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Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)

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Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)

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Web Extras

The universe’s extra dimensions

For superstring theory to work, our cosmos must have another six dimensions. Where are they hiding?
By Liz Kruesi
Published: February 25, 2013
String-Theory
The April article “What string theory tells us about the universe” overviews superstring theory and how it fits with science’s standard model of particle physics. But this model of the universe requires an additional six dimensions, which researchers haven’t yet detected. Astronomy published an article a few years ago that investigates how these six dimensions are curled in space and describes possible observational signatures that scientists can look for. Specifically, in “Searching for the shape of the universe,” researchers study the cosmic microwave background — a residual radiation that exists everywhere in the cosmos.

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