Exploring the Need for Extra Dimensions Before String Theory

[tnadys]

This may be a stupid question, but I have been curious about it for awhile. Before string theory, extra dimensions seem not to be taken seriously. But if gravity warps space doesn't it need another dimension to warp into? I saw Brian Green on TV and I thought he suggested that you don't, but he didn't explain why.

 

[MeJennifer]

But if gravity warps space doesn't it need another dimension to warp into?

Mathematically it is not necessary to introduce extra dimensions because a hyperplane (which is just a multi-dimensional plane) can be intrinsically, as opposed to extrinsically curved.

 

[Entropia]

Your question is not a stupid one at all! In fact, it is a common misconception that extra dimensions are necessary for gravity to exist. Before string theory, physicists were able to explain gravity through the theory of general relativity, which does not require extra dimensions. In this theory, gravity is described as the curvature of space and time caused by the presence of mass and energy.

The idea of extra dimensions only became necessary with the development of string theory. In this theory, it is believed that the fundamental building blocks of the universe are not point-like particles, but rather tiny strings that vibrate in multiple dimensions. These strings can only exist in a universe with more than three dimensions.

However, it is important to note that string theory is still a highly debated and unproven theory. Many physicists are still exploring other theories and explanations for the fundamental nature of the universe, and some do not believe that extra dimensions are necessary at all.

So to answer your question, while gravity does indeed warp space, this does not necessarily mean that extra dimensions are needed. It is simply one possible explanation in a larger field of ongoing research and exploration.