Ultimate power limit could link Einstein’s relativity, quantum theory – Interesting Engineering

When spacetime is divided into tiny units, the obscure connection between quantum theory and generally relativity suddenly becomes clear. a day agoa day agoa day ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago42 minutes agoan hour agoan hour agoan hour ago2 hours ago2 hours ago2 hours ago2 hours ago2 hours ago2 hours agoRupendra BrahambhattResearchers say quantized spacetime may explain gravity through quantum theory. (Representational image)Just_Super/iStockLooks like we’re closer than ever to connecting general relativity and quantum mechanics. A new study suggests that when we break down spacetime into tiny discrete units, gravity, which is a macroscopic phenomenon, can be explained through quantum theory.In most everyday situations, this mismatch between the two theories doesn’t cause problems because general relativity applies to large objects (planets, stars, galaxies), and quantum theory applies to tiny particles (atoms, photons).However, in extreme cases like black holes and the Big Bang, we need a theory that includes both. For example, in a black hole, gravity is so strong that all matter collapses into a single point. To understand this, we must see how gravity behaves at the quantum level.This is where the new study could help. “Our approach is that space and time themselves are not continuous but consist of small portions. If this thesis is correct, then gravity can also be described with the help of quantum theory,” Wolfgang Wieland, study author and a theoretical physicist at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), said.Currently, scientists believe that energy can, in theory, be released at infinitely high levels. This makes some equations in quantum gravity impossible to solve. Now imagine space and time were not smooth but made of tiny, indivisible building blocks—like pixels on a screen — similar to how energy and momentum in quantum mechanics come in small, indivisible packets called quanta.In such a world, you wouldn’t be able to move an object by just any distance. Instead, it would jump in fixed steps. Similarly, time wouldn’t flow continuously but would tick forward in tiny increments, like the ticking of a clock. These steps are so incredibly small that we don’t notice them in everyday life. According to general relativity, gravity comes from the curvature of spacetime. If spacetime itself is not smooth but made of small chunks, then this curvature must also follow a step-like, quantized pattern.Moreover, if spacetime is made of tiny steps, then energy release must also have an upper limit—just like how nothing can go faster than the speed of light. Interestingly, this maximum power, called Planck power, is “unimaginably large (10⁵³ watts) but still limited,” Wieland explained.“If my theoretical considerations prove true, it will be possible to break down the power of gravitational waves into the smallest quanta,” he added. Since the 1930s, it has been believed that general relativity and quantum mechanics don’t share any connection. However, as research delves deeper into quantum physics and macroscopic phenomena like black holes, the need to unify these theories has become increasingly clear.In separate research works, scientists previously used Einstein’s field equation and entropy to explain how gravity, spacetime, and other macroscopic phenomena can be described using quantum mechanics.  Therefore, the current study is not the first attempt at the unification of the two theories, but it’s probably the first to use Planck power, a well-recognized fundamental unit, to shed light on the missing connection.However, all these theories are still limited to assumptions and equations. Hopefully, further research work will reveal a way to experimentally validate concepts such as quantum gravity and quantized spacetime.The study is published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity.Rupendra Brahambhatt Rupendra Brahambhatt is an experienced writer, researcher, journalist, and filmmaker. With a B.Sc (Hons.) in Science and PGJMC in Mass Communications, he has been actively working with some of the most innovative brands, news agencies, digital magazines, documentary filmmakers, and nonprofits from different parts of the globe. As an author, he works with a vision to bring forward the right information and encourage a constructive mindset among the masses.Stay up-to-date on engineering, tech, space, and science news with The Blueprint.By clicking sign up, you confirm that you accept this site’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policya day agoa day agoa day agoa day agoLoading opportunities…PremiumIE PROFollow

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/science/quantum-relativity-theory-link