HYBYCOZO and E8 — The Exceptionally Simple Theory That Started Everything
HYBYCOZO — or the Hyperspace Bypass Construction Zone is an art and design studio based in California that was founded in 2014 by Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk.
While watching Garret Lisi’s TedX talk discussing his attempt at finding a “Theory of Everything,” we had our EUREKA moment for our first project.
For us, hearing his explanation of the nature of particles in the universe and building the undeniable connection between geometry, pattern, and form revealed a fundamental truth to us as artists.
Of course the underlying structure of the universe would be beautiful to us.
Whether E8 will form the basis for the grand unified theory will be up to the LHC and other physicists to figure out. What remains, however, is HYBYCOZO’s journey to illustrate and demonstrate scientific and mathematical concepts through art. We hope to add to our own understanding of the universe, as well as increase awareness of some innately beautiful concepts in science and math.
The very first pattern we developed, Trocto, is a representation of E8 and the metaphysical or ‘sacred symbol,’ Metatron’s Cube.
To those inclined to believe in ‘sacred geometry,’ Metatron’s Cube is a symbol from which all 5 of the platonic solids can be drawn. It is found as far back as the 7th century BC in the Temple of Osiris in ancient Egypt, in Roman mosaics, and in islamic girih tilings.
The most interesting correlation here is that the Platonic solids embody the five exceptional Lie groups.
The question of why our universe should be controlled by the E8 structure is not one that Lisi tackles. “I think the universe is pure geometry — basically, a beautiful shape twisting around and dancing over space-time,” says Lisi.
“Since E8 is perhaps the most beautiful structure in mathematics, it is very satisfying that nature appears to have chosen this geometry.”
If you’re a rational person, you have to be reinforced in your belief that these mathematical structures are bound to be important in physics. Mother Nature recycles robust mechanisms — and “critical points” (conformal theories) — at many places (other systems naturally flow to them) and it would be silly not to use these things at the fundamental level.
