Over a century ago , two theories were put frontward to explain all of reality : quantum mechanics and universal relativity . Both have been refined and ameliorate over decade and extensively tested . They are solid possibility . But ultimately , alone , they ca n’t explicate everything – and together they do n’t seem to influence . For 10 , physicist have been looking at the grand incorporated possibility and two chief candidates have been put forward , string theory and quantum loop gravity . Now , a group of researchers have proposed a new one .

It take five years of testing and ironing out , but this new musical theme has now been show . They are promise it the “ postquantum theory of authoritative graveness ” . The name is certainly not as catchy as the other two competition , but there is also another major difference . quad - time in this newfangled theory is not quantized .

To bridge the disruption between relativity and quantum machinist , it has been assumed that , ultimately , space - metre is made of discrete step , much smaller than anything that we can quantify but discrete nonetheless . In this possibility , it is quantum mechanics that changes and this classic space - time leads to a crack-up of predictability once you go to high enough precision .

" Quantum hypothesis and Einstein ’s theory of general relativity are mathematically incompatible with each other , so it ’s significant to translate how this contradiction is resolved . Should spacetime be quantised , or should we change quantum theory , or is it something else exclusively ? Now that we have a consistent fundamental theory in which spacetime does not get quantised , it ’s anybody ’s guess , " Professor Jonathan Oppenheim , from University College London , enounce in astatement .

Space - time is expected to have energy wavering from which speck and antiparticles come into existence for an trice before vanish . In the postquantum theory of classical gravity , these fluctuation are even more violent compared to the quantized distance - meter film . The good news is that the fluctuations lead to a agency to examine the theory .

In a 2nd composition , publish inNature Communications , the squad highlighted how to examine the theory . By measuring the mass and weight of an objective with gamey precision , they should be able to tell apart if space - fourth dimension is classical . The wavering would change the deliberate weight over time , and if those tiny change are not seen then the postquantum hypothesis of Hellenic gravity can be prevail out .

" We have shown that if spacetime does n’t have a quantum nature , then there must be random wavering in the curvature of spacetime which have a particular signature tune that can be verified by experimentation , ” carbon monoxide - source Zach Weller - Davies explained .

" In both quantum gravity and classical gravity , spacetime must be undergoing violent and random fluctuations all around us , but on a scale which we have n’t yet been capable to detect . But if spacetime is classic , the fluctuations have to be heavy than a certain scale , and this scale can be determined by another experiment where we test how long we can put a heavy corpuscle in principle of superposition of being in two different locations . "

test this is not something we can do tomorrow , but it is equally not something to be tested in a few lifetimes . Some research worker estimate that it could be tested within two decades . And good , because there is a wager snuff it betweenProfessor Oppenheim , Professor Carlo Rovelli , and Dr Geoff Penington , the latter two advocator of quantum loop gravity and string theory respectively . They are betting 5,000 to 1 that outer space - time is quantized .

The main newspaper publisher presenting the theory is published inPhysical Review X.