First Black Hole Photographed

[Melonfeud]

I don't even know what that is.

COPY!

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'd never heard of Calabi Yau manifolds before, so I read several articles/descriptions.........I still have no idea what they are. The best I can come up with is that they're shapes with infinite, or nearly infinite continuous surface......but I'm probably way off.

Okay I have no idea how this is going to come out, but i'm going to try to the best of my ability and understanding as an Internet dumb***.

I will start with this: A Calabi–Yau manifold is a 2D shape (think like a flat piece of paper, or in Super String Theory, a single flat 2D dimension from 3D space) twisted into multi-dimensional shape that mathematically make sense. See this picture and how it's like a 2D ribbon folded tightly into a 3D space.

That shape within which is mathematically sound is a Calabi–Yau manifold. The manifold itself has nothing to do with Superstring Theory except the fact that this shape could be an answer to why we only perceive 4 dimensions (X, Y, Z, and Time) while Superstring Theory (or even M-Theory) predict many dimensions. M-Theory up to 11, and some others up to 26 I believe.

What the idea is, the other dimensions could be so tightly rolled up in Calabi-Yau manifold shapes that we cannot perceive them.

Sort of like this.

The interesting thing is these rolled up dimensions don't have to be exactly the same. Each can be rolled up a bit differently as long as they are still mathematically sound.

They are rolled up so tightly and small that we cannot see them and therefore only perceive 4D spacetime rather than 11 or even up to 26 dimensions.

I'm sure I left out a lot of important information, but I hope that at least helps a bit.

I cannot recommend this book enough if you want to learn about this stuff. It's readable by everyone and not overly technical. He is great at explaining stuff.

 

[Rockport]

Scientists today released the first ever image of a black hole. I'm really surprised this isn't generating more buzz!! This is the first direct visual evidence that black holes exist. This is huge! The visual confirmation of this black hole acts as confirmation of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. Black holes are virtually invisible, since light cannot escape them to be photographed, but here you can see the heated materials in the form of plasma. These surround the black hole and emit light and allow the event horizon to be visible.

This black hole is located in a galaxy named Messier 87 (or M87). This massive galaxy is near the Virgo galaxy cluster 55 million light-years from Earth. The supermassive black hole has a mass that is 6.5 billion times that of our sun. In their attempt to capture an image of the black hole, scientists combined the power of eight radio telescopes around the world. This effectively creates a virtual telescope around the same size as the Earth itself.

Every time I turn on the TV I see stories on this black hole image.

 

[Runwildboys]

Okay I have no idea how this is going to come out, but i'm going to try to the best of my ability and understanding as an Internet dumb***.

I will start with this: A Calabi–Yau manifold is a 2D shape (think like a flat piece of paper, or in Super String Theory, a single flat 2D dimension from 3D space) twisted into multi-dimensional shape that mathematically make sense. See this picture and how it's like a 2D ribbon folded tightly into a 3D space.

That shape within which is mathematically sound is a Calabi–Yau manifold. The manifold itself has nothing to do with Superstring Theory except the fact that this shape could be an answer to why we only perceive 4 dimensions (X, Y, Z, and Time) while Superstring Theory (or even M-Theory) predict many dimensions. M-Theory up to 11, and some others up to 26 I believe.

What the idea is, the other dimensions could be so tightly rolled up in Calabi-Yau manifold shapes that we cannot perceive them.

Sort of like this.

The interesting thing is these rolled up dimensions don't have to be exactly the same. Each can be rolled up a bit differently as long as they are still mathematically sound.

They are rolled up so tightly and small that we cannot see them and therefore only perceive 4D spacetime rather than 11 or even up to 26 dimensions.

I'm sure I left out a lot of important information, but I hope that at least helps a bit.

I cannot recommend this book enough if you want to learn about this stuff. It's readable by everyone and not overly technical. He is great at explaining stuff.

