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String theory vs Loop quantum gravity: Wild hunt for Quantum Gravity

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The gauge bosons of the standard model of particle physics are responsible for 3 of the 4 known forces in the universe. A force is conferred is through the exchange of virtual bosons. So for example in electromagnetism, an exchange of virtual photons results in an exchange of momentum which results in two like charges repelling each other.

Gravity is missing from this picture because in General relativity, gravity is not a force, but is a curvature of space-time. The problem is that stars and planets are made of molecules, atoms and radiation. And the forces that hold the atoms together are due to discrete units of virtual particles. It is the exchange or swapping of these virtual bosons that holds or breaks up atoms and molecules.

Quantum mechanics conflicts with general relativity, because QM treats every thing as being discrete, and GR treats everything as being continuous. We need a theory that combines the two because we live in one reality, not two different realities.

This is why most physicists believe General relativity is incomplete. Why can’t quantum mechanics be the one that is incomplete?
Of the 4 fundamental forces, 3 have very robust quantum mechanical theories. Only gravity lacks a quantum description. Quantum mechanics also has almost all of classical physics within in its limits. Classical physics like general relativity, does not have quantum effects. We have learned is that Quantum physics is the fundamental language of reality.

One way to quantize gravity is to quantize space-time itself. This is what loop quantum gravity or LQG does. It shows that the fabric of space-time is not continuous, but is made up of discrete quanta, like the pixels on a TV screen. This is different than string theory, because in string theory, space is the background or the canvas, on which strings vibrate.

Continue reading “String theory vs Loop quantum gravity: Wild hunt for Quantum Gravity” | >

When the Environment Writes the Rules of Quantum Dynamics

The transitions of hydrogen molecules embedded in a crystal depend on the surroundings—a behavior that could be used to tailor molecular quantum dynamics.

In quantum physics, we often learn that the rules governing a system are set by its symmetry. These rules—known as selection rules—determine which transitions between quantum states are allowed and which are forbidden. For example, rotational symmetry constrains how an atom’s angular momentum can change. But what if those rules are not fixed? A recent study of hydrogen (H2)—one of the simplest molecules in nature—showed that the allowed pathways between quantum states are determined not solely by the molecule’s internal symmetry but also by its surroundings. By embedding hydrogen molecules in different crystalline environments, Nathan McLane and colleagues from the University of Maryland, College Park, have demonstrated that the symmetry of the host material can selectively enable or suppress nuclear-spin transitions [1]. In doing so, the team revealed that quantum dynamics is not just an intrinsic property—it can be shaped by the environment.

H2 is one of the simplest systems for exploring quantum behavior. Its two identical protons can align their spins in two different ways: In so-called orthohydrogen the nuclear spins are parallel, whereas in parahydrogen they are antiparallel. Although this difference is subtle, it leads to markedly different physical properties for the two forms. Crucially, transitions between them are highly constrained: In an isolated hydrogen molecule, the overall wave function is symmetric under exchange of the two protons, and this exchange symmetry forbids direct conversion between ortho and para states [2]. This restriction makes H2 a textbook example of how symmetry governs quantum dynamics.

New genome editing method could swap entire genes and correct 1000 mutations at once

New technology enables the insertion of a large segment of DNA into a genome, potentially expanding gene therapy treatment from cancellation of disease-causing mutations to replacement of an entire gene, scientists say.

Reporting in Nature, the researchers describe building upon a technique called prime editing by inserting DNA that attaches to the genome through a series of overlapping flaps. This method, which they call a prime assembly approach, avoids a bottleneck in the gene therapy field—a double-strand break to the donor DNA that can cause toxicity and kill cells.

“Using this method, we are doing genome assembly rather than making a small edit in a gene,” said Bin Liu, a co-lead author of the study and assistant professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “If we think of the genome as a book, we can remove one paragraph and replace it with a new one—or even rewrite a chapter.”

A flower-like pattern exposes chiral superconductivity’s long-sought fingerprint

With a carefully designed experiment and a handful of tin atoms, University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s physicists have found a long-sought form of superconductivity, taking one more step toward creating custom quantum materials.

Scientists have known about superconductivity for more than a century. At low temperatures, resistance in certain materials vanishes and they carry electrical current without losing any energy. Superconductors are part of particle accelerators and magnetic resonance imaging machines. While they need extremely cool environments to work, the mechanism that drives them is quite well understood: electrons, which normally repel each other, form pairs and carry the current.

Tokamak regime sustains stable fusion plasma for one minute while easing heat loads

For the first time, a research team has demonstrated, in a metal-wall environment, a plasma regime that simultaneously achieves partial divertor detachment, an edge-localized-mode (ELM)-free high-confinement mode (H-mode), and high pedestal performance. This integrated regime was sustained on a minute scale and the work is published in Physical Review Letters.

The team was led by Professor Xu Guosheng from the Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Controllable nuclear fusion requires managing extreme heat loads on divertor plates while maintaining plasma stability. While impurity gases can reduce divertor heat through detachment, excessive cooling can damage the plasma edge, and H-mode plasmas are prone to sudden, damaging ELMs. Achieving a steady-state regime that addresses both challenges has been a major international goal.

Western music is getting simpler and more repetitive by the day and data prove it

Ever had that moment when a song comes on and it feels strangely familiar, like it reminds you of another song that came out just a few months ago? If you feel this phenomenon has become more frequent, then you are not imagining it. Science agrees with you. A recent study found that Western music is not only starting to sound more alike but is also becoming less structurally complex than in the past.

The team of researchers from Italy examined more than 20,000 pieces of music, tracing patterns from 17th-century classical compositions through 20th-century jazz and into modern genres all the way up to 2021.

Pieces that were written 400 years ago, particularly in the Classical genre, exhibit higher weighted efficiency. In other words, the music is not built around the same few patterns repeated again and again. Instead, it explores a wider range of note combinations, which makes it feel more varied, less predictable, and richer in structure.

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