too many conflicting solutions !
2006-12-25 14:46:28 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
First of all, in response to another answer... when did evolution get thrown in the trash bin?? And Einstein never actually came up with a unified theory....
Anyway, there have certainly been a lot of doubt raised about string theory lately. Valid points include, as you mention, too many solutions, lack of verifiable predictions and reliance on too many weird assumptions... like the existence of 10 dimensions.
It seems to me that the leading proponents of string theory have been so caught up with creating a mathematically consistent theory that they have lost sight of the fact that they are supposed to be doing physics. Physics is about the way the world is... not the infinite possible ways the world could have been.
However, although I wouldn't want to become a string theorist myself (even if I had what it takes), I'm not sure that throwing it out is quite justified. After all, there are a LOT of REALLY smart people who believe in it's potential. Also, I'm pretty sure that many, if not all, of the criticisms that are raised about string theory could have been, and were, raised about Einstein's relativity. Today, we simply look at the early doubters of relativity as people who were to slow to adapt to see the brilliance of his work. Granted, string theory doesn't have an Einstein, who can present the theory fully formed with just a few seminal papers. However, even though string theory isn't exactly new, and hasn't yet been presented in a satsifying form, doesn't mean that its time to count it out.
My two cents.
2006-12-25 15:27:20 · answer #1 · answered by Michael S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I recently heard that string theory had been thrown out, but probably not by everyone. What I have read indicates that a competing theory of quantum gravity seems mroe plausible.
2006-12-25 18:02:00 · answer #2 · answered by MathGuy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a matter of time. Once the hardcore nutters finally accept that string theory was invented after a dozen vodkas and Afghan weed, then, and only then will it be consigned to the bottom of the pile just on top of Darwin's theory of evolution and Einsteins Unified theory.
2006-12-25 15:03:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
We are all waiting for the large hadron collider
(http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/) to start doing its thing.
We may have the luck to live through some new exciting physics.
2006-12-25 16:28:09 · answer #4 · answered by Boehme, J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It morphed into membrane theory
2006-12-25 14:53:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, it's expanded to m-theory.
2006-12-25 14:50:49 · answer #6 · answered by Philo 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
no, watch channel 272, digital cable
2006-12-25 14:48:55 · answer #7 · answered by James 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