{"id":990,"date":"2021-05-10T17:29:27","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T15:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/?p=990"},"modified":"2022-05-06T11:12:05","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T09:12:05","slug":"unifying-the-universe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/nl\/2021\/05\/10\/unifying-the-universe\/","title":{"rendered":"Unifying the Universe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"graf graf--p graf--hasDropCapModel graf--hasDropCap\"><span class=\"graf-dropCap\">T<\/span>hinking up a single theory that explains everything within the physical world is what seems to drive several theoretical physicists. From the dynamics of the largest cosmological structures down to the twists and turns of quantum systems at the smallest of scales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">The leading position in the search for a unifying mathematical scheme is arguably occupied by <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/2020\/05\/30\/in-theory-can-we-string-the-universe-together\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/acircleisround.medium.com\/in-theory-can-we-string-the-universe-together-bed803a6e0a9?sk=716acf4590fdf17d66899886d2839ac7\">string theory<\/a>\u200a\u2014\u200aan overarching theoretical framework that conjectures one-dimensional vibrating strings as the most fundamental components of the Universe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">This article throws some light on another, more controversial contender, namely Garrett Lisi\u2019s Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--h3-strong\">Unifying What?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">The toughest hurdle along the way towards unification is supposedly epitomized by the quest of consistently marrying quantum mechanics and Albert Einstein\u2019s theory of general relativity across the entire energy spectrum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">The natural laws that predominately describe the behaviour of systems at short distance scales (atomic and subatomic levels) are called quantum mechanics, and they underpin the workings of the <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/quantum.lassp.cornell.edu\/lecture\/elementary_particle_physics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/quantum.lassp.cornell.edu\/lecture\/elementary_particle_physics\">Standard Model<\/a> of Particle Physics, which brings together all currently known particles and their interactions\u200a\u2014\u200aexcept for gravity\u200a\u2014\u200aunder one theoretical roof.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">In fact, quantum mechanics is only part of the full conceptual framework that underlies the Standard Model, i.e., <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/edu.itp.phys.ethz.ch\/hs14\/QFT1HS14\/QFT1HS14Notes.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/edu.itp.phys.ethz.ch\/hs14\/QFT1HS14\/QFT1HS14Notes.pdf\">quantum field theory<\/a>, which envisages particles as energy fields stretched across space rather than point-like objects. According to this theory, a particle is manifested as a local excitation of its accompanying quantum field. The various fields that are incorporated within the Standard Model are fermions (the matter particles), gauge bosons (the carriers of the forces), and the Higgs field.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Fermions can be subdivided into <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu\/hbase\/Particles\/lepton.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu\/hbase\/Particles\/lepton.html\">leptons<\/a> (the electron, the muon, the tau, and the corresponding neutrinos) and <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/abyss.uoregon.edu\/~js\/glossary\/quarks.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/abyss.uoregon.edu\/~js\/glossary\/quarks.html\">quarks<\/a> (there are six: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom). Moreover, the leptons and quarks are set up in three generations (see Fig. 1)\u200a\u2014\u200athe masses generally increase as one moves up a generation in ascending order. Given the high stability of first-generation fermions, ordinary matter is made exclusively of electrons, up quarks, and down quarks.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graf graf--figure\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_993\" style=\"width: 1160px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-993\" class=\"wp-image-993 size-full lazyload\" title=\"The Standard Model of particle physics.\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse1.png?resize=629%2C446&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The Standard Model of particle physics.\" width=\"629\" height=\"446\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse1.png?w=1150&amp;ssl=1 1150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse1.png?resize=300%2C213&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse1.png?resize=768%2C545&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse1.png?resize=900%2C639&amp;ssl=1 900w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 629px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 629\/446;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-993\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fig. 1\u200a\u2014\u200aThe Standard Model of particle physics. The right-hand side of the image mentions the hypothesized quantized gravitational field (the graviton), which currently falls beyond the scope of the Standard Model. (Source:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cds.cern.ch\/record\/1473657\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CERN<\/a>).<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\"><a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/electron6.phys.utk.edu\/phys250\/modules\/module%206\/standard_model.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/electron6.phys.utk.edu\/phys250\/modules\/module%206\/standard_model.htm\">Gauge bosons<\/a> organize the interactions between fermions\u200a\u2014\u200aand sometimes among themselves\u200a\u2014\u200aand are referred to as force carriers since they mediate the forces (the interactions) between fermions. In that respect, the Standard Model accounts for three of the four fundamental forces of nature: electromagnetism (mediated by photons), the weak force (mediated by W and Z bosons), and the strong force (mediated by gluons)\u200a\u2014\u200agravity being the fourth one and is not part of the Standard Model.