As a young kid or even sometime presently in your life you have probably stumbled across one of the greatest philosophical questions “where did everything come from and why is the world (universe) the way it is?” If you are a religious person you probably think that the answers are in the teachings of whatever religion you may follow. On the other hand if you are a scientist the answer of that would be in the scientific method (the way of investigating phenomena through observation and analysis). Some physicists now believe that we are getting closer to a theory which could describe our universe.
According to Brian Greene “our understanding of the universe has given us a variety of explanations that are all pointing toward one spot, they seem to all be converging on one nugget of an idea that we are still trying to find…” (Greene). Greene is talking about the unification of all physics that can be expressed in one relatively simple equation, just as James Clark Maxwell unified electricity and magnetism into one theory called electromagnetism in the nineteenth century. String theorists are now trying to unify the four known forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetism, strong, and weak) into one theory.
Can there really be one theory that describes everything from subatomic particles to the universe as a whole? And can this theory describe where everything comes from and why the world (universe) is the way it is? String theory is trying to accomplish this monumental goal, but with a theory of this magnitude comes new mathematics, seven extra space dimensions, super symmetry, sparticles, branes, worm holes, multiverses, and new forces. To many people, these ideas seem to come straight out of a science fiction novel, but according to string theorist the theory is elegant enough to be on the edge of the scientific frontier.
Many aspects of string theory are controversial in the world of physics. According to many theoretical physicists like Michio Kaku and Lisa Randall string theory has no predictive power (Bell & Randall). Lisa Randall was “the first tenured woman in the Princeton physics department and the first tenured woman theoretical physicist at MIT and Harvard” (Randall). Her work “is among the best cited in all of science” (Randall). Michio Kaku is the “Henry Semat Professor of theoretical physics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York” (Bell). A strong theory needs to have predictive power, which means that experiments need to show reproducible results based on the theory. This is part of the scientific method and this is why some physicists dismiss the theory of a string universe. Another problem with string theory is that it deals with energy levels much greater than our present particle colliders can obtain. Thus we cannot obtain any experimental evidence to support the theory. Though some experimental evidence of this theory could come sometime this year when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland turns on. The LHC is going to probe the weak scale energy, but to probe deep into the idea of string theory we will need to make particle accelerators with much higher energy.
Students interested in physics should know whether string theory is just some crazy idea or if it serves a purpose. Many professors I have talked with have said that it is a “nice idea”, but from what they know the theory has no real world influence or purpose. When asked if they have ever work with string theory the answer is often no. How can string theory be regarded as just a “nice idea” if they have never worked with it? Why is string theory so talked about in physics books at the local book store? Almost all newer books on theoretical physics talk about string theory and its influence as a theory of everything. Why the stigma on string theory? Black holes were hypothesized almost 200 hundred years before they were proven (Kaku). Throughout that time many physicist “snickered” when black holes were mentioned and now we can see the accretion disk to these black holes with the technological advances of telescopes (Kaku). I believe the idea of string theory needs to be investigated more thoroughly before one comes to the conclusion that the theory can be dismissed or referred to as just a “nice idea.”
The idea that what we know to be point particles are really vibrating strings of energy will be my primary source. The Nova special “The Elegant Universe” gives an excellent explanation of this with creative animation, diagrams, pictures, and interviews with some of the world’s most renowned physicist. This special is hosted by Brian Green, professor of mathematics and physics at Columbia University in New York. By analyzing the idea of vibrating strings of energy I will investigate whether this theory should be taken seriously. By talking to my physics professors I will get professional opinions on the topic in hand. I plan to talk with James Dove, Randall Tagg, and various other professors throughout MSCD and UCD. Various books on theoretical physics from some of the world’s greatest and most well renowned physicists will aid my research. Specifically, I will be analyzing books written by Lisa Randall and Michio Kaku, along with others I find throughout my research process. There are various audio and video sources which I can utilize in my research. I was given this URL from one of my peers and it contains fascinating video lectures on string theory and various other topics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. And, of course, I will guide myself throughout the World Wide Web and find information regarding my topic from creditable sources. Here is a list of some of the website I have found through my preliminary research. String Theory: An Evaluation, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, The Official String Theory Website, Nobel Laureate David Gross on String Theory , and CERN and The Large Hadron Collider
Navigating through all of the information out there on string theory will be tough, because I do not want to dive into the crazy mathematics of the theory just yet (it is an extremely advanced subject). I want to find information on whether or not string theory is a road worth taking for physics students. I plan on having all of the sources needed for this research project by July 2nd and possibly sooner. By this time I should have narrowed my sources to those relevant for my research project, and by having the main sources of information my research will be more focused on the subject in hand. This will leave me one month to piece together my research paper until it is “honed” into a piece of excellent research. Utilizing many of the topics covered in Envision (The Course Textbook). By July 23rd I hope to have a rough draft completed of my final project, which will leave me a little over a week to have it reviewed by fellow peers and professors to work out any last minute “bugs” or ideas that should be addressed. By August 2nd I will be marveling at two months work of hard work in a topic that intrigues me and many of my fellow physics peers.
Ever since I heard an interview conducted on string theory with Michio Kaku on a program called Coast To Coast A.M. with Art Bell back in 2004 (I believe). String theory has been a subject in which I wanted to know more about. The whole idea that some mathematical equation could describe our universe seemed quite intriguing. Thus unification seemed to be the road I wanted to head down. I have heard many people talk about string theory as being a “nice idea” like I had mentioned earlier, but why the stigma on this subject? It must have some merit in the physics community because book after book, paper after paper, and lecture after lecture, string theory is talked about. It seems to be the forefront to the physics of the 21st century. My ultimate goal for this final project is to intrigue fellow peers on an unfamiliar topic and strengthen my understanding of particle physics and the quest for unification.
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Brian Greene, host. The Elegant Universe. Public Broadcasting Station. Oct. 2003. 10 Jun. 2007 < http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program_d.html>.
Art Bell, host. Michio Kaku, guest. Civilization, Space, and String Theory. Coast to Coast A.M. 22 Jan. 2006, 22 Jan. 2006. < http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2006/01/22.html%3E.
Randall, Lisa. Warped Passages: Unraveling The Mysteries of the Universe’s Hidden Dimensions. New York: Harper Collins, 2005.
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