A "universe in a test tube" that could be used to prove theories of everything has been created by physicists using liquid helium and a magnetic field to build a finger-sized representation of the early cosmos.
The equations used to describe this superfluid turn up in many other branches of physics. "For instance, the internal structure of the superfluid mirrors very closely the structure of space-time itself, the 'background' of the universe in which we live," says Haley.
"Consequently the superfluid can be used to simulate particle and cosmic phenomena; black holes, cosmic strings and the Big Bang for instance.
"This is great for testing theories, since the equations describing helium-3 are well-established enough to say that it is the most complex system for which we already have string theory -the 'Theory of Everything'," Haley said.