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">All the particles in the Standard Model furthermore possess an <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/webs.morningside.edu\/slaven\/Physics\/micro\/micro2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webs.morningside.edu\/slaven\/Physics\/micro\/micro2.html\">anti-particle<\/a>\u200a\u2014\u200athey have the same quantum properties as the original particle but with opposite electric charge; some particles are their own anti-particle\u200a\u2014\u200aand most of them come in left- and right-handed <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www2.ph.ed.ac.uk\/~vjm\/Lectures\/SHParticlePhysics2012_files\/PPLecture5.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.ph.ed.ac.uk\/~vjm\/Lectures\/SHParticlePhysics2012_files\/PPLecture5.pdf\">forms<\/a>\u200a\u2014\u200athe exact form is determined by the way in which an intrinsic property of the particle (the spin) is aligned with its direction of motion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Finally, the Higgs particle is responsible for endowing all the fermions\u200a\u2014\u200aexcluding the neutrinos\u200a\u2014\u200aand gauge bosons with <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.symmetrymagazine.org\/article\/how-do-neutrinos-get-their-mass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.symmetrymagazine.org\/article\/how-do-neutrinos-get-their-mass\">mass<\/a> (and in some cases, a zero mass).<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">At larger distance scales, the dynamics of physical systems are primarily explained by the concept of gravity, and the natural laws that matter the most towards this end of the spectrum are those described by the theory of <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.math.toronto.edu\/aretakis\/General%20Relativity-Aretakis.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general relativity<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">In a nutshell, general relativity reveals that the quantity of mass present in a certain volume of space (the energy density) as well as the pressure that particles exert, can bend our four-dimensional spacetime (that is, three spatial dimensions and one time dimension). Conversely, a curved spacetime informs matter which trajectory to follow. The larger the mass or pressure, the stronger the curvature of spacetime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">The effort of merging quantum field theory and general relativity constitutes an as yet insurmountable hurdle when we move to arbitrarily high energies, i.e., at and beyond the <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/newt.phys.unsw.edu.au\/einsteinlight\/jw\/module6_Planck.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/newt.phys.unsw.edu.au\/einsteinlight\/jw\/module6_Planck.htm\">Plank scale<\/a> (the shortest of distances at which our current physical laws are no longer valid), because there is for the moment no agreement on <em class=\"markup--em markup--p-em\">the<\/em> theory of <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/2021\/01\/22\/quantum-gravity-in-the-making\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/discourse\/quantum-gravity-in-the-making-the-fusion-of-quantum-mechanics-and-general-relativity-2cab0d787d82?sk=a98218d4ef1088b2fce3bfaff6c0df42\">quantum gravity<\/a>,<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Such a theory would show how gravity behaves at short distances\u200a\u2014\u200aremember that ever shorter distance scales (the realm of quantum mechanics) are <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/physics.stackexchange.com\/questions\/287144\/why-are-high-energies-equivalent-to-short-distances\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/physics.stackexchange.com\/questions\/287144\/why-are-high-energies-equivalent-to-short-distances\">equivalent<\/a> to ever higher energies and that, as per general relativity, gravity is non-trivial in situations where extremely high energy densities are involved. Two cases where this becomes particularly relevant include the innermost part of a <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/2020\/12\/10\/catch-me-if-you-can-said-the-black-hole\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/illumination\/catch-me-if-you-can-said-the-black-hole-f3e88e302458?sk=479efdcd23d0ee3ab418b5ee500b94d7\">black hole<\/a> or the moment at which our Universe is <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/2021\/04\/25\/the-quantum-origins-of-our-universe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/an-idea\/the-quantum-origins-of-our-universe-a11c4b424d8a?sk=b26c5d8702cd30e446fa42d157c2d43f\">created<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graf graf--figure\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_994\" style=\"width: 1162px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-994\" class=\"wp-image-994 size-full lazyload\" title=\"The energy\/length scale of the Standard Model all the way up to the Planck region.\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse2.png?resize=629%2C305&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The energy\/length scale of the Standard Model all the way up to the Planck region.\" width=\"629\" height=\"305\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse2.png?w=1152&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse2.png?resize=300%2C145&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse2.png?resize=768%2C372&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse2.png?resize=900%2C436&amp;ssl=1 900w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 629px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 629\/305;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-994\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fig. 2\u200a\u2014\u200aThe energy\/length scale of the Standard Model all the way up to the Planck region. [GUT = Grand Unification Theory; eV = electron volt; m = meter; h = Planck\u2019s constant; c = speed of light; E = energy (in eV)]. (Source: Adapted from <a href=\"https:\/\/ncatlab.org\/nlab\/show\/length+scale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nLab<\/a>).<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Therefore, a theory of everything would be able to coherently fuse quantum field theory with general relativity across the <em class=\"markup--em markup--p-em\">full<\/em> energy spectrum. In other words, such a unified theory ought to make clear not only how to deal with gravity at quantum scales but also how quantum gravity is joined with the three fundamental forces of the Standard Model.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Let us turn now to Garrett Lisi\u2019s theory of everything.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--h3-strong\">Back to Our\u00a0Roots<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Garrett Lisi\u2019s Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything (a.k.a. E\u2088 Theory) <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0711.0770.pdf?