or Can all laws of nature be reduced to

one single system?

The Extremes:

- Extremely fast (speed of light)- Extremely small (elementary particles)- Extremely big (universe)- Extremely heavy (black hole)- Extremely high energy (extremely hot) - Extremely low energy (extremely cold)- Extremely complex (life)

Einstein’s Special relativity theory

- Extremely fast (speed of light):

A rotation in space

The rotation in

Space-time

Space direction

time direction

Beam of l

ight

Beam of light

The rotation in

Space-time

Einstein’s general theory of relativity

- Extremely fast (speed of light) and extremely heavy :

Now combine:

Gravity = geometryThe Black Hole

Do this for space-time geometry:Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Escape velocity = velocity of light

The third extreme:- Extremely small: atoms and molecules; the light quantum (photon)

Quantum mechanics

Also in their orbits around an atomic nucleus, electrons feature wave patterns ...

Atoms owe their structures to that

Niels Bohr

This is why atoms such as the carbon atom, bind other atoms (such as hydrogen) in special configurations …

OH

H

water

105

The atomic nucleus

And this is why molecules have special shapes: lifeis based on this ...

Relativistic quantum mechanics: the theory for the elementary particles

Now combine:- Extremely fast (speed of light) with - extremely small

P.A.M. Dirac

Every particle is associated to an

antiparticle

Generation I Generation IIThe Standard Model

YMBosons

0Z W

W

g

c cc

Higgs

Generation III

b b

tt t

b

Leptons ee

Quarksu

d ssd

uu

sd

Now combine:- Extremely small: elementary particles with - Extremely big : the Cosmos

Extremely small

Extreme fast

Extremely heavy

relativity

quantum

gravity

Elementaryparticles

General relativity

Quantumgravity

?

Extremely small

Extremely fast

Extremely heavy

Extremely high energy

Extremely big

Extremely complex

Extremely coldTheory of Everything

Super String Theory

Quantum gravity could answer many questions:- How to combine the different forces into one?- How to explain the wide varieties of Nature’s constants? Can they be computed? - Why is the Universe so big?- How can the Universe have begun?- How does it evolve?- How unique is this Universe? Can it only evolve in one unique way?- How complex is it?- etc.

THE END