Hadron Collider - String Theory

[Winston001]

I saw something on Discovery a few weeks ago saying 'String Theory' had been superceded by 'Superstring Theory' and then 'M Theory' with 11 or 12 different dimensions or summat. Unfortunately, my brain can't understand 12 dimensions

Supersymmetry, String Theory, and Gravity will all lead us one day to the GUT - the Grand Unified Theory which is the Holy Grail of physics. The theory which will connect the four forces - electromagnetism, the weak and strong nuclear forces, and gravity. Einstein got most of the way there but gravity doesn't yet fit.

I really do not understand this stuff but find it fascinating.

The Universe contains bubbles of matter which astrophysics regards as being in membranes. Galaxies are not scattered all over the place but instead concentrate in groups which scales down to the tiniest particles. Thus - and I could be wrong - Brane theory, M-theory and String Theory are all represented if we look hard enough at the Universe.

String Theory has up to 26 dimensions depending upon which mathematician you read, but the whole concept has been struggling for proof. Looks like the LHC has found something interesting at least.

[mashman]

Don't they have to find and "quantify" Dark Matter before they can prove string theory?

[Mental Trousers]

Don't they have to find and "quantify" Dark Matter before they can prove string theory?

Not necessarily. Proving String Theory narrows the number of possibilities for Dark Matter. By figuring out what everything is made from Scientists will have a better idea of what Dark Matter is.

Basically, if they can prove the what the building blocks are they can then put those blocks together and see what they make.

[Big Dave]

Not necessarily......Scientists will have a better idea of what Dark Matter is.

The power source of the Death Star, Oh be wan.

[steve_t]

Don't they have to find and "quantify" Dark Matter before they can prove string theory?

The isolated antimatter for over 16 minutes at CERN a few weeks ago IIRC. Way longer than previously isolated

[mashman]

Not necessarily. Proving String Theory narrows the number of possibilities for Dark Matter. By figuring out what everything is made from Scientists will have a better idea of what Dark Matter is.

Basically, if they can prove the what the building blocks are they can then put those blocks together and see what they make.

brings to mind a picture I saw today

[mashman]

The isolated antimatter for over 16 minutes at CERN a few weeks ago IIRC. Way longer than previously isolated

I thought the idea behind Dark Matter was that it could be part of both, if not had to be part of both. Hazy memory of watching Horizon following some guys under a hillside, may have been CERN but I seem to remember Wales for some reason, and they had been searching for Dark Matter for 15 years. They said that Dark Matter passes through everything, and they hadn't captured it yet, and assumed that it was part of both anti-matter and matter. It was a long time ago though.

[Mort]

This is the best explanation of the multi-dimensional universe I've seen... The writer (Rob Bryanton) has a superb blog if yer in to this stuff.

[youtube]XjsgoXvnStY[/youtube]

[Mental Trousers]

I thought the idea behind Dark Matter was that it could be part of both, if not had to be part of both. Hazy memory of watching Horizon following some guys under a hillside, may have been CERN but I seem to remember Wales for some reason, and they had been searching for Dark Matter for 15 years. They said that Dark Matter passes through everything, and they hadn't captured it yet, and assumed that it was part of both anti-matter and matter. It was a long time ago though.

Problem is that nobody is actually sure what Dark Matter is, only that there's something out there that totals significantly more than the visible/accountable mass of galaxies etc. Using Newton's laws some clever buggers figured out that there isn't enough visible/accountable mass to hold the Universe together, so Galaxies, Clusters, Super Clusters etc should have all disintegrated a long time ago.

I guess those guys are looking for what they believe Dark Matter to be, which may or may not be a widely held view.

[Swoop]

... 'String Theory' had been superceded by 'Superstring Theory'

So.

More like a "Cord" theory, or perhaps a "rope" theory then?

[nodrog:Me]

String theory is easy to understand. Basically if you see one, theoretically it is blowjob week.

[mashman]

I guess those guys are looking for what they believe Dark Matter to be, which may or may not be a widely held view.

heh, or may not even exist if String Theory is correct.

[Hoon]

Wow ...a string theory thread on KB! I'm no Quantum Physicist - all my subject knowledege is gained entirely from the Discovery Channel, however I do watch a lot of Discovery Channel.

The Hadron Collider is awesome. Even more awesome is that I didn't have to pay for it. The expense and effort those nerds have gone to to create something like this speaks volumes of its importance and potential to benefit the human race.

If it brings us closer to understanding the universe and how things work, it'll fastrack other breakthroughs like quantum computing, energy production and better materials. The human race is nothing but a blink in the life of the universe. However if we are able to get off this planet and colonize space then we have pretty much guaranteed our survival for as long as the universe is around - maybe even longer.

Me...I'm still waiting for my flying car.

[Big Dave]

Wow ...a string theory thread on KB! I'm no Quantum Physicist - all my subject knowledege is gained entirely from the Discovery Channel, however I do watch a lot of Discovery Channel.

[Edbear]

.............