this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2024
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Physics

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A method to straighten curved space-time (phys.org)
submitted 10 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/physics@mander.xyz
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[–] aelwero@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

To describe phenomena on the scale of atoms, we use the second great theory: quantum mechanics, which differs from general relativity in basically everything. It uses flat space-time and a completely different mathematical apparatus

It's weird to me, that the common method of attempting to describe a four dimensional thing is to immediately reduce the three dimensional thing to two dimensions...

The word "curved" is problematic for the concept of space-time because it invokes one or two dimensional thought. Space-time is a four dimensional model.

The best description of the effect of gravity on space-time on my opinion is actually a joke... Gravity sucks :)

[–] John_Hasler@lemmy.one 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Curvature is well defined for manifolds with any number of dimensions. "Flat" in this context means "zero curvature", not "two dimensional".

[–] CM400@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Can I get an ELI5, please? I understand all of those words, but not the concepts behind them in this context…

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 2 points 10 months ago

The definition of a right angle depends on the number of dimensions. Perpendicularity and parallelism are different in higher dimensions. Space is hard.

[–] anthonystern@mander.xyz 0 points 9 months ago

There is no such thing as a four dimensional "spacetime". That is a abstract math only concept, nothing to do with reality. Time is not a thing, nor is it a dimension. Reality is not curved or flat. That is abstract geometry that they are talking about, not reality. Only 3 abstract dimensions are required to locate anything in reality. Time is just when you want to examine these three dimensions.