The central result of loop quantum gravity is indeed that space is not continuous, that it is not infinitely divisible but made up of grains, or “atoms of space.” These are extremely minute: a billion billion times smaller than the smallest atomic nuclei. The theory describes these “atoms of space” in mathematical form and provides equations that determine their evolution. They are called “loops,” or rings, because they are linked to one another, forming a network of relations that weaves the texture of space, like the rings of a finely woven, immense chain mail. Where are these quanta of
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