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Introduction

So what is exactly “string theory”? Why do some of the foremost physicists of our time preach about the promise of string theory? And why has Einstein’s so-called successor, Professor Edward Witten, made this field of study his life’s work? These and other questions contribute to the intrigue about a theory that is lacking in most physics textbooks but dominating certain circles in the physics world. Let us first explore the basic idea of string theory.

Basic Description

Strings are hypothesized to be about 10-35 meters, which is inconceivably tiny and will most probably never be seen by even the most powerful microscopes.

String theory seems to be a possible answer to Albert Einstein’s attempt at unification. Unification, or developing a set of theories and rules that apply to the four major forces of physics – strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, electromagnetism, and gravity, has spurned for a so-called Theory of Everything. Such a theory would provide an all-encompassing way to understand the forces of matter and the universe itself. String theory seems to set aside the glitches between general relativity and quantum mechanics by introducing the string, a structure that is much smaller than any subatomic particle. In fact, strings are hypothesized to be about 10-35 meters, which is inconceivably tiny and will most probably never be seen by even the most powerful microscopes.

Theoretical physicists claim that, based on the vibration of the strings, every particle and force of the four major phenomena in physics can be explained. Somewhat similar to the strings of an instrument, these vibrations are created by the universe’s “plucking” of these strings. “String theory” is really a common name for many theories that have been developed. Beginning in the 1960s and with the first and second “superstring revolutions” in the 1980s and 1990s, string theory has evolved from to become a complex theory. This complexity is due to the addition of supersymmetry that created “superstring theory.”

Now, M-theory has been developed as a more complete theory because it actually attempts to unify the five different superstring theories that were proposed. All of these aforementioned ideas fall into the title of “string theory.” Unfortunately, string theory has many doubters who have suggested numerous legitimate flaws with the theory. Moreover, string theory is so complex that current mathematics does not allow for physicists to solve string theory equations. Possibly a century ahead of its time, string theory will be properly explored when mathematics and mathematicians catch up themselves. So is string theory the real thing? Maybe only time will tell.

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