[Repost] Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek Says Permanent 'Time Crystal' Exists in Fourth Dimension

Frank Wilczek, a renowned theoretical physicist at MIT and Nobel Laureate in Physics, recently announced his latest research findings suggesting that "time crystals," which can undergo periodic motion, may indeed exist. Compared to ordinary three-dimensional spatial crystals, the so-called "time crystal" refers to a structure that also exhibits periodic repetition in the fourth dimension (i.e., time). Researchers believe that this magical structure is similar to a perpetual motion machine, existing in a state of perpetual motion, yet not violating the law of conservation of energy. From diamonds to snowflakes, crystals are very common in nature. The atoms of these substances are neatly arranged, forming periodic repeating patterns in three-dimensional space, giving them a very beautiful appearance. These three-dimensional crystals are also important materials for research and application in the field of technology. Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek, in this important research, believes that crystals in the fourth dimension, i.e., "time crystals," which are structures that undergo periodic repetitive motion in the fourth dimension, may also exist in nature. According to physicists' views, a time crystal should be a natural object whose components move in a repetitive pattern. Like a kaleidoscope, the fragments inside constantly rotate back and forth to form various beautiful patterns; or like a clock, its hour hand completes a 360-degree rotation every 12 hours. However, unlike ordinary objects with constantly moving parts such as clocks, time crystals achieve perpetual motion supported by their own perpetual motion mechanism, which must comply with the laws of physics. Such bizarre objects are incredible and difficult to understand, and most people had never imagined them before. However, Wilczek believes that they may already exist in nature or may soon be artificially synthesized through engineering means, and there may be multiple types of time crystals. Wilczek explained, "The simplest form of realization is that some system, whose geometric characteristics allow it to move in a circular motion, returns to its original position after a certain period of time. A more complex structure might be a group of atoms that move randomly and freely in three-dimensional space, but they all periodically return to their starting points." Regarding the characteristics of time crystals, Wilczek believes that its motion should not consume any energy; instead, it should be in a stable minimum energy state, just like diamonds and other traditional crystals. Even so, it remains in a state of perpetual motion. However, Wilczek also stated that time crystals are not the same as perpetual motion machines, and time crystals do not violate the law of conservation of energy. "Usually, so-called perpetual motion machines certainly cannot last long because they are not in a ground state; their energy will be consumed as they move, and eventually the energy will be exhausted. In time crystals, energy is conserved because no energy is removed. The magical thing is that in these objects, energy has its own minimized configuration, but the motion rate of the atoms in the object is not zero." Wilczek defended in his paper that time crystals follow a theory called "time symmetry breaking" by physicists. This theory states: no matter where you are in space or time, the principles of physics apply equally. You can conduct a physics experiment, perform certain tests, and then move these experimental equipment to any direction within an arbitrary short distance, or wait for any length of time in a short period and then conduct certain experiments again. In all these experiments, you should get the same results. In this case, time and space are called perfectly symmetrical. Wilczek's important point is that crystals capable of breaking time symmetry can also exist. In two recently published papers, Wilczek verified it through mathematical methods. Ordinary crystals are usually imperfect. Therefore, Wilczek believes that it is possible to discover or manufacture an imperfect time crystal, i.e., this object can move in a nearly circular way, but with slight fluctuations, so it will slowly radiate a small amount of energy over a considerable period of time. However, Wilczek also stated that true time crystals may also exist in nature, most likely to be realized in the laboratory first. Due to the harsh conditions for the formation of such crystals in the past and the fact that few people could understand them, it is too early to discuss their applications now. Wilczek said, "The current research is to discover theoretical possibilities. Next, if nature is benevolent and has a sense of humor, then time crystals will appear somewhere soon. To help those who try to verify it experimentally, we should first provide guidance, suggesting which materials are most promising for realization." Wilczek's two latest papers were published on the arXiv website, with co-author Alfred Shapir, a physicist at the University of Kentucky, in one of them. The two physicists plan to publish the papers in Physical Review Letters in the near future. Comment: There is something mixed together, born before heaven and earth. Silent and empty, independent and unchanging, circulating without fatigue