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0711.0770.pdf?\">combines<\/a> all the known fields and their interactions into one geometrical structure, called an E\u2088 principal bundle connection. This mathematical object together with its curvature clarify how the E\u2088 smooth manifold geometry\u200a\u2014\u200amore concretely, the associated E\u2088 root system\u200a\u2014\u200acan reproduce all fields and interactions in our familiar four-dimensional spacetime.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"graf graf--h4\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--h4-strong\">Down the Rabbit\u00a0Hole<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">In mathematics, a <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ocf.berkeley.edu\/~kitfreddura\/2016\/10\/19\/what-is-a-smooth-manifold-anyway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.ocf.berkeley.edu\/~kitfreddura\/2016\/10\/19\/what-is-a-smooth-manifold-anyway\/\">smooth<\/a> <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/physics.stackexchange.com\/questions\/298022\/what-is-a-manifold\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/physics.stackexchange.com\/questions\/298022\/what-is-a-manifold\">manifold<\/a> is considered a space of any number of dimensions which can be <em class=\"markup--em markup--p-em\">locally<\/em> approximated by Euclidean geometry\u200a\u2014\u200afor instance, the Earth\u2019s surface is a manifold since, locally, we experience it as a flat, two-dimensional plane, even though it really is the surface of a three-dimensional sphere, which falls out of the scope of Euclidean geometry. To be more precise, the underlying geometry of E\u2088 Theory is a <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/webspace.science.uu.nl\/~ban00101\/lecnotes\/lie2010.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webspace.science.uu.nl\/~ban00101\/lecnotes\/lie2010.pdf\">Lie group<\/a>, which is a smooth manifold that is equipped with group operations, such as multiplication and taking the inverse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Mathematics furthermore tells us that a <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/pi.math.cornell.edu\/~dmehrle\/notes\/old\/promys14\/rootsystems.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/pi.math.cornell.edu\/~dmehrle\/notes\/old\/promys14\/rootsystems.pdf\">root system<\/a> is a set of vectors (such a set is also called a vector space) that span a finite-dimensional Euclidean space and come with certain geometrical properties, including a particular symmetry which leaves the root system unaltered under reflections (that is, mirror images)\u200a\u2014\u200aa vector is a physical quantity that exhibits both a direction and magnitude (velocity is an example, unlike temperature, which only has a magnitude and therefore known as a scalar) and in a root system vectors are referred to as roots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Specifically, the <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/aimath.org\/E8\/e8.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/aimath.org\/E8\/e8.html\">E\u2088 root system<\/a> consists of 240 roots of equal length, which span an eight-dimensional Euclidean space. Stated in a different manner, E\u2088 can be viewed as a geometrical object of 248 dimensions in mathematical space or, alternatively, as an eight-dimensional object containing 248 symmetries. In addition, this root system is deemed irreducible (fundamental, if you will); it cannot be assembled from root systems with a lower dimension.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">What is more, being also a <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/math.uchicago.edu\/~may\/REU2012\/REUPapers\/Bosshardt.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/math.uchicago.edu\/~may\/REU2012\/REUPapers\/Bosshardt.pdf\">simple Lie algebra<\/a>, which is special kind of vector space embedded within its Lie group, the E\u2088 root system is classified as one of the five exceptional categories of simple Lie algebras. Hence the tongue-in-cheek name the Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">According to general relativity, a <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/ned.ipac.caltech.edu\/level5\/March01\/Carroll3\/Carroll3.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/ned.ipac.caltech.edu\/level5\/March01\/Carroll3\/Carroll3.html\">connection<\/a> is a mathematical object that transports vectors between nearby points of the manifold\u200a\u2014\u200amore accurately, between the tangent spaces of these points. By relying on these connections, the curvature of the manifold then spontaneously manifests itself by means of the Riemann tensor\u200a\u2014\u200aa tensor is the generalization of a vector.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">If we place the concept of a connection in the context of Lie groups and Lie algebras, then we obtain something named the <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/www.math.toronto.edu\/mein\/teaching\/moduli.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.math.toronto.edu\/mein\/teaching\/moduli.pdf\">principal bundle connection<\/a>, which is the starting point of the E\u2088 Theory. One way in which this theory reflects mathematical unification is the fact that the geometry of general relativity is absorbed within principal bundle geometry. This means that the notion of curvature within general relativity can be recovered from the equations of E\u2088 Theory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">If we put the above mathematical machinery to work, this unifying 248-dimensional geometrical framework spits out all the particles and the interactions of the Standard Model as well as the gravitational field, as schematically depicted by Fig. 3.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graf graf--figure\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_995\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-995\" class=\"wp-image-995 size-full lazyload\" title=\"The E\u2088 root system, with each root assigned to an elementary particle field.\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse3.png?resize=629%2C620&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The E\u2088 root system, with each root assigned to an elementary particle field.