String Theory....Multiple Dimensions....

[ArmoBarbi]

hehehe dont we all? I think I will read up on the basics and bring it up to Maman. If it does develop into something more than a theory, Im sure we will be hearing about it.

[loseyourname]

I moved your thread here. Seems more appropriate. I might post something in here later. I have a decent semantic understanding of the theory, though the math is way beyond me. I think what you are trying to say is that the mathematics so far has proven consistent with empirical observation, but so is the math of theories like QM and GR that have existed for longer. The math of string theory is far from being worked out. The equations are so complex that the math to solve them does not yet exist and the best we've been able to do is approximate solutions. The extra dimensions posited by the theory are actually microscopic dimensions that cannot be apprehended by any sensory apparatus that humans have. They are said to be rolled in on themselves. In essence, they are coiled, or circular dimensions, unlike the 4 that we are used to experiencing, which are all linear dimensions. They are spatial dimensions nonetheless, though. The theory posits no fundamental measurement beyond space and time.

[ArmoBarbi]

I think this was a good decision. We really were having a more serious discussion with this one. I will follow up after I do my research, was too busy with New Years.

[hyebruin]

NOVA on PBS had a program on this last week; it was called The Elegant Universe by Brian Green. I've seen the book and once I'm done with school it's on my list of books to read.

The program is aimed towards the general audience; but even then the theory is so out of this world that it's a challenge to fully absorb and dare I say "understand" it even though they do present the program to be "entertaining" for the masses.

[loseyourname]

You can stream the PBS special to your computer here:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program.html

[Thai-Samurai]

thanx, now I have something to do.

[Thai-Samurai]

Wow that was cool.

[MadHandle]

yeaahh...thats exactly what I mean...

[ArmoBarbi]

Fresh off the official site:

In string theory, as in guitar playing, the string must be stretched under tension in order to become excited. However, the strings in string theory are floating in spacetime, they aren't tied down to a guitar. Nonetheless, they have tension. The string tension in string theory is denoted by the quantity 1/(2 p a'), where a' is pronounced "alpha prime"and is equal to the square of the string length scale.
If string theory is to be a theory of quantum gravity, then the average size of a string should be somewhere near the length scale of quantum gravity, called the Planck length, which is about 10-33 centimeters, or about a millionth of a billionth of a billionth of a billionth of a centimeter. Unfortunately, this means that strings are way too small to see by current or expected particle physics technology (or financing!!) and so string theorists must devise more clever methods to test the theory than just looking for little strings in particle experiments.
String theories are classified according to whether or not the strings are required to be closed loops, and whether or not the particle spectrum includes fermions.

Did you get all that? Looks like string theory is not just one theory or a theory that comes in different versions.