Questions tagged [quantum-gravity]

Any of the various explanations of gravity as a quantum theory, including string theory and loop quantum gravity.

Any of the various explanations of gravity as a quantum theory, including string theory and loop quantum gravity. NOT to be confused with .

A requirement of quantum gravity springs from the fact that classical gravity and quantum matter cannot go along together, due to the Einstein Field Equation $G_{\mu\nu}=\frac{8\pi G}{c^4}T_{\mu\nu}$.

However, quantising gravity in the traditional way, leads to a non-renormalisable theory.

1331 questions
166
votes
7 answers

A list of inconveniences between quantum mechanics and (general) relativity?

It is well known that quantum mechanics and (general) relativity do not fit well. I am wondering whether it is possible to make a list of contradictions or problems between them? E.g. relativity theory uses a space-time continuum, while quantum…
161
votes
3 answers

Why does Stephen Hawking say black holes don't exist?

Recently, I read in the journal Nature that Stephen Hawking wrote a paper claiming that black holes do not exist. How is this possible? Please explain it to me because I didn't understand what he said. References: Article in Nature News: Stephen…
154
votes
2 answers

Does the Planck scale imply that spacetime is discrete?

On a quantum scale the smallest unit is the Planck scale, which is a discrete measure. There several question that come to mind: Does that mean that particles can only live in a discrete grid-like structure, i.e. have to "magically" jump from one…
vonjd
  • 3,801
114
votes
5 answers

What is the actual significance of the amplituhedron?

The news that physicists have discovered a geometrical object that simplifies a lot our models of quantum physics has recently became viral. For an outsider like me, it is difficult to actually understand the significance of this finding. Is it…
90
votes
6 answers

If gravity is a pseudoforce in general relativity, then why is a graviton necessary?

As far as I’m aware, gravity in general relativity arises from the curvature of spacetime and is equivalent to an accelerated reference frame. Objects accelerating in a gravitational field are in fact inertial and are moving through geodesics in…
87
votes
6 answers

Is the Planck length the smallest length that exists in the universe or is it the smallest length that can be observed?

I have heard both that Planck length is the smallest length that there is in the universe (whatever this means) and that it is the smallest thing that can be observed because if we wanted to observe something smaller, it would require so much…
74
votes
7 answers

Is spacetime discrete or continuous?

Is the spacetime continuous or discrete? Or better, is the 4-dimensional spacetime of general-relativity discrete or continuous? What if we consider additional dimensions like string theory hypothesizes? Are those compact additional dimensions…
linello
  • 1,287
  • 1
  • 15
  • 18
72
votes
7 answers

Does gravity bend gravity?

Let's say that there is a large mass $M$ a light-year or so away from a black hole merger, which causes a very large gravitational wave to be produced. When the gravitational wave reaches $M$, does it bend like light bends when it comes into a…
67
votes
7 answers

Does gravity exist in a vacuum?

My understanding has always been that it does from conventional science courses, but really thinking about it, I was wondering if this is really the case. To my limited understanding there is a theory that there are gravitons that act as particles…
user4779
  • 781
64
votes
2 answers

Why is gravity such a unique force?

My knowledge on this particular field of physics is very sketchy, but I frequently hear of a theoretical "graviton", the quantum of the gravitational field. So I guess most physicists' assumption is that gravity can be described by a QFT? But I…
50
votes
2 answers

Analog Hawking radiation

I am confused by most discussions of analog Hawking radiation in fluids (see, for example, the recent experimental result of Weinfurtner et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 021302 (2011), arXiv:1008.1911). The starting point of these discussions is…
45
votes
2 answers

Do gravitons interact with each other?

I always thought the non-linearity of Einsteins field equations implies that there should be direct graviton-graviton interactions. But I stumbled upon Wikipedia which argues: If gravitons exist, then, like photons and unlike gluons, gravitons do …
asmaier
  • 10,250
41
votes
5 answers

Why do physicists trust black hole physics?

Based on popular accounts of modern physics and black holes (articles, video lectures), I have come to understand the following: Black holes are predicted by General Relativity, a classical theory of gravity. We know that the universe is inherently…
41
votes
2 answers

What are Stephen Hawking's main contributions to research-level physics?

Without a doubt, Stephen Hawking is the most famous living scientist; indeed, his public visibility in all of history seems to be rivaled only by Einstein and easily eclipses giants of physics such as Bohr and Dirac. Media portrayals of Hawking…
user55611
38
votes
4 answers

Gravity as a gauge theory

Currently, (classical) gravity (General Relativity) is NOT a gauge theory (at least in the sense of a Yang-Mills theory). Why should "classical" gravity be some (non-trivial or "special" or extended) gauge theory? Should quantum gravity be a gauge…
1
2 3
88 89