\" width=\"629\" height=\"620\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse3.png?w=866&amp;ssl=1 866w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse3.png?resize=300%2C296&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse3.png?resize=768%2C757&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse3.png?resize=88%2C88&amp;ssl=1 88w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 629px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 629\/620;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-995\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fig. 3\u200a\u2014\u200aThe E\u2088 root system, with each root assigned to an elementary particle field. For instance, the two yellow-coloured circles in the innermost circle of particles represent the two W bosons, and the green circles at the top and bottom of the image represent the gravitational field. Triality symmetry is indicated by the grey lines. (Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0711.0770.pdf?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper Garrett\u00a0Lisi<\/a>).<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Lisi\u2019s model also purportedly unveils a symmetric link between the three generations of fermions (see Fig. 1) called triality. This symmetry involves rotations by 120\u00b0 that leave the E\u2088 root system invariant, and fermions of different generations are related by what is known as triality partners. Lisi himself <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scientificamerican.com\/observations\/garrett-lisi-responds-to-criticism-of-his-proposed-unified-theory-of-physics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scientificamerican.com\/observations\/garrett-lisi-responds-to-criticism-of-his-proposed-unified-theory-of-physics\/\">admits<\/a>, however, that the nature of the relationship between physical particles and triality partners is not yet entirely understood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Another aspect of the E\u2088 Theory is that it predicts the existence of <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/garrett_lisi_an_8_dimensional_model_of_the_universe#t-814757\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/garrett_lisi_an_8_dimensional_model_of_the_universe#t-814757\">20<\/a> new particle fields. Two of them (designated as Pati-Salam particles; the two white-coloured circles in Fig. 3) are acting on right-handed fermions whereas the remaining 18 particles (they are scalar fields; the red, blue, and green squares in Fig. 3) come in three generations and interact with both quarks and leptons\u200a\u2014\u200athese 18 particles might elucidate the differences in mass among the three generations of fermions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Moreover, it turns out that some of these new particles may qualify as <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/li.si\/SciAm.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/li.si\/SciAm.pdf\">axion<\/a>s, which are a candidate for dark matter\u200a\u2014\u200athis unknown type of matter would <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/particleastro.brown.edu\/dark-matter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/particleastro.brown.edu\/dark-matter\/\">explain<\/a>, for instance, why rotating galaxies have not yet flown apart. It must be pointed out though that so far none of these new fields have been detected.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graf graf--figure\"><div style=\"width: 960px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"graf-image lazyload\" title=\"The coupling constants for the four interactions.\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn-images-1.medium.com\/max\/1600\/1%2ACW00WdvT5rIeXVNRtc4Trg.png?resize=629%2C346&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The coupling constants for the four interactions.\" width=\"629\" height=\"346\" data-image-id=\"1*CW00WdvT5rIeXVNRtc4Trg.png\" data-width=\"950\" data-height=\"522\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 629px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 629\/346;\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fig. 4\u200a\u2014\u200aThe coupling constants for the four interactions (relative values indicated between parentheses). The Planck scale sits at the energy levels where all the four forces would combine into a theory of everything (TOE). [EM = electromagnetism; GUT = Grand Unification Theory]. (Source: Adapted from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jobilize.com\/physics3\/test\/unification-theories-the-standard-model-by-openstax\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">jobilize<\/a>).<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Apart from unifying all fields and interactions, an additional perk that emerges from this all-encompassing geometric description of nature includes the unification of the coupling constants at high energies\u200a\u2014\u200athese constants represent the relative <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu\/hbase\/Forces\/couple.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu\/hbase\/Forces\/couple.html\">strength<\/a> of the four fundamental forces (interactions). Put differently, the forces converge to the same strength and become unified into one single force.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">For the electroweak interactions (electromagnetism and the weak force combined) and the strong interactions, this convergence would occur at the grand unification (GUT) scale, whilst we would need to push the energies all the way up to the Planck scale in order to factor in gravity as well (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">What is more, E\u2088 Theory suggests that the Higgs field gives rise to both a positive cosmological constant and the masses of the particles. The cosmological constant discloses the <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/ned.ipac.caltech.edu\/level5\/Carroll2\/Carroll1_3.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/ned.ipac.caltech.edu\/level5\/Carroll2\/Carroll1_3.html\">amount<\/a> of the energy density of empty space (vacuum), and observations indeed <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/ned.ipac.caltech.edu\/level5\/Carroll2\/Carroll.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/ned.ipac.caltech.edu\/level5\/Carroll2\/Carroll.html\">hint<\/a> at a (small) positive value. Not only that, this constant has been associated with <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.rutgers.edu\/grad\/690\/Peebles-Ratra-2003.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.rutgers.edu\/grad\/690\/Peebles-Ratra-2003.pdf\">dark energy<\/a>, which accounts for the accelerated expansion of our Universe.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"graf graf--h4\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--h4-strong\">Here Come the\u00a0Critics<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Notwithstanding this unifying effort, not everyone is enticed by the theory\u2019s explanatory power. The most elaborated criticism is formulated by Jacques Distler and Skip Garibaldi who present a mathematical proof <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0905.2658.