Does the physical model of our world extend beyond the Universe? Can we assess what is happening in the depths of space by our usual standards? Recent research on the borderline between astronomy and metaphysics provides negative answers to these questions. What surrounds us is only a local manifestation of physical laws characteristic of this particular region.
Even if we imagine that at the time of the formation of outer space, all parts of the Universe were the same, then over time, each of them has undergone its own unique changes. The reason for this was black holes, the explosion of each of which introduces tiny changes in constants such as the speed of light, Planck's constant, and so on. Depending on the size of the black hole and its location, the consequences of the explosions are highly individual for each such incident.
Research conducted in the United States by the famous theoretical physicist Lee Smolin and his friend the philosopher Roberto Unger led to three radical conclusions, each of which forces us to reconsider the modern view of the world. The first research of scientists says - there is only one universe.
This assumption can be considered actually proven, because we know about the existence of multiple Universes and parallel worlds only from the works of science fiction writers. There are simply no other sources for the emergence of such a theory. Those who appeal to string theory confuse prerequisites and consequences - after all, it was science fiction that pushed physicists to find a rationale for the existence of many universes.
The second conclusion made by Smolin and Unger is that time is an element of reality. This is not an abstract process, but a physical quantity that can not only be measured, but also changed. Scientists in their work refer to the very attitude of mankind to time - in the speech of people, time acquires the properties of a material object.
It can be “lost”, “spent”, “found”, which characterizes time as a subject that lends itself to influence. Time can interact with other physical forces and change under their influence. An example of this is the same black holes, at the surface of which, under the influence of an incredibly large force of gravity, time slows down.
Based on these conclusions, Smolin makes the main conclusion: the laws of physics in the Universe differ in different regions. He cites stargazing as an example. In any laboratory research, the scientist can reproduce any environment suitable for the experiment. However, in astronomy, the observer is very limited - he can only consider various events and examine a huge number of stars, but all his assumptions are based on the physics of near-earth space.
Science knows many stellar phenomena for which astrophysicists cannot find a scientific explanation. It was for this that the development of the "General theory" or "string theory" began, which could connect all sections of physical science and solve some of the mysteries of the Universe.
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But according to Smolin's assumption, the need for such a theory disappears - it will only be a ballast until we get acquainted with the implementation of physical laws in all areas of the Universe. And when that happens, it may not be needed.
Smolin's hypothesis poses too many questions for the scientific community. For example, no one will be able to accurately predict the operation of a nuclear engine that was created on Earth and went to a region of the Universe where Planck's constant has a different meaning. This and much more makes the assumptions of the physico-philosophical duo very undesirable for their colleagues working on "string theory", but it is still worth listening to the ideas of Smolin and Unger.
Pavel Urushev