Scientists and researchers of the Cornell Universityfrom New York, came to the conclusion, after a series of calculations, that the universe could be the size of a giant donut.
The strange patterns found in the echoes of the Big Bang could be explained by a universe with a more complicated shapeand astronomers have not fully tested the universe for flatness, according to the study.
The observations made so far suggest that the universe is flat. In geometry, “flatness” refers to the behavior of parallel lines when extended to infinity.
Instead, let’s take a look at Earth. The lines of longitude start perfectly parallel to the equator but eventually converge at the poles. The fact that parallel lines initially intersect reveals that the Earth is not flat.
The universe could be a giant donut
Astronomers calculated the expected size of these fluctuations from the observations. If the measured size differs from the predictions, it means that some rays of light, which have departed parallelhas changed direction in space-time, indicating that the geometry of the universe is curved.
Mathematicians have discovered 18 possible geometrically flat three-dimensional topologies. In each of them, at least one dimension wraps around itself and sometimes flips like a Möbius strip or performs partial rotations.
If the universe were a giant donut, astronomers could look two ways to see replicas of it.
The shape of the universe would be an infinite donut
Astronomers have measured the topology of the universe in a variety of ways, from finding duplicates to modeling galaxies. All the evidence suggests that the universe is geometrically flat and has a simple topology with no envelope.
But the Cornell University paper, released Feb. 23, suggests that previous measurements have been limited. In particular, the observations have assumed that the universe wraps around itself in a single dimension and does not have a more complicated topology.
Moreover, observations have revealed some strange and unexplained anomalies, like grand schemes appearing where they shouldn’t.
Indeed, a universe with a complicated topology could explain at least some of the anomalies. While this is not an irrefutable case of complicated topologies, the researchers do offer ideas for more sophisticated forward searches.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.