The Shape of the Universe

Nature is reporting that the shape of the universe is a Poincaré dodecahedral space. For diagram part a below 12 spherical pentagons that have a 120-degree corner angle pack into the sphere. For diagram part b below 120 spherical dodecahedra that have a 120-degree corner angle pack into a hypersphere.

Comments

[Vigilance Matters]

Anyone remember Buckey Balls?

I do, but I can't remember why they were important...

[Rich]

Bucky balls are the shape of C-60. Dodecahedrons are made of 12 pentagons. Bucky balls are made of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons.

[Patrick]

As I recall Buckey Balls have been experimentally formed with molecules of carbon. Named after the geometric wizard Buckminster Fuller.

[Rich]

Yes, that is true. The molecule consisted of 60 atoms of carbon.

[thesl]

As I recall these clusters of carbon are called Fulleren after that guy, but how it is related to the shape of the Universe?

[Rich]

The shape of the universe is -- according to the article -- a Poincare Dodecahedral Space. The tangent came in when discussing a spherical dodecahedron (see first picture). This is similar to a "bucky ball" in that a spherical dodecahedron is made of 12 pentagons. A bucky ball, on the other hand, is made of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons (much like a soccer ball).

[craig]

I seem to remember hearing about the fact that these little beggars have electroconductive properties, without super low temperatures... Any word about that?

[chris]

I once saw a show on this,...stronger than steel but very felxible. I no not much about science,...just around the block regular scarcely educated. I am currently looking for applications with the "buckey balls" for industrial bandsaws.

[chris small]

Yeah buckeyballs are way cool. Not only are they superconductors at low enough temperatures (Around 19 k I want to say, whithout knowing for sure) when "doped" with metal cations, but they as mentioned above are incredibly strong. Folks are talking about using them as peapods, which is a technical (jk) name for a nanostructure with something in it. Sort of like a molecular cage. There are people in the medical community who wish to use them as cages to carry toxic medicines to places in the body where they are needed and prevent them from damaging others. C60 itself is very toxic (I have heard, thaough only by mouth), so i don't know exactly how they plan on doing it, but i guess that part of what they have to figure out. In any case, thinking about the 6 curled up spacial dimensions of the calabi yau shape, i wonder whether there could be some odd connection between sub plank physics and the shape of the universe. Something tothink about. It would be interesting, but i am not technical enough in my physics to see just yet how it may be brilliant or bullshit, so accums razor, i suppose. Cool idea though, nonetheless. Does anyone have information on how scientists arived at the conclusion mentioned above? I would really like to hear more.

Thanks

[chris small]

Scince you were curious about the electronic properties, i might want to suggest a good site for what exactly a superconductor is.

http://cnls.lanl.gov/Highlights/1997-06/html/node1.html

It goes into some pretty good explanaition if you follow the links. If you're still curious look up BCS theory of Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer, for the folks who designed the theory. Essentially though, in a superconductor, electrons are attracted into pairs called cooper pairs. This confused the physics community (Like repels like in the electrostatics world) until the three mentioned above realized that (as a rough hand wavy explanation) One passing electron pulls positive chages from the nuclei towards it, which creates a potential energy well for a second to fall into. Why does this not occur at normal temperatures? Well, when the atoms are moving too much, you get nuclei moving too fast and so they in effect knock the elctrons off their course, and aren't slow enough to be pulled by them to create pairing. Once pairing becomes energetically favorable though, all resistance of electricity ceases. You can (and it has been done) Pass a current through a superconductor in a loop, and have it continue essentially forever (there might be limits, but i know they have had currents run for years without a diminished potential difference). Superconductors also exclude magnetic fields completely, which is another interesting property. Very cool stuff, this solid sate physics.

[chris small]

email me if you want to know more, i love sharing info on this stuff.

[David Karlins]

I'm putting together a book called ILLUSTRATOR GONE WILD and one theme is designing the universe (from a technical illustration standpoint, not serious science but fooling around). Anyway, I figured I'd see if the editors will let me promote this blog.