String Theory Pro and Con

[mark kennedy]

I happened upon one of the more comprehensive documentaries for String theory at

PBS presents 'The Elegant Universe'.

Scientists are baffled about how two of the most important laws of physics are in conflict with one another. The two laws are The General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Einstein spent his twilight years trying to unify the laws of very large things and the laws of very small things. Stephen Hawkin's famous book,

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME asks this very question.

To date no unified theory of physics has solved this problem but String Theory is becoming a very popular possibility. There are discussions of this all over the place and it one of the most popular studies in colleges and universities according to one professor of physics on the Nova program.

Here is another discussion about it and it is believed that the person to unify these two feilds will be the next Sir Issac Newton.

New Newton

 

[mattjay]

I actually watched part 3 of 'The Elegant Universe' just the other day.

Whether they're on to something genuine or not, it's fascinating what the human mind can come up with.

It's sad these physicists get little or no attention from the general celebrity loving public.

 

[Iron Sun 254]

The biggest con of string theory is that it is utterly untestable with today's technology and may never be testable.

 

[Thursday]

I think string theory is valid. This old priest I know has been saying there are 9+ dimensions for the longest time - we get into some interesting discussions - and then I see this PBS special saying that they think there are 11 dimensions!

String theory gives some great explanations. I wish I was a physicist so I could attempt to understand some of the math. I bet it looks pretty.

 

[Quantos]

Lets see

3 Dimensions for our current reality
3 Dimensions for Hell
3 Dimensions for Heaven
1 Dimension for Time
1 Dimension to tie them all together


Problem solved

 

[one love]

String theory is more situated to a conversation based near a water cooler than an instituion or college.

 

[Thursday]

String theory is more situated to a conversation based near a water cooler than an instituion or college.

Any reasons why???

 

[Komichi]

If it weren't for mass and gravity, we could be in two places at once. So I suppose the angels can't be pure entities of light.

 

[RoboMastodon]

Lets see

3 Dimensions for our current reality
3 Dimensions for Hell
3 Dimensions for Heaven
1 Dimension for Time
1 Dimension to tie them all together


Problem solved

???

So I guess I am approximately
6 feet tall
1 foot wide
6 inches thick
0 feet Hell1
0 feet Hell2
0 feet Hell3
0 feet Heaven1
0 feet Heaven2
0 feet Heaven3
16 years old
0 feet "tied all together"

 

[Quantos]

???

So I guess I am approximately
6 feet tall
1 foot wide
6 inches thick
0 feet Hell1
0 feet Hell2
0 feet Hell3
0 feet Heaven1
0 feet Heaven2
0 feet Heaven3
16 years old
0 feet "tied all together"

Well that would be assusming you were a 11 Diminitonal creature

Now if you were just a 3 Dimintional creature traviling through time, and in a Fixed position in the other dimitions, the you would see & behave as you see the world around you.

Think of a 2 Dimintional creature, they would have no Measurment or concept of the 3rd dimention, and wouldnt measure them self as 0Tall, as they have no Tall becuse they are only Long & wide.

 

[RoboMastodon]

Well that would be assusming you were a 11 Diminitonal creature

Now if you were just a 3 Dimintional creature traviling through time, and in a Fixed position in the other dimitions, the you would see & behave as you see the world around you.

Think of a 2 Dimintional creature, they would have no Measurment or concept of the 3rd dimention, and wouldnt measure them self as 0Tall, as they have no Tall becuse they are only Long & wide.

If the universe is 11 dimensions, then I, being in the universe, would have to have 11 dimensions. (Assuming the universe is 3 dimensional)A hypothetical being residing in something "flat", say a piece of paper, would still have 3 dimensions (because it resides in a 3-dimensional universe) and it would be the thickness of the paper. However, as far as any hyperdimensional geometers residing in the piece of paper are concerened, if there is such an illusive 3rd dimension, then they probably measure approximately 0 in that dimension. Lastly, it is possible to live to be restricted to an n-dimensional part of a universe and actually have n+1-dimensional physical properties. If we take all the beings residing in the piece of paper and glue toothpicks onto them, they probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference but now toothpicks are part of their physical extensions, yet they are completely unaw are of them. A line, by definition, has 0 width or height, only length (or which ever dimension you want to measure it as).

p.s. It's "dimensional"

...math. I bet it looks pretty.

Ask and ye shall receive:

The equation for strings in 10-dimensions. One of the current tasks in string theory is to find an 11-dimensional version of this equation in order to satisfy M-Theory's requirement. I'm not exactly sure what this equation says. I recognize some of the variables Psi and Psi* I think are the wave function and its complex conjugate. I think H is the Hamiltonian, i is the imaginary unit. I'm not sure what partialdifferential_tau means. Lastly, I think the L is supposed to be a Lagrangian (although Lagrangians are normally denoted with a fancier L, so I'm not sure), much like the langrangian for quantum electrodynamics.

Also http://www.superstringtheory.com is a decent resource.

 

[whatiswatanabe]

The biggest con of string theory is that it is utterly untestable with today's technology and may never be testable.

And yet some physicists like it because it has elegant math. Becareful with math. Just a few asumptions and Einstien got relativity from it.

 

[one love]

I am all for the unified field theory, only string theory is not the answer. Who takes string theory seriously? A group of New England Ivy League proffesors and their counterparts in Cali. I am not convinced.

 

[Illuminatus]

I wouldn't say that string theory is becoming popular, much the opposite. It's been around for long enough that scientists are starting to drift away from it, because it's made no verifiable predictions. When the LHC goes online in 2007, we'll find out who's right.

 

[Yamialpha]

To date no unified theory of physics has solved this problem but String Theory is becoming a very popular possibility.

I don't know if I'd go as far as saying that. Many theoreticians have become impatient with its apparent lack of progress. It's popularity and credibility will be greatly determined by the findings the Large Hadron Collider produces, mainly supersymmetry.

 

[Thursday]

Is the LHC that huge collider that CERN is building?

 

[Illuminatus]

Is the LHC that huge collider that CERN is building?

Yeah, the Large Hadron Collider.

 

[Yamialpha]

Is the LHC that huge collider that CERN is building?

Yes-it's the one physicists are hoping will prove that supersymmetry exists, something superstring theory hinges on (hence the "super" in superstring theory).