Posted on 12/18/2010 4:14:00 PM PST by LibWhacker
The signatures of a bubble collision: A collision (top left) induces a temperature modulation in the CMB temperature map (top right). The “blob” associated with the collision is identified by a large needlet response (bottom left), and the presence of an edge is determined by a large response from the edge detection algorithm (bottom right). Image credit: Feeney, et al.
(PhysOrg.com) -- By looking far out into space and observing what’s going on there, scientists have been led to theorize that it all started with a Big Bang, immediately followed by a brief period of super-accelerated expansion called inflation. Perhaps this was the beginning of everything, but lately a few scientists have been wondering if something could have come before that, setting up the initial conditions for the birth of our universe.
In the most recent study on pre-Big Bang science posted at arXiv.org, a team of researchers from the UK, Canada, and the US, Stephen M. Feeney, et al, have revealed that they have discovered four statistically unlikely circular patterns in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The researchers think that these marks could be “bruises” that our universe has incurred from being bumped four times by other universes. If they turn out to be correct, it would be the first evidence that universes other than ours do exist.
The idea that there are many other universes out there is not new, as scientists have previously suggested that we live in a “multiverse” consisting of an infinite number of universes. The multiverse concept stems from the idea of eternal inflation, in which the inflationary period that our universe went through right after the Big Bang was just one of many inflationary periods that different parts of space were and are still undergoing. When one part of space undergoes one of these dramatic growth spurts, it balloons into its own universe with its own physical properties. As its name suggests, eternal inflation occurs an infinite number of times, creating an infinite number of universes, resulting in the multiverse.
These infinite universes are sometimes called bubble universes even though they are irregular-shaped, not round. The bubble universes can move around and occasionally collide with other bubble universes. As Feeney, et al., explain in their paper, these collisions produce inhomogeneities in the inner-bubble cosmology, which could appear in the CMB. The scientists developed an algorithm to search for bubble collisions in the CMB with specific properties, which led them to find the four circular patterns.
Still, the scientists acknowledge that it is rather easy to find a variety of statistically unlikely properties in a large dataset like the CMB. The researchers emphasize that more work is needed to confirm this claim, which could come in short time from the Planck satellite, which has a resolution three times better than that of WMAP (where the current data comes from), as well as an order of magnitude greater sensitivity. Nevertheless, they hope that the search for bubble collisions could provide some insight into the history of our universe, whether or not the collisions turn out to be real.
“The conclusive non-detection of a bubble collision can be used to place stringent limits on theories giving rise to eternal inflation; however, if a bubble collision is verified by future data, then we will gain an insight not only into our own universe but a multiverse beyond,” the researchers write in their study.
This is the second study in the past month that has used CMB data to search for what could have occurred before the Big Bang. In the first study, Roger Penrose and Vahe Gurzadyan found concentric circles with lower-than-average temperature variation in the CMB, which could be evidence for a cyclic cosmology in which Big Bangs occur over and over.
(Thanks SunkenCiv!>
As long as it isn’t multicultural, I’ll go w/it.
I think that’s actually “turtles all the way down.” Sounds like it’s related to shell theory.
Uh, yes, I know, that's why the joke was supposed to be funny, see. Turtles, multiverse evidence in CBR, up instead of down...
Well it's not funny now that I've had to explain it.
(sigh)
I doubt that I will ever travel to a different universe, consequently I have zero percent interest in the subject. I view it as a drain on the taxes in the Treasury.
I knew you'd forget.
I am constantly skirting with time travel in this universe. I can’t recall whether I had breakfast but I know I just ate supper. It all happens so fast, just a blink of the eye and zip, it’s gone.
How many?
Infinitely many.
;’) Shouldn’t it be seltrut?
thanks, bfl
I live in a university town (go ahead check with those who know me), and I called one of those “scientists” cited, to axe him the question on all our minds: How many? He said it’s not official (yet), but the number is 3.
Hmmm... Now three’s an interesting number. No matter what it is, it’s a lot of territory!
We must save the time-continuim by driving corn powered cars or something.
There was a deathrow inmate who’s last words were “Help Mr. Wizard, HELP!”. Local media didn’t know what to make of it at the time.
Strange... I've always heard "Elephants all the way down...!"
Inflation would appear to be a natural state of being. Democrats are going to love this story.
Well it's not funny now that I've had to explain it."
Too much! I just told you in another thread that your name does not make you funny and here you provide the evidence for me!
Do you find yourself having to explain your "jokes" often, "The Comedian"?
And lose the stoopit picture you attach to your posts.
It's banal. An affectation. Like a sophomore drawing a little heart in the place of a dot for every "i".
AV
I'm guessing you're good for at least 2 out of 3.
And their common characteristics are an IQ of about 105, and the belief that showing up at a church address makes them holy.
Now get to bed before mom catches you on her PC again. Maybe you'll sleep well enough to get up in time to miss The View, make it to a real job interview, and get up the courage to ask a real girl out on a date. Dutch, of course, since you're poor.
ROFL! Peerless, for a n00b. ;-p
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