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0905.2658.pdf\">showing<\/a> that the attempt of embedding gravity and the Standard Model within the E\u2088 framework fails to deliver a sufficient number of roots (also called weight vectors) to fully reconstruct the three generations of fermions of the Standard Model.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Phrased in another way, Distler and Garibaldi claim that such embedding results in the production of <em class=\"markup--em markup--p-em\">non<\/em>-chiral matter (also known as mirror fermions), which is not what we observe in our physical reality\u200a\u2014\u200achirality means that left and right representations of fermions couple <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/ncatlab.org\/nlab\/show\/chiral+fermion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/ncatlab.org\/nlab\/show\/chiral+fermion\">differently<\/a> to the forces (or simply put: a chiral fermion is <em class=\"markup--em markup--p-em\">not<\/em> identical to its mirror image).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graf graf--figure\">\n<p><div style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"graf-image lazyload\" title=\"The mirror image of a chiral fermion is not identical to the original fermion, as its spin is reversed.\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn-images-1.medium.com\/max\/1600\/1%2A0TdDEo2rceTE_qLhC-yobQ.png?resize=629%2C359&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The mirror image of a chiral fermion is not identical to the original fermion, as its spin is reversed.\" width=\"629\" height=\"359\" data-image-id=\"1*0TdDEo2rceTE_qLhC-yobQ.png\" data-width=\"690\" data-height=\"394\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 629px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 629\/359;\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fig. 5\u200a\u2014\u200aThe mirror image of a chiral fermion is not identical to the original fermion, as its spin is reversed. (Source: Adapted from <a href=\"https:\/\/galileospendulum.org\/tag\/parity-violation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matthew Francis<\/a>).<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">According to Sabine Hossenfelder, before E\u2088 Theory can be used to make predictions, at least <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/backreaction.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/theoretically-simple-exception-of.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/backreaction.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/theoretically-simple-exception-of.html\">two issues<\/a> must be smoothened out: a cosmological constant with a too large a value and the absence of a dynamical symmetry breaking mechanism\u200a\u2014\u200aroughly speaking, <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/abyss.uoregon.edu\/~js\/ast123\/lectures\/lec18.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">symmetry breaking<\/a> refers to the situation whereby a high-energy symmetric system evolves into more definite, low-energy states, e.g., the Higgs field is responsible for breaking the symmetry of the electroweak interactions and subsequently giving mass to the W and Z gauge bosons (which can be regarded as the definite states of the symmetry breaking).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graf graf--figure\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_996\" style=\"width: 1046px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-996\" class=\"wp-image-996 size-full lazyload\" title=\"The symmetry breaking mechanism of the Higgs field for the electroweak interaction.\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse6.png?resize=629%2C308&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The symmetry breaking mechanism of the Higgs field for the electroweak interaction.\" width=\"629\" height=\"308\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse6.png?w=1036&amp;ssl=1 1036w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse6.png?resize=300%2C147&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse6.png?resize=768%2C377&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse6.png?resize=900%2C441&amp;ssl=1 900w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 629px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 629\/308;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-996\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fig. 6\u200a\u2014\u200aThe symmetry breaking mechanism of the Higgs field for the electroweak interaction. (Source:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/research.ipmu.jp\/seminar\/sysimg\/seminar\/2212.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ipmu<\/a>).<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Hossenfelder also draws attention to the fact that E\u2088 Theory says nothing about how the concept of gravity would be translated into the language of quantum mechanics. In fact, although the E\u2088 framework is <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scientificamerican.com\/observations\/garrett-lisi-responds-to-criticism-of-his-proposed-unified-theory-of-physics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scientificamerican.com\/observations\/garrett-lisi-responds-to-criticism-of-his-proposed-unified-theory-of-physics\/\">compatible<\/a> with the methods of quantum field theory, Lisi <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/li.si\/SciAm.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/li.si\/SciAm.pdf\">acknowledges<\/a> that establishing a quantum description of his model currently <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/1006.4908.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/1006.4908.pdf\">remains<\/a> an open question.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Some more pushback is expressed\u200a\u2014\u200awith some voices more pronounced than others\u200a\u2014\u200aby John Baez, who conveys some doubts about the <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/math.ucr.edu\/home\/baez\/week253.