Anti- de Sitter spacetime

[moonlord]

I've read in a magazine (Scientific American, November 2005, pages 32-39) that such a negative curvature spacetime as the anti- de Sitter one is a key link to the holographic universe theory. They say the H.U.T. was useful in analyzing the results of a high-energy experiment.

I just wonder, if it helped them draw correct conclusions wouldn't that mean the theory must be correct, therefore we're living in a negative curvature universe. This means there will be no Big Crunch. However they say that's not for sure. Then how do they know the theory (and the conclusions related to that experiment) is correct?

[PWrong]

I just wonder, if it helped them draw correct conclusions wouldn't that mean the theory must be correct

Definitely not. It just means it might not be wrong. I don't know the details of the experiment, but as far as I know, the big crunch is looking unlikely, but hasn't been ruled out. It might predict the wrong result for some other experiment.

The cosmological constant, or negative curvature or whatever is making the universe expand, takes over from gravity at large distances. But there might be some other attracting force that takes over at even larger distances, causing the universe to eventually stop expanding and collapse.

[houserichichi]

I'd suggest taking a look at this paper.

[moonlord]

It's a pity that the math in that article is way beyond my level