The secrets of black holes and the Higgs mass could be hidden in a 7-dimensional geometry

Key Points:

• A new study proposes a solution to the black hole information paradox by using Einstein-Cartan gravity theory formulated in 7 dimensions, where spacetime torsion creates a repulsive force that halts black hole evaporation, leaving a stable remnant instead of complete disappearance.
• This remnant acts as a "cosmic hard drive," storing vast amounts of quantum information (up to 1.515 x 10^77 qubits for a solar-mass black hole) in the long-lived vibrations of the torsion field, thereby preserving information and resolving the paradox without violating quantum mechanics.
• The theory links this 7-dimensional geometry to particle physics by naturally generating the electroweak scale (~246 GeV) associated with the Higgs field, offering a geometric explanation for the origin of mass and the mass hierarchy problem.
• Although the predicted extra dimensions and associated particle masses (~8.6 x 10^15 GeV) are beyond current collider capabilities, the theory makes testable predictions, including stable black hole remnants as potential dark matter candidates and observable signatures in the Cosmic Microwave Background or primordial gravitational waves.
• This research suggests that resolving the information paradox and understanding fundamental particle masses may require embracing a deeper, seven-dimensional structure of spacetime rather than revising quantum mechanics.