Before you get the wrong idea, the picture to the right shows an artist's rendition of two photons flying through space... not a sperm race :)For the past century, scientists have been hard at work trying to articulate a 'final theory' capable of unifying all the fundamental forces of the universe. Although quantum mechanics and Einstein's general theory of relativity are individually successful to an unprecedented degree, these two theories seem to be incompatible with each other, and that tends to upset everyone.
After mapping the extreme sky with incredible resolution, NASA's Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope recently found itself in a position to scientifically test some predictions about the nature of gravity and the space-time continuum. Its findings had two major consequences: they confirmed that Einstein is as strong a competitor as ever, and they eliminated a number of theories from the race. Here is how the logic works:
Curious about the final theory? Check out The Elegant Universe (parts 1, 2 & 3), or Einstein's Unfinished Symphony.
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