BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS
Black holes are a source of great mystery when it comes to our understanding of physics; either they can destroy information, which is contrary to what we know about quantum mechanics, or they seem to be black holes ignoring Einstein's theory of relativity. However, some now believe that interpreting multidimensionality can help explain the situation.
This assumes that each of the many possible outcomes of a quantum event bounces into its own discrete world.
Now, a team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology led by Sean Carrol have suggested that this interpretation may explain the inconsistencies associated with black holes. They say that general relativity is maintained in every single possible world, while information is stored in the entire global wavefunction, if not in individual branches.
MANY WORLDS
Aidan Chatwin-Davies, a member of Carroll's team, has suggested that other scientists have already proposed applying the theory of multiplicity of worlds, also known as Everettian, to the information problem of a black hole. “Cosmetically, we are perhaps the first to clearly define our perspective as Everettian,” he said. "Moreover, we wanted to do some concrete calculations to mathematize abstract ideas."
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“Previous attempts have considered the claims of general relativity and quantum mechanics to apply to the same world,” said Yasunori Nomura, a physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “My approach separates two-quantum mechanics, which allows a quantum state to be a 'superposition' of many classical worlds; the statements of quantum mechanics apply to all of these worlds, and general theories of relativity apply only to each of these worlds."
This line of thinking is important because it can potentially explain more about the nature of gravity and spacetime. Nomura suggests that these ideas have broader relevance to how quantum gravity works at a fundamental level, especially with respect to the origins of the universe.
“We know we need both general relativity and quantum mechanics to understand black holes, and therefore they are a good starting point for testing ideas about quantum gravity,” Chatwin-Davis explained. "If we really understood how to describe black holes, then we would be much closer to describing quantum gravity in general terms."
Using the interpretation of many worlds, scientists and astronomers are finding new ways to approach long-standing questions about black holes. With further research, this study could offer additional information about the very structure of our universe that could fill some of the persistent gaps in our knowledge.