They have found a number of places, both in the night sky and in the laboratory, where the nature of space and time at the Planck scale would have indirect, but observable effects.

ECONOMIST: Planck-scale physics

The precise nature of this pattern, Dr Benatti says, depends on Planck-scale physics.

ECONOMIST: Planck-scale physics

Nor need physicists look only to the sky to see Planck-scale effects.

ECONOMIST: Planck-scale physics

Because the early universe is believed to have undergone a period of rapid inflation, features that were Planck-scale may have been magnified to the point where they are visible as blips in the cosmic microwave background, an electromagnetic echo of the Big Bang.

ECONOMIST: Planck-scale physics

Because radiation from the Crab nebula is so energetic, the electrons that created it must have been travelling very close to the speed of light so close that the difference between the two speeds would bump up against Planck-scale graininess, and show up in the spectrum of the radiation.

ECONOMIST: Planck-scale physics