Einstein’s theory of space-time relativity has bamboozled everyone ever since its conception. It determined that space and time are interwoven and that besides the three dimensions of space, there is yet another special dimension known as the dimension of time. It says that there is a single fabric of space-time that is smooth, continuous and everlasting and bends and curves due to the presence of matter and energy. This curving of the fabric of spacetime is also known as gravity, but contrary to Newton’s theory, Einstein’s theory stated that nothing ever falls, it just freely moves in a curved spacetime due to the mass and energy of the specific object.
The special relativity theory states that time is dependent on speed, and that time slows down or becomes faster depending upon your relativity to something else. For example, if I were to be approaching the speed of light in a spaceship, I would age slower than my twin sibling at home. It sounds quite bizarre, however, he states that gravity itself can bend time and compressions of mass and energy of spacetime.
The difference between the time that the astronauts experience and that a regular person at home experiences is known as time dilation. Due to this time dilation, many say that astronauts are time travellers for they age significantly lesser than a person on earth. Scientists have created quite a valid hypothesis about wormholes: although physically impossible, if one were to go at the speed of light, he would have infinite mass and a length of ‘0’. Could this mean we can bend timelines? Exit and enter the same reality in a different timeline and return without ageing? It still is an unfathomable mystery.
When thinking about it, atoms were declared the smallest known particles a long time ago, however subatomic particles, photons, quarks and leptons were subsequently discovered. Scientists seemingly believe that the next smallest particle would have to be 10-32 cm in size. Could this mean that the universe grows by becoming smaller? However, this is only a mere conspiracy theory of the cosmos.
The main question is the cosmos’ longevity. How long would it last? Will there be a next big bang? All the answers lie in the ‘String theory’ and its branch called the Brane world theory. In particle physics and quantum theory, if all particles were to be replaced by a one-dimensional unit called strings, it would result in mass transcendence and would end up making the sagacious minds stupefied. In this theoretical framework, these strings would propagate through space and time and interact with each other. The string theory also requires 6 to 7-dimensional spaces to relate larger extra dimensions to smaller ones. What if our universe was one of these 1-D membranes in a higher and larger dimensional space continually coinciding with neighbouring strings? According to the Brane world, gravity can enter these dimensional fabrics. However, we are confined to our universe. When our strings fiercely coincide or crash with each other, they create normal big bangs, producing a new universe, with it creating even more big bangs.
If the BRANEWORLD theory proves true, our cosmos could be immortal.