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/math.ucr.edu\/home\/baez\/week253.html\">choice<\/a> of the mathematical methods put in place to combine fermions and bosons; by Graham Collins, who goes one step further by reporting that the joining of fermions and bosons cannot possibly be done in a Lie group as it <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/garrett-lisi-e8-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/garrett-lisi-e8-theory\/\">lacks<\/a> the appropriate, detailed mathematical foundation; by Peter Woit, who states that the underlying problems are not being addressed because invoking large Lie algebras just <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.math.columbia.edu\/~woit\/wordpress\/?p=617\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.math.columbia.edu\/~woit\/wordpress\/?p=617\">replaces<\/a> the issue of unification with the question of what breaks the large symmetry; and by Lubos Motl, who idiosyncratically <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/motls.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/exceptionally-simple-theory-of.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/motls.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/exceptionally-simple-theory-of.html\">disagrees<\/a> with the whole approach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">There is even a bachelor student, Kevin Dijkstra, who uses his bachelor thesis (under the supervision of P.M. Visser) to demonstrate the failure of identifying an adequate mathematical <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/repository.tudelft.nl\/islandora\/object\/uuid:9977830b-52b8-4cd4-a09a-fdb13a08fec4?collection=education\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/repository.tudelft.nl\/islandora\/object\/uuid:9977830b-52b8-4cd4-a09a-fdb13a08fec4?collection=education\">map<\/a> between the Standard Model and the E\u2088 root system such that the four charges of the three fundamental forces of the Standard Model correspond to a sufficient number of vectors in E\u2088\u200a\u2014\u200athese four charges are the weak isospin charge (related to the weak force), the weak hypercharge (related to the electromagnetic force), and the two colour charges g3 and g8 (related to the strong force).<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"graf graf--h4\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--h4-strong\">A Theoretical Renaissance<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Nevertheless, there are also researchers who are polishing up the E\u2088 geometrical model by tweaking and recalibrating different parts of the structure. For instance, Lee Smolin, Simone Speziale, and (obviously) Garrett Lisi <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1004.4866\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1004.4866\">confront<\/a> the concern with dynamical symmetry breaking\u200a\u2014\u200aone of the main obstacles brought up by Sabine Hossenfelder\u200a\u2014\u200amaking equally sure that gravity can be coherently coupled to the other forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">To answer to the objection of aggregating fermions and bosons into one mathematical structure, Urs Schreiber and other mathematicians <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/golem.ph.utexas.edu\/category\/2008\/05\/e8_quillen_superconnection.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/golem.ph.utexas.edu\/category\/2008\/05\/e8_quillen_superconnection.html\">examine<\/a> the feasibility of using this liaising structure and do in fact not rule out its application. From a different perspective, Lee Smolin <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0712.0977.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0712.0977.pdf\">explores<\/a> an alternative approach for the incorporation of fermions within E\u2088 Theory, based on a specific notion of locality (referred to as disordered locality) that is borrowed from one of the principal candidates for the theory of quantum gravity, i.e., <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/2021\/01\/22\/quantum-gravity-in-the-making\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/discourse\/quantum-gravity-in-the-making-the-fusion-of-quantum-mechanics-and-general-relativity-2cab0d787d82?sk=a98218d4ef1088b2fce3bfaff6c0df42\">loop quantum gravity<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Roberto Percacci furthermore <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0803.0303.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0803.0303.pdf\">shores up<\/a> the consistency of Lisi\u2019s theoretical framework by pinpointing a loophole in an important mathematical theorem (the Coleman-Mandula theorem). That is, since the vacuum state of E\u2088 Theory\u200a\u2014\u200aa vacuum state is a state of minimal energy, a.k.a. the ground state\u200a\u2014\u200ais of a different kind (i.e., de Sitter space) than the one <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0706.3307.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0706.3307.pdf\">postulated<\/a> in the assumptions of the theorem (i.e., flat space), the author maintains that at the moment of unification (before symmetry breaking) E\u2088 Theory falls beyond the scope of the theorem, thus clearing the way for gravity to be unified with the other forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">In a more general context, Roberto Percacci and Fabrizio Nesti propose that fermions can <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0909.4537.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0909.4537.pdf\">retain<\/a> their essential characteristic of chirality even when moving towards higher levels of unification. As this goes straight to the heart of the criticism articulated by Distler and Garibaldi, these findings might help to solidify E\u2088 Theory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">As a matter of fact, building on the insights of Percacci and Nesti, Garrett Lisi goes on to <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/1006.4908.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/1006.4908.pdf\">show<\/a> in another researcher paper that the act of inserting gravity and the Standard Model into E\u2088 holds water mathematically. Even though the model still generates mirror fermions (non-chiral matter), Lisi surmises that they could nonetheless exist in nature and possess high masses (which explains why they have not been detected yet) and potentially play a <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scientificamerican.com\/observations\/garrett-lisi-responds-to-criticism-of-his-proposed-unified-theory-of-physics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scientificamerican.com\/observations\/garrett-lisi-responds-to-criticism-of-his-proposed-unified-theory-of-physics\/\">role<\/a> in the explanation of the existence of the three generations of fermions interconnected via triality symmetry (which is considered rather speculative).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graf graf--figure\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_997\" style=\"width: 1158px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-997\" class=\"wp-image-997 size-full lazyload\" title=\"The E\u2088 root system, with two different rotations introduced between the two subalgebras G2 and F4.