Gravity is no longer a force, AI has gone rogue, and dark matter is at risk: Key events in global physics in 2024.
For more than a century, physicists have dreamed of a Theory of Everything that would explain all that exists with a single formula.
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Throughout the year, physicists have astonished the public with incredible discoveries, some of which are merely hypotheses that have since been forgotten. Distinguishing between statements like "scientists have proven" as mere rhetoric and genuine breakthroughs is not easy. We carefully reviewed the blogs of leading global researchers, who summarized the year's findings, and selected five truly significant challenges that scientists faced in 2024.
THE SECRETS OF GRAVITY
2024 could be remembered alongside the years when Newton published his "Principia" and Einstein introduced the theory of relativity. Scientists have been persistently approaching the mysteries of gravity and even announced the discovery of properties of gravity that would have been unimaginable to Newton and Einstein. However, things turned out to be more complicated.
Modified gravity is a theory suggesting that the force pulling bodies together is not absolute but varies over time and space. Gravity was different in the past, either stronger or weaker, and it intensifies as one moves away.
The simplest way to test this is by observing binary stars. These massive objects live in pairs, orbiting each other, and if something is amiss with gravity, we will notice it. Indeed, a very serious article has emerged stating that gravity is malfunctioning. Do not believe your school textbooks.
0Scientists have been persistently approaching the mysteries of gravity.
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This discovery, of course, changes everything. Dark matter may not be needed, the Big Bang might not have occurred, and the universe we observe could very well be an illusion. Consequently, the results were quickly re-evaluated, and competitors found significant errors in the calculations. It did not hold up.
However, just before the New Year, the first group of physicists reported that they had corrected the error, yet still concluded that gravity is not as previously thought. Critics did not have time to respond as they were off at a corporate event.
What does this mean? It suggests that 2025 might enter the annals of science. We shall see!
THEORY OF EVERYTHING
For over a century, physicists have aspired to a Theory of Everything that would explain all existence with a single formula.
The aim is to unify relativity and quantum mechanics—two concepts that work beautifully on their own but radically contradict each other. This is indeed a silly situation. When studying a natural phenomenon, one can view it through the lens of quantum mechanics or through Einstein's equations; both perspectives are correct, yet both are also simultaneously incorrect.
The latest attempt to reconcile the irreconcilable was string theory, which "almost succeeded" in the 1990s but has since become mired in insurmountable contradictions.
And in 2024, physicist Jonathan Oppenheim emerged on the horizon, having worked long and hard on his theory. It has yet to be fully "digested" or understood, but it shows promise.
Typically, a Theory of Everything introduces a quantum aspect to gravity, suggesting that gravity is transmitted by some elementary particle, the graviton. However, it has never been detected. Meanwhile, many "alternative scientists" are already operating with this graviton, claiming to have created the miracle particle almost on their desks.
Oppenheim took a different approach, and he does not require a graviton. He does not intend to quantize gravity at all.
He proposed that Newton's and Einstein's equations are like gently flowing streams across a flat plain—smooth and sleepy. They lack the sharpness, suddenness, and unpredictability characteristic of quantum mechanics. Let's incorporate all of that.
Jonathan suggested that spacetime is constantly and randomly fluctuating. The equations of Newton and Einstein remain unchanged, but they are now applied not on the calm surface of a pond but on the waves of a restless sea. Indeed, this approach perfectly "marriages" both concepts.
The most valuable aspect is that the theory can be tested by accurately measuring the weight of any object. It should change slightly. However, this is a precision experiment that has yet to be conducted.
Perhaps the theory will not hold, but it is the first fresh idea in the last two decades of research.
QUANTUM COMPUTERS BECOMING REALITY
All year long, the buzz has been around quantum computers, and for good reason. The concept of quantum computers has been around for a long time, and prototypes have existed for years. However, there are issues: these prototypes perform poorly, slowly, and with significant errors. The situation is perplexing: scientists believe in the potential of this technology, yet it is currently not viable.
Meanwhile, the public is convinced that some mythical quantum computers already exist, and they are impressive.
Finally, this year made it clear that a functioning quantum computer is on the horizon. Several hundred research teams are working on solving the problem, and it is encouraging that some are from our homeland. By the end of the year, a paper from Western colleagues emerged, detailing how to correct the colossal errors of quantum computers (without turning their already unwieldy forms into monstrous creations).
Quantum computers are needed to calculate non-trivial matters, such as galaxy distributions or modeling the properties of elementary particles. It is unlikely they will find their way onto our desks, and we do not need them for that. However, the fruits of fundamental research will inevitably impact our daily lives.
1Finally, this year made it clear that a functioning quantum computer is on the horizon.
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AI GETTING CLOSER
All year long, we have been writing about AI, mostly in a scandalous context. AI is hallucinating, AI is delusional. Neural networks are prone to dementia. AI is dangerous: it instills bad thoughts in people, communicates with itself in a language incomprehensible to humans, and is definitely plotting something.
To speak seriously, without hype or exaggerations, the issues surrounding AI are typical of any new and very advanced technology. AI is still imperfect. At the same time, it can already do so much that people are eager to apply it wherever their imagination allows. When faced with tasks beyond its capabilities, AI falters.
However, it became evident in 2024 that AI is on the brink of taking over everything, as scientists have learned to combine neural networks, marking yet another advancement following the "deep learning" phase. In the summer, it was announced that a network capable of solving problems at the level of a silver medalist in international math competitions had emerged. By the way, OpenAI, which was in the spotlight in 2023, threatened to showcase an artificial "doctor of science" this year, rather than just a silver medalist, but did not deliver.
This is normal: the competition in the AI field is immense; those who were first yesterday may not be today.
Is there a reason to celebrate? Not really. It is clear that AI will primarily be used for nefarious purposes. Fraudsters are already impersonating voices and can even create faces of "relatives" during video calls. Corporations have taken (yes, this has already happened) all our personal data for training their neural networks, and who knows what will happen next. In a worst-case scenario, we might face a temporary but complete loss of privacy, leading to a reassessment of all familiar systems (banking, medical, GPS, etc.), as everything could spiral out of control. I do not rule out that for some time, we may have to read only paper newspapers and use landlines, if any are still around. Because everything digital could collapse temporarily.
But it is unlikely this will happen (if it does at all) by 2025. AI development, as is predictable, does not progress linearly: after bright successes come fields of failures, so we shall see if researchers become mired in some fundamental contradictions.
2AI is still imperfect. At the same time, it can already do so much that people are eager to apply it wherever their imagination allows.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FATE OF THE WORLD
Perhaps the most significant developments are occurring where large telescopes are stationed (and flying). Astronomy