Unless you're a quantum particle theorist this is going to hurt your brain a lot. Doesn't that sound incredibly exciting? It does to me.
Working from principles of differential geometry, physicist and surfer Garrett Lisi is developing a new unified theory that purports to explain all the elementary particles, and gravity, in one elegant model. His theory is based on a mathematical shape called E8. With 248 symmetries, E8 is large, complex and beautiful -- and Lisi believes the relationships of its symmetries correspond to known particles and forces, including gravity.
His work, explained in his paper "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything," and in an ongoing discussion on FQXi, is still on science's speculative fringe. But some physicists believe he could be pointing the way toward a truly unified theory.
"This is an 'all or nothing' kind of theory -- meaning it's going to end up agreeing with and predicting damn near everything, or it's wrong. At this stage of development, it could go either way."Garrett Lisi on physicsforums.com
Lisi is hoping that the results from the new Large Hadron Collider at Cern will provide proof of missing particles that his theory predicts.
If nothing else, it's the most beautiful 8-dimensional model of elementary particles and forces you've ever seen.
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