Expert: James Gort - 12/15/2011

Question
QUESTION: I have just read the following 2 books: 'Imagining the Tenth Dimension' by Rob Bryanton, 2006 and 'Entanglement
The Greatest Mystery In Physics' by Amir D Aczel, 2002. I have some follow up questions, if I may, but first I would like your comments on one particular point I have. Entanglement starts by discussing 2 particle entanglement, then goes on to discuss 3 particle entanglement. It was at this point I had a wow moment.
I have never been a great fan of inflation, and when I am reading anything I always relate it to inflation. I have tried to search this, but believe I have come up with a process that is proven, unlike inflation, that would account for homogeny, isotropy in the early universe. The incredible uniformness of the early universe could be due to Entanglement. The early (quantum) universe may have been full of entangled particles. Particles which have been proven to have a non-local, instantaneous relationship with other particles. Indeed the book stated that experiments have been done which show entangled particles are better thought of as one entity! Have I missed something? In all
the discussions on the early universe I can find I see several mention quantum effects, but none specifically mentioning entanglement. Could the WMAP data be studied for signs of entanglement? Thanks for your time
Regards Richard

ANSWER: Hello Richard,

Let me preface my remarks with the comment that my research has not included the "early universe" nor the implications of quantum entanglement. But I can probably make a informed opinion about your suggestion.

If you independently thought of the possibility of quantum entangle as an alternative to inflation, I am very impressed! Excellent thinking, and you're even looking for a method of experimental verification (i.e., clues in the WMAP). I'm not sure what your background is, but you obviously think like a scientist.

From what I understand, your suggestion is a very real possibility. I believe there are a few researchers looking into that, notably Alan Guth and Menas Kafatos. Kafatos wrote a few popular books mentioning that - see "The Conscious Universe: Parts and Wholes in Physical Reality" and "The Non-Local Universe: The New Physics and Matters of the Mind". For a more scholarly analysis, see http://www.citebase.org/abstract?identifier=oai%3AarXiv.org%3A0805.1471.

Some authors combine both inflation and entanglement to explain the observations. But I personally don't see why entanglement couldn't replace inflation altogether (as you suggest). I don't immediately see how measurements of the WAMP could point one way or the other, but I'd have to give that a lot more thought. Because any viable theory MUST have an experimental basis, or else it's merely conjecture.

Sorry I couldn't help you more, but it certainly sounds like you're onto something. If you have the time, inclination, and physics background, I would say it's certainly worth pursuing.

Cheers,

Prof. James Gort   

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi James, thankyou for your complimentary reply. My background is I am a painter/decorator!! Alas, I do not have the time and more importantly the talent to pursue such ideas. The thought was an independent one, and I am not sure whether to be depressed, or not, that it is already being researched! Entanglement has been known now for some time. I am just amazed that the great amount of literature i read about the big bang, entanglement never gets a mention. The big bang is a quantum event and entanglement is a quantum 'process'. I have heard many cosmologists are not entirely convinced by inflation, but I have not heard one mention entanglement as a possible replacement-seems highly strange to me, which makes me wonder if I am missing something.
An informed opinion is all I am after-it is nice to have feedback. Concerning the book I mentioned about dimensions. I cant review the whole book but its theme is that each dimension is a step up from the preceding one, in the following way. The 5d could be a point that contains all time and locations in our 4d universe-the total history of our universe-I cant be more accurate-you would have to read the book!! The book on entanglement offers no explanation on entanglement. Do you know if anyone has thought of, or researched, the possibility that entangled particles ('best thought of as one particle') could be connected through an upper dimension? Thanks again for your time-it is much appreciated. Regards Richard.

Answer
Hi Richard,

Sorry - I forgot to include the link to Prof. Susskind's videos - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Eeuqh9QfNI



Wow - a painter/decorator. Well, Einstein was a patent clerk!

Although a few people are looking at the implications of entanglement in the early universe, I, too, am surprised that not much popular literature touches the subject (a couple of exceptions being the books I cited). I don't think you're missing anything (unless I am too!) - but it seems to be a fairly new area of research.

Regarding the possibility of entangled particles being connected through an upper dimension: That's a possibility, and reminds me of string theory (based on 10 or so dimensions - a theory that I'm personally not sold on, since up until now it's been untestable). But look at an article from last year - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100901091938.htm. Again, a researcher is studying that, and may ultimately lead to a better "explanation" of entanglement. The whole idea of extra dimensions is mind boggling, but some theories in physics call for an infinite number of dimensions. There's certainly much left we need to discover!

For a VERY good overview of entanglement, you might want to watch Prof. Susskind's youtube video set of lectures. They contain some advanced physics, but I think are fairly accessible to everyone. Based on your readings to date, I'm sure you'd get much out of them.

Keep reading - but also keep in mind that there's often not definitive answers to many of these questions.

Cheers,

Prof. Jame Gort