\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse7.png?resize=629%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The E\u2088 root system, with two different rotations introduced between the two subalgebras G2 and F4.\" width=\"629\" height=\"295\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse7.png?w=1148&amp;ssl=1 1148w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse7.png?resize=300%2C141&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse7.png?resize=768%2C360&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse7.png?resize=900%2C422&amp;ssl=1 900w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 629px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 629\/295;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-997\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fig. 7\u200a\u2014\u200aThe E\u2088 root system, with two different rotations introduced between the two subalgebras G2 and F4. (Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/0711.0770.pdf?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper Garrett\u00a0Lisi<\/a>).<\/p><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"graf graf--h4\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--h4-strong\">Unifying Reverberations<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">All these discussions around and reactions to Lisi\u2019s E\u2088 Theory have also inspired several researchers to develop or expand other unifying theoretical frameworks to describe our physical world. Matti Pitk\u00e4nen, for one, <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/tgdtheory.fi\/public_html\/articles\/Lisi.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/tgdtheory.fi\/public_html\/articles\/Lisi.pdf\">investigates<\/a> how the element of unification offered by E\u2088 Theory could interrelate with the theory of topological <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/www.scienceoflife.nl\/html\/physics_as_generalized_number_theory.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.scienceoflife.nl\/html\/physics_as_generalized_number_theory.html\">geometrodynamics<\/a>\u200a\u2014\u200athis is the study that explicates spacetime solely in terms of geometry (this explicit model <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/www.scienceoflife.nl\/MPitkanen-TGD-Number-00-Introduction.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.scienceoflife.nl\/MPitkanen-TGD-Number-00-Introduction.pdf\">deviates<\/a> from general relativity) and wishes to merge the four forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">While Pitk\u00e4nen argues that Lisi\u2019s model cannot be saved, it would however bring insights into a particular symmetry between eight-dimensional geometries and eight-dimensional numbers (called <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euclideanspace.com\/maths\/algebra\/realNormedAlgebra\/octonion\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.euclideanspace.com\/maths\/algebra\/realNormedAlgebra\/octonion\/index.htm\">octonions<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Another bolt of inspiration, this time striking Shuichiro Teramachi, leads to the design of a unified field theory\u200a\u2014\u200apublished in a paper titled \u2018An Exceptionally Beautiful Theory of Everything\u2019, as a pun on the title of Lisi\u2019s original paper\u200a\u2014\u200athat <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Shuichiro-Teramachi-2\/publication\/323215305_An_Exceptionally_Beautiful_Theory_of_Everything\/links\/5cef5cbb299bf1fb18495eae\/An-Exceptionally-Beautiful-Theory-of-Everything.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Shuichiro-Teramachi-2\/publication\/323215305_An_Exceptionally_Beautiful_Theory_of_Everything\/links\/5cef5cbb299bf1fb18495eae\/An-Exceptionally-Beautiful-Theory-of-Everything.pdf\">amalgamates<\/a> conceptual ideas presented by Garrett Lisi and Cohl Furey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">By leaning on Furey\u2019s octonionic ladder <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0370269315000337\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0370269315000337\">system<\/a>\u200a\u2014\u200awhich is based on mathematical operators (ladders) <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/physics.weber.edu\/schroeder\/quantum\/LadderOperators.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/physics.weber.edu\/schroeder\/quantum\/LadderOperators.pdf\">used<\/a> in quantum field theory\u200a\u2014\u200aand Lisi\u2019s E\u2088 Theory, Teramachi aims for a unification of the Standard Model and quantum gravity (which would answer one of the criticisms on Lisi\u2019s work enunciated by Sabine Hossenfelder). In his model, the link between fermions and bosons is accomplished by <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"http:\/\/hitoshi.berkeley.edu\/public_html\/susy\/susy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"http:\/\/hitoshi.berkeley.edu\/public_html\/susy\/susy.html\">supersymmetry<\/a> rather than triality (as per Lisi\u2019s theory).<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">A third unifying idea, elaborated by Raymond Aschheim, posits that fundamental elements of pure information (called trivalent graphs) embedded in a four-dimensional diamond-like geometry <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/fqxi.org\/data\/essay-contest-files\/ASCHHEIM_Aschheim_FQXI_Hack.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/fqxi.org\/data\/essay-contest-files\/ASCHHEIM_Aschheim_FQXI_Hack.pdf\">give rise<\/a> to the 240 E\u2088 roots uncovered in Lisi\u2019s framework, thereby reproducing all particles and interactions. In addition, general relativity can be recovered by weaving loop quantum gravity into this model.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graf graf--figure\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_1000\" style=\"width: 1160px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1000\" class=\"wp-image-1000 size-full lazyload\" title=\"The crystal-based information model by Raymond Aschheim.\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse8.png?resize=629%2C279&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The crystal-based information model by Raymond Aschheim.