Throughout history, physicists have often stumbled upon extra dimensions in their attempts to develop elegant and comprehensive theories. String theory, for example, suggests the existence of 10 dimensions, while some versions of supergravity theories propose 11 dimensions. Currently, our understanding of the universe is confined to the familiar three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension, collectively known as spacetime. The additional dimensions, if they exist, are hidden from our direct observation. This enigma has prompted physicists to explore various mechanisms that could conceal these extra dimensions, such as compactification, where the extra dimensions are curled up into tiny, inaccessible spaces, or brane theories, where our universe is a three-dimensional membrane embedded in a higher-dimensional space. As physicists continue to probe the fundamental nature of reality, the quest to unveil the hidden dimensions remains a captivating and elusive frontier in our understanding of the cosmos.
