Physicists are divided between two alternate theories that explain the universe. How we understand these theories can shape our politics, and even our thinking about religion. The theory of general relativity (think Albert Einstein) explains the universe on a cosmological scale, showing that time-space is a constant, and predictable. General relativity allows us to understand the force of gravity, and the bending effect gravity has on light.
This image illustrates how light is bent over the curvature of space.
Quantum field theory (think Max Planck), on the other hand, reveals a random, irrational, and unpredictable universe at the most submicroscopic levels. According to quantum physics, the tiniest elements of the universe are constantly changing and seemingly jump in and out of existence at random. Depending on the question a researcher asks, the same element may be a particle or a wave. This is best illustrated by Schrodinger’s cat:
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