h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

okay, I'm not a qualified physicist - unless an nvq in hairdressing counts - but I was under the impression that among all the other anomalies that science is left looking at somewhat embarrassedly, was the fact that energy is seeping into the universe from somewhere else. Is this not the reasoning that led to the postulate of an eleventh dimension from which this energy and apparently gravity could seep in from? And the nature of the omniverse of which our universe is but the tiniest fragment is still a point of some great contention among the advocators of M theory and could in itself be an open system and part of something far greater (or more accurately far tinier)? I discussed it with Mrs Morton whilst perming her hair, but she just looked at me blankly.

I've never heard of such theories. In particular, I'd need an Internet link to learn about this "energy seeping", because this is totally new to me.

All of this is extremely highly speculative. Only a few physicists are working on it, and to be honest -- not many more are interested in their findings.

You've not heard of M theory? I was led to believe that it was heralded as the theory of everything. It's based on the theories of the super gravitists and the super string theorists. I probably haven't used the correct terminology, but the general meaning I believe to be correct. If any one has heard of any of these camps of thought then please chip in, as I would love to be able to increase my understanding of the eleven dimensions that they all describe.

The string theory has gotten stuck for years. Once it used to be very promising, but since its Big Year 1986 nothing really significant has happened.