The part that I really don't understand is what they mean by "mathematically sound". Does that mean that when all the positive and negative angles are added and subtracted, it equals a flat plane? (I don't really think that's what it means, but I just can't think of anything else it could mean.) lol I'm gonna go on Amazon and buy the book, if it's not like $30 or something ridiculous.

 

[Runwildboys]

Every time I turn on the TV I see stories on this black hole image.

I haven't seen one thing on TV about it, even on the news.

 

[9darter]

Are you sure it isn't Uranus?

Well, maybe not his but at least Someonesanus.

 

[Them]

 

[YosemiteSam]

The part that I really don't understand is what they mean by "mathematically sound". Does that mean that when all the positive and negative angles are added and subtracted, it equals a flat plane? (I don't really think that's what it means, but I just can't think of anything else it could mean.) lol I'm gonna go on Amazon and buy the book, if it's not like $30 or something ridiculous.

Math is how they validate a lot of theoretical physics. if it doesn't add up, it's probably not true.

If it does add up, they generally have to wait until they can physically test the theory. That's what happen with Einstein's theory of relativity (watching nearby star light get bent while passing beside the Sun during a solar eclipse), and the discovery of the Higs Boson.(Using the LHC. aka, Large Hadron Collider)

As it pertains to dimensions and them folded up as a Calabi–Yau manifold. They can't test that yet so.... Math is all that have to show that they might actually be right.

 

[Runwildboys]

Math is how they validate a lot of theoretical physics. if it doesn't add up, it's probably not true.

If it does add up, they generally have to wait until they can physically test the theory. That's what happen with Einstein's theory of relativity (watching nearby star light get bent while passing beside the Sun during a solar eclipse), and the discovery of the Higs Boson.(Using the LHC. aka, Large Hadron Collider)

As it pertains to dimensions and them folded up as a Calabi–Yau manifold. They can't test that yet so.... Math is all that have to show that they might actually be right.

I understand that math is used to validate the possibility of theoretical objects and/or events. I just don't understand what the mathematics are trying to prove. Just because something could theoretically exist doesn't necessarily mean it's likely. Is there something about these manifolds that would explain dark energy or matter, verify the existence of singularities, or somehow fill in missing information about the universe?

 

[YosemiteSam]

I understand that math is used to validate the possibility of theoretical objects and/or events. I just don't understand what the mathematics are trying to prove. Just because something could theoretically exist doesn't necessarily mean it's likely. Is there something about these manifolds that would explain dark energy or matter, verify the existence of singularities, or somehow fill in missing information about the universe?

For all we know, dark matter is hiding within those manifolds which would be why we can't see / detect it. (that is, if they exist!!!!) Meaning the dimensions, not just the manifolds. The dimensions have to exist first.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Lots to say about the current new of this woman and while she does a good job of explaining. It's not simple. ....but good!

 

[Runwildboys]

Lots to say about the current new of this woman and while she does a good job of explaining. It's not simple. ....but good!

Thanks for that. It gives me more confidence that we're seeing what's really there.

 

[DallasEast]

Lots to say about the current new of this woman and while she does a good job of explaining. It's not simple. ....but good!

That was a very interesting and stimulating presentation.

Off-topic: The speaker is obviously brilliant in my opinion but she is very self-conscious speaking before an audience. She was extremely nervous at the beginning and never got fully comfortable through the whole thing. This presentation was very good but her future ones will be excellent if-and-when she gets the audience's presence out of her mind.

 

[YosemiteSam]

That was a very interesting and stimulating presentation.

Off-topic: The speaker is obviously brilliant in my opinion but she is very self-conscious speaking before an audience. She was extremely nervous at the beginning and never got fully comfortable through the whole thing. This presentation was very good but her future ones will be excellent if-and-when she gets the audience's presence out of her mind.

Yeah, she was kind of robotic. She didn't engage the crowd as much as read from a teleprompter. You could tell she was quite excited about the situation of giving that Ted talk..

 

[Runwildboys]

That was a very interesting and stimulating presentation.

