COULD be proven IF they could spot where
WE are touching another universe.
Scientists looking at the light left over from the big bang know there's an odd "cold
spot" in the sky -- perhaps that's where our bubble is touching the neighbor's?
Of course it could also be data error...
Researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz are looking for more evidence.
Another theory says we're living inside a computer simulation.
Basically, the paper, written in 2002, says that if some future-race of humans want to
learn about their past, they'll probably use their massive computer power to simulate the
entirety of their evolution, history, and culture to observe how they came to be.
Given that so few races will ever achieve this level of technology, we are probably
being simulated.
To test this, physicists at the University of Washington designed an experiment to test
the boundaries of this simulation using quantum physics.
Basically, they're saying the computer is only simulating the things it NEEDS to simulate.
Like, if a tree falls in the woods, and no one's around, the simulation wouldn't have
it make sound...
There IS a problem in quantum physics, where particles’ locations cannot be determined
until they're observed…
does this reveal we're all a simulation?!
MAYBE!!
I dunno.
And recently, Ian O'Neill was here and we talked about how the universe could be a hologram.
They're testing it right now.
If we occupy three dimensional space, and time is the fourth dimension -- then it stands
to reason that it's made of something.
Physicists crunched the math and determined if the universe is a hologram, then we might
be "printed" on the fabric of spacetime, and the pixels of that printing might be detectable…
They designed an experiment and they're looking for these pixels which are a hundred billion
billion times smaller than a proton.
IS this the truth?
The scientists are looking now…
Our universe is a wondrous thing, and we're happy to have it, obviously, but WHAT it is
and how it works is the study of some of the greatest minds of humankind.
What do YOU think?
Which of these three theories is your favorite?
What would you do if we found out one was true?!
Do you think the world would freak?
If it did, you could hear about it over on TestTube, where Tara and I cover current events,
politics, and how these things affect YOU and us.
It's a really awesome show, I love doing it, and I'd love it if you checked it out.
There's a link in the description OR YOU CAN CLICK HERE?[a] to watch our video on whether
the U.S. can still call itself a wealthy nation.
If you like it, subscribe and share it with your friends.
But, back to the universe, you've got an opinion, and conveniently, we've got a place where
you can LEAVE your opinion.
Get down there!
Come follow me on Twitter at-TraceDominguez, and thanks for watching.