Big Bang Could Be Recreated Inside a Metamaterial 113
KentuckyFC writes "Metamaterials are substances with a permittivity and permeability that has been manipulated in a way that allows fine control over the behavior of light. They have famously been used to create an invisibility cloak that hides objects from view. Now Igor Smolyaninov, a physicist in the US, has calculated how metamaterials could be used for a much more profound demonstration: to reproduce the behavior of light in various kinds of spacetimes, in particular a (2+2) spacetime (one having two dimensions of space and two of time). His method is to show that there is formal mathematical analogy between the way metamaterials and spacetimes affect light. He goes on to show how a phase transition in a (2+2) spacetime leads to the creation of a (2+1) spacetime filled with photons, an event analogous to the Big Bang." Here are the abstract and the preprint (PDF).
I misread the title... (Score:1, Funny)
... but you have to admit, "Big Bang could be recreated inside a Metamucil" is every bit as intriguing.
Re:I misread the title... (Score:1, Funny)
Transition appears to be a kind of toy "big bang" (Score:2, Funny)
Batteries not included.
The experiment will be performed in 2012... (Score:4, Funny)
Somebody will probably experiment with this sometime in December, 2012...
Re:2-dimensional time? (Score:2, Funny)
Sure!
Imagine time as a line. Now imagine that the line is actually 2-dimensional.
OMG ... literally (Score:1, Funny)
"... a (2+1) spacetime filled with photons ..."
'and God said, "Let there be light".'
Re:Big Bang or Bust.... (Score:5, Funny)
Well, it has make a lot of people very angry.
Re:2-dimensional time? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:metamaterials are just periodic structures (Score:2, Funny)
Hi! Welcome to Earth. Please enjoy it here. (Score:1, Funny)
1) "Theorised" is a perfectly valid spelling of that word. Putting "sic" after it demonstrates that you are a cretin.
2) Evolution is a well-tested fact. You're welcome to look it up yourself; I've decided not to argue with the feebleminded any more.