Off-topic: The speaker is obviously brilliant in my opinion but she is very self-conscious speaking before an audience. She was extremely nervous at the beginning and never got fully comfortable through the whole thing. This presentation was very good but her future ones will be excellent if-and-when she gets the audience's presence out of her mind.

Yeah, she was kind of robotic. She didn't engage the crowd as much as read from a teleprompter. You could tell she was quite excited about the situation of giving that Ted talk..

She's still a student, if I remember correctly. This was probably the first time she's ever stood in front of an audience. I felt like a podium would've helped her comfort level.

 

[DallasEast]

She's still a student, if I remember correctly. This was probably the first time she's ever stood in front of an audience. I felt like a podium would've helped her comfort level.

I believe a podium would have the opposite effect. Podiums anchor speakers to one spot. Podiums are great for orators who like to use them as a prop of importance and do not have a lot of internal energy. Podiums are more of a hindrance for animated and/or passionate talkers wanting to engage their audience without a shield or restrict their ability to shed inner energy while speaking. I think she do better when she learns to center herself before going onstage.

 

[Runwildboys]

I believe a podium would have the opposite effect. Podiums anchor speakers to one spot. Podiums are great for orators who like to use them as a prop of importance and do not have a lot of internal energy. Podiums are more of a hindrance for animated and/or passionate talkers wanting to engage their audience without a shield or restrict their ability to shed inner energy while speaking. I think she do better when she learns to center herself before going onstage.

The way nerves were getting to her, I think having the podium to hide behind would make her more comfortable, much the way many singers hide behind a guitar.

 

[Runwildboys]

Okay I have no idea how this is going to come out, but i'm going to try to the best of my ability and understanding as an Internet dumb***.

I will start with this: A Calabi–Yau manifold is a 2D shape (think like a flat piece of paper, or in Super String Theory, a single flat 2D dimension from 3D space) twisted into multi-dimensional shape that mathematically make sense. See this picture and how it's like a 2D ribbon folded tightly into a 3D space.

That shape within which is mathematically sound is a Calabi–Yau manifold. The manifold itself has nothing to do with Superstring Theory except the fact that this shape could be an answer to why we only perceive 4 dimensions (X, Y, Z, and Time) while Superstring Theory (or even M-Theory) predict many dimensions. M-Theory up to 11, and some others up to 26 I believe.

What the idea is, the other dimensions could be so tightly rolled up in Calabi-Yau manifold shapes that we cannot perceive them.

Sort of like this.

The interesting thing is these rolled up dimensions don't have to be exactly the same. Each can be rolled up a bit differently as long as they are still mathematically sound.

They are rolled up so tightly and small that we cannot see them and therefore only perceive 4D spacetime rather than 11 or even up to 26 dimensions.

I'm sure I left out a lot of important information, but I hope that at least helps a bit.

I cannot recommend this book enough if you want to learn about this stuff. It's readable by everyone and not overly technical. He is great at explaining stuff.

Just received my copy of The Elegant Universe. Didn't realize it was 20 years old. Will anything be outdated?

 

[YosemiteSam]

Just received my copy of The Elegant Universe. Didn't realize it was 20 years old. Will anything be outdated?

It talks of the theory of the Higgs Boson, but they've since proved it's existence. What they talk about the Higgs Boson is correct, they just hadn't proved it's existence when it was written. Nothing has changed except the fact that we now know for sure it exists. Well, and now the image of the black hole just reinforces what we already know about Einstein's Relativity.

For the most part the entire book is still relevant.

 

[Runwildboys]

It talks of the theory of the Higgs Boson, but they've since proved it's existence. What they talk about the Higgs Boson is correct, they just hadn't proved it's existence when it was written. Nothing has changed except the fact that we now know for sure it exists. Well, and now the image of the black hole just reinforces what we already know about Einstein's Relativity.

For the most part the entire book is still relevant.

Cool, that's what I wanted to know before I got past the 2003 preface!