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Science-Technology Title: Big Bang simulated in metamaterial shows time travel is impossible In the toy Big Bang model, light rays spread out as a function of time, similar to the expansion of spacetime in a diagram of the real Big Bang. (PhysOrg.com) -- By observing the way that light moves inside a metamaterial, researchers have reconstructed how spacetime has expanded since the Big Bang. The results provide a better understanding of why time moves in only one direction, and also suggest that time travel is impossible. Ads by Google Danica Patrick Honda Film - Watch now to discover the upside of failure through Danica Patrick. - www.honda.com In their study, electrical engineers Igor Smolyaninov and Yu-Ju Hung from the University of Maryland have built a metamaterial by patterning plastic strips on a gold substrate, which they then illuminated with a laser. Because the mathematics of electromagnetic spaces (which describe the metamaterial) is similar to the mathematics of general relativity (which describe spacetime), the way light moves in the metamaterial is exactly analogous to the path - or “world line” - of a massive particle in (2+1)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. As the researchers explained in their study, a Big Bang event occurs in the metamaterial when the pattern of light rays expands relative to the time-like z-dimension. This instance marks the beginning of cosmological time, which moves forward from the Big Bang in the direction of the Universe’s expansion. After the Big Bang event, the light rays expand in a non-perfect way, scattered by random defects in the plastic strips until they reach a high-entropy state. This behavior represents the thermodynamic arrow of time, showing that entropy tends to increase in an isolated system. The significance of these observations is that the cosmological and the thermodynamic arrows of time coincide, with both of them pointing “forward” (just as we perceive them). While most scientists theorize that the statistical and the cosmological arrows of time are connected in this way, this experiment is one of the few ways in which scientists can “replay the Big Bang” and experimentally demonstrate the connection. The researchers also showed that this novel model of time could provide insight into time travel that involves closed timelike curves (CTCs). CTCs are world lines of particles that form circles so that they return to their starting points. At first, the researchers thought that, if they could build a metamaterial in which light could move in a circle (and so that its mathematical description were identical to particles moving through spacetime), then they could create CTCs. But when further analyzing the situation, they found restrictions on how light rays could move in the model. Although certain rays could return to their starting points, they would not perceive the correct timelike dimension. In contrast, rays that do perceive this timelike dimension cannot move in circles. The researchers concluded that Nature seems to resist the creation of CTCs, and that time travel - at least in this model - is impossible.
More information: Igor I. Smolyaninov and Yu-Ju Hung. "Modeling of Time with Metamaterials." arXiv:1104.0561v1 [physics.optics] Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Comments (1-4) not displayed.
#5. To: Biff Tannen, Bill D Berger (#4) You can't make things better by murder. Referring to your tag line. I guess your mantra is, "Happy-2-BOHICA-4-0bama." #1. To: Goldi-Lox (#0) I used the wrong link. yukon posted on 2011-03-27 1:40:47 ET #6. To: Liberator (#5) I don't have a mantra, dipshit. That you support murdering politicians doesn't surprise me at all. After all, you are a fucking idiot. ------------------------------------- #7. To: Biff Tannen, diva betsy ross (#6) (Edited) After all, you are a fucking idiot. Aha...I see that you use Guth's Concise English Handbook, as well. See Bitsy...a PROVEN system... America...My Kind Of Place... #8. To: Biff Tannen (#6) I don't have a mantra, dipshit. That you support murdering politicians doesn't surprise me at all. After all, you are a fucking idiot. Question: Has your recovery not been going well? I mean with the baboon-brain transplant and all? Too bad... #1. To: Goldi-Lox (#0) I used the wrong link. yukon posted on 2011-03-27 1:40:47 ET #9. To: Liberator (#8) Question: Has your recovery not been going well? I mean with the baboon-brain transplant and all? Too bad... Thinking of having one, Libby? That would be a step down for the baboon... America...My Kind Of Place... #10. To: war (#9) war +1 #1. To: Goldi-Lox (#0) I used the wrong link. yukon posted on 2011-03-27 1:40:47 ET #11. To: Bill D Berger (#3) :) Are you into this topic? There are some really interesting, recent, articles on the topic of quantum physics and nanotech that are fascinating as well.
#12. To: diva betsy ross (#11) Diva, I'm still waiting for your answer. Why is it taking so long to formulate it? Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #13. To: yukon (#12) (Edited) You have no quarter to demand answers from others while not being forthcoming with them yourself, Yukon, and while it pains me to defend Bitsy, she owes you bupkis until you start asnswering some questions yourself. America...My Kind Of Place... #14. To: war (#13) You have no quarter to demand answers from others I'm not demanding, dwarf, I've been asking. Diva has lied. So have you. Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #15. To: yukon (#14)
America...My Kind Of Place... #16. To: yukon (#14)
America...My Kind Of Place... #17. To: yukon (#14)
------------------------------------- #18. To: war (#15)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #19. To: yukon (#18) Something you don't possess, dwarf. There is more honor in my average crap than there is in your being, Twinkboy. You have no credibility, dwarf. ROFLMAO...but you do. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... America...My Kind Of Place... #20. To: yukon (#18)
America...My Kind Of Place... #21. To: Biff Tannen, war (#17)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #22. To: yukon (#21)
America...My Kind Of Place... #23. To: war (#19) There is more honor in my average crap Another lie......ROFLOLAYDA!!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #24. To: war (#22)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #25. To: yukon (#24)
America...My Kind Of Place... #26. To: yukon (#18)
America...My Kind Of Place... #27. To: yukon (#14)
#28. To: buckeroo (#27)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #29. To: war (#26)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #30. To: yukon (#28)
#31. To: A K A Stone, buckeroo (#27)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #32. To: yukon (#31)
#33. To: buckeroo, A K A Stone (#32)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #34. To: yukon (#33)
------------------------------------- #35. To: yukon, mummy oh mummy please help wittle yukon out of his dilemma (#33)
#36. To: Biff Tannen (#34)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #37. To: buckeroo (#35)
Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #38. To: war, yu-klown, aka Cupcake, diva betsy ross (#13) To yu-klown: Damn straight, war. This flaming moron has no right demanding anything from anyone here until: a) He starts explaining why he frequents disgusting websites b) Why he's constantly instigating and antagonizing posters at LF c) Why he does so when it's clear his intention is NOT debating anyone about anything d) And why he, yukon, aka Iblewadicksky, aka I'm Back, aka Cupcake normally calls the space under Goldi's mu-mu "home." #1. To: Goldi-Lox (#0) I used the wrong link. yukon posted on 2011-03-27 1:40:47 ET #39. To: Liberator (#38) no right demanding Moron, you don't even know the difference between a question and a demand. What a DUNCE! Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #40. To: yukon, Sebastian, A K A Stone, liberator (#39) #1. To: Sebastian (#0) I had a serious reply to this thread up-thread. How the hell did it sink to this level?
#41. To: harrowup, liberator, A K A Stone (#40) How the hell did it sink to this level? Maybe libby would be willing to explain it. Actually, I feel sorry for you, Rudgear. Being hatched on a fencepost would probably make anyone a retarded POS!. #42. To: Biff Tannen (#4) You can't make things better by murder. How's that "voting" thing working out for you Biff? “America is at that awkward stage; it's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.”---Claire Wolfe #43. To: Bill D Berger (#42) I don't vote. I don't murder. I possess contentment. ------------------------------------- #44. To: Liberator (#38) Who is yukon?
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