\" width=\"629\" height=\"279\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse8.png?w=1150&amp;ssl=1 1150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse8.png?resize=300%2C133&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse8.png?resize=768%2C341&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse8.png?resize=900%2C399&amp;ssl=1 900w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 629px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 629\/279;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1000\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fig. 8\u200a\u2014\u200aThe crystal-based information model by Raymond Aschheim. (a): The lattice of trivalent graphs. (b): A supernode, with 3 bits at the centre, reflecting the 3 particle families as well as a fermion, boson, or photon state. (c): Fermion encoding for a corresponding E\u2088 root; it includes 3 bits for a gluonic index (red, green, blue) and 3 bits for the higgsonic index (cyan, magenta, yellow). (Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/fqxi.org\/data\/essay-contest-files\/ASCHHEIM_Aschheim_FQXI_Hack.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper Raymond Aschheim<\/a>).<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">In Aschheim\u2019s information-based lattice structure, the information is carried by bits\u200a\u2014\u200awhich hold a value of either 0 or 1\u200a\u2014\u200athat sit at the nodes or connection points within the trivalent graphs. As a result, a space equipped with curvature can be constructed, emulating a gravitational field.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Raymond Aschheim also works with Klee Irwin and Marcelo Amaral to tie aspects of the E\u2088 unification program with the geometric structure of loop quantum gravity\u200a\u2014\u200athis structure is referred to as spin foam\u200a\u2014\u200awith the objective of <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/1903.10851.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/1903.10851.pdf\">devising<\/a> a unified framework for quantum gravity.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--h3-strong\">Exceptionally Infinite<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Perhaps all the efforts hitherto invested to obtain a theory of everything are in vain, if we heed the thoughts of Frank Close, who likens the levels of our physical reality with the layers of an onion and <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.be\/books?id=6dG8DwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA175&amp;lpg=PA175&amp;dq=frank+close+onion+infinite+layers+edu&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=UmcVvbdNb8&amp;sig=ACfU3U1xAnR7Lt9XcJqWdcIte69VREIGtw&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjgqNLgkr3wAhVUIMUKHa70CswQ6AEwEHoECAgQAw#v=onepage&amp;q=frank%20close%20onion%20infinite%20layers%20edu&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/books.google.be\/books?id=6dG8DwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA175&amp;lpg=PA175&amp;dq=frank+close+onion+infinite+layers+edu&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=UmcVvbdNb8&amp;sig=ACfU3U1xAnR7Lt9XcJqWdcIte69VREIGtw&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjgqNLgkr3wAhVUIMUKHa70CswQ6AEwEHoECAgQAw#v=onepage&amp;q=frank%20close%20onion%20infinite%20layers%20edu&amp;f=false\">claims<\/a> that their number might well turn out to be infinite.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Be that as it may, given our exceptionally developed predilection towards finding connections and patterns in the world around us, the human mind\u2019s inquisitiveness will most likely continue to fuel our fascination with a theory of everything.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Let\u2019s see what the next wave of inspiration brings for Garrett Lisi.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\" style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/articles\/\">Back to Articles<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thinking up a single theory that explains everything within the physical world is what seems to drive several theoretical physicists. From the dynamics of the largest cosmological structures down to the twists and turns of quantum systems at the smallest of scales. The leading position in the search for a unifying mathematical scheme is arguably [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[64,17,63,28,50,62,98,96],"class_list":["post-990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theoretical-physics","tag-general-relativity","tag-integration","tag-quantum-gravity","tag-quantum-physics","tag-science","tag-theoretical-physics","tag-unification","tag-universe"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Unifying the Universe - A Circle Is Round - Science Writing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How does Garrett Lisi&#039;s E8 Theory unify all particle fields and interactions? 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What are the main criticisms? 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We wait for that insight, for that click, for that new perspective, for that shift to happen so that everything just makes sense. And when it does click, it feels as if the solution was right there all along. Everything feels familiar and we feel so much lighter. Only this time, we are wearing a new and more experienced jacket. While circling through life one step at a time, the key insight lies in the fact that we are all connected. My name is Olivier and I write in circles to eventually come back to the same point. In the meantime, at every step, I write an article. The red thread throughout all my articles is our interconnected nature.","sameAs":["https:\/\/acircleisround.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/olivier.loose","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/olivier-loose-8b32537\/","https:\/\/x.com\/OlivierLoose"]}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acircleisround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/UnifyingUniverse.png?fit=2082%2C1060&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbpzPS-fY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":676,"url":"https:\/\/acircleisround.com\/nl\/2020\/05\/30\/in-theory-can-we-string-the-universe-together\/","url_meta":{"origin":990,"position":0},"title":"In Theory, Can We String the Universe Together?","author":"Olivier Loose","date":"mei 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Physics explains how our material Universe works. However, its theories do not currently form a satisfying whole. 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Does that sound mind-bendingly improbable? And stretching our mind even a bit further, the destination of that eccentric journey may well be located in a different universe altogether or lie in the past. 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It assists us in organizing our lives, for the better or worse, and we have also grown comfortable with dividing our sense of time in three main blocks: a past, a present moment, and a future. 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