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Physicists Reveal a Quantum Geometry That Exists Outside of Space and Time | Quanta Magazine
(www.quantamagazine.org)
Summary: In 2022, Carolina Figueiredo discovered collisions involving three different subatomic particles produced identical outcomes, suggesting a hidden connection between seemingly unrelated particle theories. This finding supports the idea that space-time and quantum mechanics are approximations of deeper, abstract principles. Her advisor, Nima Arkani-Hamed, had previously discovered a geometric object called the “amplituhedron,” but Figueiredo’s discovery points to a new method, “surfaceology,” which simplifies particle interactions without relying on traditional Feynman diagrams.
The traditional way of understanding particle collisions uses Feynman diagrams to track all possible particle paths, which is mathematically intensive. Surfaceology offers a more efficient and direct way to arrive at the same predictions without needing to track these countless possibilities, allowing physicists to see the results of collisions more clearly and directly.
Surfaceology may eventually bypass the need for space-time as a fundamental concept in physics. This hints at a potential new understanding of quantum gravity and the origins of the universe, and echoes past revolutionary changes in physics.