"Just Six Numbers" That are Constant Physical Value Parameters of the Universe

“Just Six Numbers” That are Constant Physical Value Parameters of the Universe

Martin Ree’s book ‘Just Six Numbers’ published in 1999 is still a fine, brief introduction to six important physical constants of the Universe that shape its content making fit for life instead of extended unemployment. I was fortunate to find this book that is a yardstick by which to measure the progress of cosmology in the first decade of the 21st century (i.e. in comparison to the 2011 ‘The Book of Universes’ by Barrow. Barrow also wrote a book on constants of the Universe).

It was just in 1998 that discovery of the apparent acceleration of the Universe was announced- changing the way people think about the omega value that is used to calculate if gravity will make the universe eventually contract to a big crunch.
Since the discovery of lambda-the vacuum energy expanding space (well, it might be Einstein’s cosmological constant or something else perhaps)-the investigation of alleged missing dark matter has also changed-perhaps there is not so much missing matter if the Universe is actually expanding instead of remaining a static size in accord with the ‘less gravity, more space expanding’ formula.

Another change is in the mapping of the microwave background temperature of the Universe that gives clues to the Q value or distribution of mass causing irregularity in the pre-inflationary universe letting stars and galaxies eventually coalesce. Martin Rees also goes over string theory, extra-dimensions of a potential multi-verse and other topics.
I found the book enjoyable reading recently. It made me realize that a reason for lambda-a cosmological constant that would accelerate the expansion of space-is that it might just be an apparent effect rather than a physical force itself.

If gravity exists because of a relationship of mass to hidden micro-size extra dimensions in which strings are grounded, when enough mass is drawn together the extra-dimensions in one place may smooth out space elsewhere making it appear to expand in three larger dimensions-just an idea of course (not in the book) As mass is concentrated in galaxies with gravity the ‘weight’ upon space is decreased outside where the mass formerly was…that let’s space flatten out and expanding like a curled up newspaper might be flatter and larger unfolded.

Rees also mentioned monopoles, and that is a fascinating concept. There are several ideas in the book that allow one naturally enough to consider how they might apply in the real world as one imagines it might be.
Magnets have two poles as electro-magnetic fields. It is actually difficult to imagine a one-pole or one-directional field that does not loop in upon itself. One might believe that gravity could be a looping field too as an alternative to the micro-dimensional paradigm. If a field began at a particular location as a ‘knot’ in space-time it would send force in one direction and probably travel in the opposite as if it were repulsed. Any monopole would need to be grounded in another field. The entire universe may be a field rather than a monopolar event grounded in an infinite concentration of mass and energy as it’s ‘anchor’ to start from.

I suppose it is easy to regard the strong force binding nuclei together as a segment of a unified field energy in smaller-tighter-stronger configuration. As one goes up the scale of force they become weaker and greater in size or range. Strong-electro-weak to gravity force. Energy bound in various configurations such as quarks and gluons, electrons etc comprise the appearance of mass. Strings might be like an even tighter continuous micro-field of energy giving rise to the appearance of quarks.
The idea that small dimensions should not expand, and that three larger dimensions have expanded is of interest too. I believe that the math about dimensions might not model more than the shape of those dimensions, and physicists would need to describe the energy, strength and so forth of strings, multi-dimensional strings etc. That would seem a difficult task.
Dimensions can be abstracted and represented by complex math tables. How real small dimensions would pervade space-time and relate to our three spatial dimensions of this universe is ponderous subject. What for would keep a dimension small? What size would dimensions be at a singularity or before the inflation of the Universe?

Dimensions probably are all simple—they all just go in one direction or dimensional way. It is when they pile up an interact together that the space-time gets complex to understand.

Physicists have basically explained that atoms and regular orbits can only occur in three dimensional space, so if extra dimensions exist for the Universe they must be small in order for life to exist.

Logically dimensions should have no limit to size, and they should all occupy space simultaneously-perhaps in an infinite number. The use of particular dimensions rightly ought to be selected by the kind and form of energy structures thrown in to a region of space at any given time.
It is those extra small dimensions that might be the explanation for quantum mechanical entanglement or spooky action at a distance apparently faster than light. With extra-dimensions (shortcuts) to go through very small quantum mechanical wave-particles have many possibilities for downloading into the three dimensional universe.

Obvious questions arise to those considering how six small dimensions might relate to three large dimensions of space in the beginning. Were nine dimensions of equal, perhaps infinitely small stature before becoming full of power to such an extent that three overflowed to large spatial size in the inflationary era? Three large dimensions expanding outward in the fourth dimension of time in some way retained the basic tie to the other six still small dimensions perhaps unaffected by the 4th dimension of time.

String theory cosmology, ideas about dimensions and energy could all be as naïve as Ptolemaic astrophysics, yet be the best available today. Fundamental criteria about space-time, what dimensions are, the spatial limits of the Universe(s) may be wildly incomplete, and that situation may remain so even as knowledge continues to expand the human scientific data base through research.