Chapter Eleven, Tearing the Fabric of Space Summary and Analysis

According to the theory of relativity, the fabric of space cannot tear. However, according to string theory, it could be possible: in extreme situations, like the incredibly dense central point of a black hole, the fabric of space may actually puncture. Some physicists theorize there may be "bridges" possible in space that go from one region to another, otherwise called wormholes. In 1987, Shing-Tung Yau and Gang Tian found, using a mathematical procedure, that certain Calabi-Yau shapes could be changed into others by rupturing the surface, then quickly repairing it. Brian Greene, Paul Aspinwall, and David Morrison converged on the Massachusetts Institute for Advanced Study to examine the possibilities of tearing space, or space-tearing flop-transitions. They examined the issue using mirror symmetry: often, the mirror of an object could be...