A two minute animation of a potential Theory of Everything. The first 30 seconds explains a few terms and then the structure, the E8 Lie group, “what many consider the most beautiful structure in mathematics”, starts to rotate. Maybe in 8 dimensions, but I’m not sure. It’s striking.

Scientists often discover ideas or theories are true because of their elegance and beauty. Currently the two major theories of physics, relativity and quantum mechanics won’t gel.

Garrett Lisi may have advanced a possible resolution using the E8 Lie group.He assembled the known elementary particles like quarks and leptons within the E8 structure and then using the elegance of the structure added particles that as yet did not fit into any one holistic form. That was in 2007. He say he still has work to do on the theory but he’s optimistic.

The other major theory currently trying to unity all the elementary particles and forces of nature is string theory. It however has become more complex than what it is trying to explain. That is not a good sign of either beauty, or probably truth.