Could anybody explain the string theory?

Question

As simply as you can...I've seen it on Nova but I just don't get it.

Answer 1

Think of a guitar string that has been tuned by stretching the string under tension across the guitar. Depending on how the string is plucked and how much tension is in the string, different musical notes will be created by the string. These musical notes could be said to be excitation modes of that guitar string under tension.
In a similar manner, in string theory, the elementary particles we observe in particle accelerators could be thought of as the "musical notes" or excitation modes of elementary strings.
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.

Answer 2

String theory is a model of fundamental physics whose building blocks are one-dimensional extended objects (strings) rather than the zero-dimensional points (particles) that are the basis of the Standard Model of particle physics. For this reason, string theories are able to avoid problems associated with the presence of pointlike particles in a physical theory. Studies of string theories have revealed that they require not just strings, but also higher-dimensional objects.

The basic idea is that the fundamental constituents of reality are strings of energy of the Planck length (about 10-35 m) which vibrate at resonant specific frequencies[1]. Another key claim of the theory is that no measurable differences can be detected between strings that wrap around dimensions smaller than themselves and those that move along larger dimensions (i.e., physical processes in a dimension of size R match those in a dimension of size 1/R). Singularities are avoided because the observed consequences of "big crunches" never reach zero size. In fact, should the universe begin a "big crunch" sort of process, string theory dictates that the universe could never be smaller than the size of a string, at which point it would actually begin expanding.

Interest in string theory is driven largely by the hope that it will prove to be a theory of everything. It is a possible solution of the quantum gravity problem, and in addition to gravity it can naturally describe interactions similar to electromagnetism and the other forces of nature. Superstring theories include fermions, the building blocks of matter, and incorporate supersymmetry. It is not yet known whether string theory will be able to describe a universe with the precise collection of forces and matter that is observed, nor how much freedom to choose those details that the theory will allow. String theory as a whole has not yet made falsifiable predictions that would allow it to be experimentally tested, though various special corners of the theory are accessible to planned observations and experiments. Hence critics of string theory occasionally remark that the theory "... is not even wrong," quoting a quip attributed to Wolfgang Pauli.

Work on string theory has led to advances in mathematics, mainly in algebraic geometry. String theory has also led to other theories, supersymmetric gauge theories, which will be tested at the new Large Hadron Collider experiment.

Answer 3

Its a theory with a lot of math it deals with space having vibrating miniscule strings. It suposed to supplant the Aether theory of space. However its just another theory of the Aether .
The application of the Aether theory has be come fashionable in 21st Century Physics. Quite a turn around since the Michaelson -Morley lumineferous Aether Experiment.
Perhaps one day some one will Unravel the secrets that the Aether was hiding?
May be a guitar player may have move insight about this theory, It does make some sense.

Answer 4

the string theory says everything in the universe is made of extremely small strings. check out Wikipedia.

Answer 5

The universe is made of energy. Based on the energy (vibration) it determines what it is: Rock, Water....
In school you probably learned that everything is made up of atoms. Well these atoms are made up of even smaller stuff called strings currently.

Answer 6

string theory...is it that when you tie a string around your finger the blood gets cut off?

Answer 7

Basically an alternate universe. Very interesting but I personally do not believe it.

Answer 8

As simply as you can.
but I just don't get it

Type it r-e-a-l-l-y slow
and maybe she'll understand....