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Hour Two: The Search for Extra Dimensions You're probably okay with the idea that there are at least three dimensions - they describe length, width, and height. With a little convincing, you might accept the idea that time makes up a fourth dimension in the world we live in - a place scientists call "space-time." But how would you feel about an idea proposed by Thodor Kaluza and Oskar Klein in the 1920's, saying that a fifth dimension might be responsible for the universe's electromagnetic properties? Or different flavors of string theory, which hold that there may be as many as eleven dimensions? The concept of extra, hidden dimensions might seem mind-bending -- as difficult to comprehend as it might be for an ant walking on a wire to imagine that there's more to the universe than a straight line. Most of the theories say that the other dimensions are "curled up" or "compactified," scrunched up so tightly that it's hard for us to see how they impact upon our world. Some physicists, however, believe that it may be possible to observe ways in which these hidden dimensions reveal themselves. The signs of these dimensions might be found in devices as complicated as ultra-powerful particle accelerators, or in experiments as simple as sensitive benchtop measurements of gravity. In this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at efforts to find these extra dimensions, and ask whether the presence or absence of these other worlds makes any difference. Join guest host David Kestenbaum for a look into the twists and turns of extra-dimensional research, call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255, and share your opinions online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required)
Guests: Blayne Heckel Henry Frisch Keith Dienes Books/Articles Discussed:
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This segment produced by: Annette
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Host/Executive Producer/Editor of Science Friday: Ira Flatow Senior Producer of Science Friday: Karin Vergoth Executive web producer: Ira Flatow Web producer: Charles Bergquist
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