Cardiff researchers could herald a new era in fundamental physics
Cardiff University researchers who are part of a British-German team searching the depths of space to study gravitational waves, may have stumbled on 1 of the most important discoveries in physics according to an American physicist

Cardiff University researchers who are part of a British-German team searching the depths of space to study gravitational waves, may have stumbled on one of the most important discoveries in physics according to an American physicist.

Craig Hogan, a physicist at Fermilab Centre for Particle Astrophysics in Illinois is convinced that he has found proof in the data of the gravitational wave detector GEO600 of a holographic Universe – and that his ideas could explain mysterious noise in the detector data that has not been explained so far.

The British-German team behind the GEO600, which includes scientists from the School of Physics and Astronomy’s Gravitational Physics Group, will now carry out new experiments in the coming months to yield more evidence about Craig Hogan’s assumptions. If proved correct, it could help in the quest to bring together quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of gravity.

I’ve been busy the last few weeks, so I missed the holographic hoopla from Craig Hogan. The idea is — in my likely erroneous inerpretations — that what we know as 3D reality is really 2D information projected from edges of the universe, the cosmological horizon, like a the cover of National Geographic (when we still thought holograms were cool). The Cardiff University is a bit of press release me-too-ism, but that’s largely forgivable (I do it myself sometimes) if a bit tacky (a spade’s a spade).

What I want to know is what are the consequences of living in a holographic universe. Are there any perks? Neat ways to hack reality, for example?

Or will holographic be the new woo word as we get tired of saying “quantum” everything? Only time and Oprah will tell.