The Quest for a Theory of Everything Scientists Put Einstein to the Test – SciTechDaily

By University of Virginia College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences March 23, 2024

The quest for a theory of everything, tracing back to before Archimedes and significantly advanced in the last century through Albert Einsteins theory of general relativity and quantum mechanics, has encountered a major challenge due to their conflicting explanations of gravity. Kent Yagis innovative research at the University of Virginia, utilizing artificial intelligence and backed by a prestigious CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, aims to bridge this gap, offering new insights into gravity and the universes fundamental forces, while also enhancing STEM education through community and educational outreach. (Artists concept). Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Long before Archimedes suggested that all phenomena observable to us might be understandable through fundamental principles, humans have imagined the possibility of a theory of everything. Over the past century, physicists have edged nearer to unraveling this mystery. Albert Einsteins theory of general relativity provides a solid basis for comprehending the cosmos at a large scale, while quantum mechanics allows us to grasp its workings at the subatomic level. The trouble is that the two systems dont agree on how gravity works.

Today, artificial intelligence offers new hope for scientists addressing the massive computational challenges involved in unraveling the mysteries of something as complex as the universe and everything in it, and Kent Yagi, an associate professor with the University of Virginias College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is leading a research partnership between theoretical physicists and computational physicists at UVA that could offer new insight into the possibility of a theory of everything or, at least, a better understanding of gravity, one of the universes fundamental forces. The work has earned him a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, one of the most prestigious awards available to the nations most promising young researchers and educators.

One aspect of Einsteins theory of general relativity is that objects moving through space generate waves, much like a boat moving through the water, but even when those waves are created by planets, stars and galaxies, or even black holes that can create the strongest gravitational fields possible, they are still incredibly small. Consequently, it was almost a hundred years after Einstein first published his ideas on gravitational waves that the technological means to observe them were developed. In 2015, a program known as LIGO, or the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, one of the largest projects ever funded by the NSF, detected gravitational waves for the first time, which led to a Nobel Prize in Physics for the projects leaders.

Physicist Kent Yagi, an associate professor with the University of Virginias College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences has won a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, one of the most prestigious awards available to the nations most promising young researchers and educators. University of Virginia College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

The discovery was one of the most important moments in physics in the last hundred years, Yagi said.

And as the technology needed to observe subatomic phenomena advances, the computing capacity necessary to process massive amounts of data astronomers are collecting about the universe has also advanced. Additionally, new developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence in recent years are allowing scientists to create and test complex mathematical models describing the phenomenon they observe at a pace that was once unimaginable.

Yagi studies the massive gravitational waves generated by pairs of black holes and binary neutron stars some of the densest objects in the universe that are as much as 1013 times more powerful than a typical fridge magnet, according to Yagi and he uses those phenomena to test Einsteins theories about gravity and to probe the fundamental laws of nuclear physics looking for information that will help resolve the disconnect between Einsteins theory and quantum mechanics.

The CAREER grant, which will bring $400,000 in funding to the College over the next five years, will create opportunities for current and future graduate students interested in developing and applying machine learning algorithms that will help explain and predict gravitational wave observations and give us a deeper understanding of gravitys behavior.

Once the computational algorithms are fine-tuned a process that should take as little as a few weeks Yagi said his team will be able to process the data collected by LIGO to test Einsteins theory a hundred times faster.

And the amount of space we can search for that data will increase by a factor of ten, Yagi said.

One of the requirements of the CAREER award is that recipients also build educational and community outreach projects into their work, and some of the funding will create jobs for undergraduates who will work with Yagi to develop educational software for high school students interested in physics, which, Yagi hopes, will inspire the next generation of Nobel-prize winning scientists.

How much closer will this bring us to a theory of everything?

There are still a lot of problems to be solved, Yagi said. Im hoping Ill see it in my lifetime, but I dont want to be too optimistic.

Proving a theory is almost impossible, Yagi explained. Theres always going to be measurement error in any experiment, but were going to keep trying to see if we find some evidence to disprove general relativity. At the same time, we just keep discovering how beautiful and correct it appears to be.

Yagis work and the attention its receiving drew praise from his colleagues and leaders at UVA.

Theres been a very big push recently to better understand gravitational waves not only as a theoretical prediction or concept but to be able to directly detect them, said Phil Arras, chair of UVAs Department of Astronomy. That effort has opened up an entirely new window into the universe and given us a new way to check our theories about how stars evolve. Kents research has been very important for our understanding of that.

Despina Louca, chair of UVAs Department of Physics called Yagi a highly respected astrophysicist with a vast research portfolio.

Kent is an engaging educator and a sought-after mentor whose work has had tremendous impact across several physics disciplines, Louca added. He is paving the way to using machine learning to test general relativity while exploring astrophysical properties of neutron stars, and his work with UVA students building online games that integrate research and education will inspire young people around the world.

Professor Yagis work is remarkable, said Christa Acampora, dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Were proud to have him as a member of our faculty, not only for the recognition hes receiving as he advances the boundaries of our understanding about the universe but also for his commitment to innovation in STEM education.

See original here:

The Quest for a Theory of Everything Scientists Put Einstein to the Test - SciTechDaily