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THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE

PHOTO: FERMILAB, ISTOCK X2, IAS.EDU

First proposed by Gerard ’t Hooft in 1993

and refined by others since, the holographic

theory says that rather than being continuous,

space and time come in tiny, indivisible amounts,

in much the same way as the energy levels on the

atomic scale do in quantum physics. This has been

likened to the Universe being akin to a 2D TV

screen. We perceive the world shown on-screen

in 3D, but in reality it exists as 3D information

encoded on a 2D space. It is essentially the same

principle used by holograms, such as those found

on credit cards.

Carl Hogan of Fermilab, one of the scientists

who has pursued ’t Hooft’s ideas, suggests that if

you zoom into the ‘screen’ enough you should

see tiny ‘pixels’ of information. He has been

searching for these telltale signs using Fermilab’s

Holometer, which uses a pair of lasers to detect

minute fluctuations, or jitters, in the fabric of space-

time itself. So far, the experiment has measured

movements lasting just a millionth of a second

and distances that are a billionth of a billionth of a

metre – 1,000 times smaller than a single proton. It

has not detected the holographic noise or quantum

jitter that Hogan’s theory predicts, so either it needs

to look in even finer detail or the theory is wrong.

“This is just the beginning of the story,” said

Hogan. “We’ve developed a new way of studying

space and time that we didn’t have before. We

weren’t even sure we could attain the sensitivity

we did.”

Hogan says the team will continue to collect and

analyse data, and carry out more sensitive studies of

holographic noise. In the meantime, they are also

working on an updated model of the Universe’s

holographic structure.

“This is new technology, and the Holometer

is just the first example of a new way of studying

exotic correlations,” Hogan said. “It is just the first

glimpse through a newly invented microscope.”

timeline

A history of the holographic principle

Dutch theoretical

physicist Gerard ‘t

Hooft proposes that

the Universe could

consist of 3D

information

encoded in 2D

space.

1993 1994 1997

Stanford University’s

Leonard Susskind

formulates a new

interpretation of

’t Hooft’s

holographic universe

principle using

string theory.

Juan Maldacena of

Princeton University

(pictured right) shows

that microscopic

packets of

information are stored

at the event horizon

of a black hole.

2013

Construction is

completed at

Fermilab’s Holometer,

a laser device

designed to

look for experimental

evidence of a

holographic universe.

The laser interferometer at the centre of the Holometer experiment

GOOD MONTH/

BAD MONTH

It’s been good for:

ODONTOPHOBES

If the sound of the dentist’s drill literally

sets your teeth on edge, read on. A team at

the University of Sydney has discovered

that the need for fillings can be reduced by

up to 50 per cent by using a ‘fluoride

varnish’, monitoring your teeth regularly

and brushing correctly. Look out for your

teeth and you can dodge the drill!

THE QUICKWITTED

Those who can think on their

feet are perceived as more

charismatic than their slower

counterparts, researchers

at the University of

Queensland have found.

The effect is seen

even if the

answers given

by the quick

thinkers are

incorrect.

It’s been bad for:

TALL PEOPLE

Being lanky means you always get a good

view in the cinema, but it may also give you

a shorter lifespan. A study at the University

of Glasgow carried out on sparrows has

found changes in DNA linked to ageing take

place as body size increases. The effect is

due to the greater number of times cells

must divide to grow bigger and taller, the

researchers say.

HEDGEHOGS

Numbers of British hedgehogs have fallen by

one-third in the last decade, the People’s

Trust for Endangered Species has found. The

decline is thought to be down to the

popularity of paved and gravel gardens.

Making sure your fence

has a 13cm square

gap could help

hedgehogs,

by letting

them travel

around

more easily.

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