anti de Sitter space is spacetime with constant negative curvature. This is different than spacetime with constant zero curvature (flat). Or spacetime with constant positive curvature. But what difference does it make to you and me? It turns out quite a bit. It makes the difference of whether the universe in which we live is suitable to human life (or life of any sort) or totally unsuitable. But the reason for writing about anti de Sitter space is because it sounds so exotic to my ears. The more I think about it the more I come to the conclusion that the appeal of quantum mechanics and string theory is that the entire concept is so bizarre. Something must exist because we're here. But what is it that is here? anti de Sitter space! And it all sounds so fascinating. Quarks, muons and tau and Z particles... and Kaluza-Klein particles that are the result of gravity in the 5th dimension. Does any of that mean everything to our daily lives?
Or not?
Dimensional quandaries assure me that we're all on this flight together (in three dimensions anyway).
Dick
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment