We are in some sense trapped on a wall in a higher-dimensional universe. In the past decade string theorists have suggested that at least some of the extra spatial dimensions can be probed indirectly at energies far lower than the big bang, and perhaps even at length scales as shockingly large as 1 mm . Now, several teams have calculated exactly how physicists could measure those dimensions in high-energy experiments. Current experiments at CERN's LEP 2 accelerator in Switzerland are sensitive enough to probe for new dimensions to a size of 0.48 mm , the team concludes. Published results from the Tevatron collider at Fermilab rule out hidden dimensions about twice as big, but new data will allow physicists to probe on a finer scale.
Theorists praise the new papers as essential steps.
This actually has the smell of something promising. Robert Irion is a freelance science writer. All rights reserved.