Any hope for String Theory?

[The Photon]

I am interested in studying physics and research in String Theory. String theory is interesting to me, but I've also read that there isn't any experimental support for the theory yet and many physicists doubt the theory. Still, the idea of unifying all particles into a single string and all forces into one force is appealing.

[Strange]

String theory implies supersymmetry. Evidence for supersymmetry has not been found so far and it is running out of places to "hide".

https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/118053-string-theory-cannot-describe-our-universe/

There are other theories that attempt to combine gravity and quantum theory. All currently untestable, but there may be more hope for them in the long run.

 

[beecee]

On 3/2/2019 at 2:42 PM, The Photon said:

I am interested in studying physics and research in String Theory. String theory is interesting to me, but I've also read that there isn't any experimental support for the theory yet and many physicists doubt the theory. Still, the idea of unifying all particles into a single string and all forces into one force is appealing.

Simply put, we lack the technological skills to observe at the quantum/Planck level. 

[koti]

34 minutes ago, beecee said:

Simply put, we lack the technological skills to observe at the quantum/Planck level. 

Its worse than that, nature itself prevents us from running empirical experiments confirming string theory. A particle accelerator capable of creating energies needed to run collisions which could confirm string theory would take significant part of the solar system in size and would colapse into a black hole due to its mass.

Edited March 24, 2019 by koti

[jajrussel]

On 3/24/2019 at 4:54 AM, koti said:

Its worse than that, nature itself prevents us from running empirical experiments confirming string theory. A particle accelerator capable of creating energies needed to run collisions which could confirm string theory would take significant part of the solar system in size and would colapse into a black hole due to its mass.

I watched a video today I think hosted by Sean Carroll where he spoke of a new particle model featuring supper symmetry and the intent of using higher energies when they  again start up the accelerator in effort to find the new particles. I was watching YouTube on my TV and the cable app essentially manages to show videos but beyond that isn't exactly easy to use, but I think it was an RI video an shouldn't be that hard to find if a search of that channel is conducted. Which is much easier to do from tablet.

I may have misunderstood but I got the impression that proving supper symmetry would go a long way toward supporting string theory. I'll see if I can find it.

Okay the video was actually put out in 2013 and I don't remember any mention of any of the things he hoped for so I'm the one learning the lesson here. Sorry. It was a cool video even if out dated. 

Watching the last ten minutes of the video then reading the Forbes article might help ease into acceptance?

Once again I'm embarrassed...

Edited April 6, 2019 by jajrussel

[Khanzhoren]

It is conceivable to argue that if this theory is correct, it must necessarily correspond to some things that we should be able to test with existing means in one way or another. Relativity was able to be tested in a certain way after some time, as was Quantum Mechanics (And they rapidly explained, in a remarkable manner, many experimental facts that required their introduction). Admittedly, there were predictions like gravitational waves for General Relativity or certain aspects of quantum mechanics that took time to be discovered, tested or understood in depth. But these two theories (like others) were able to begin to be tested in some way fairly early on. String theory has been around for decades now, It should have led to some testable things (in one way or another) if it is correct. Anyway, This is just a simple thought, and it might be wrong

Edited January 14 by Khanzhoren

[Markus Hanke]

10 hours ago, Khanzhoren said:

String theory has been around for decades now, It should have led to some testable things (in one way or another) if it is correct. Anyway, This is just a simple thought, and it might be wrong

String Theory is perhaps best understood as a framework, rather than a specific model, in the same way as in quantum field theory. Whether it is in fact possible to formulate a model within that framework that corresponds at all to the particle zoo we see in our real universe is still an open question, because no one has been able to do that so far. 

[Khanzhoren]

1 hour ago, Markus Hanke said:

String Theory is perhaps best understood as a framework, rather than a specific model, in the same way as in quantum field theory. Whether it is in fact possible to formulate a model within that framework that corresponds at all to the particle zoo we see in our real universe is still an open question, because no one has been able to do that so far. 

Thank you for your comment. Perhaps it would be better to reclassify this theory in the field of mathematics rather than physics? Until its capabilities in physics are truly proven? Indeed, some people say that this theory absorbs too many 'resources' and 'possibilities' that could have been used for more fruitful things (for physics).

[Markus Hanke]

21 hours ago, Khanzhoren said:

Indeed, some people say that this theory absorbs too many 'resources' and 'possibilities' that could have been used for more fruitful things (for physics).

In fairness, it has given us some very useful insights and techniques (think eg AdS/CFT), even if it hasn’t been successful in its original goal as a TOE. So I wouldn’t say the resources were wasted. It also is still possible that an actual viable model can emerge from it, though personally I don’t think so.

String Theory had its heyday back in the 90s and early 00s, but nowadays it seems to me that fewer and fewer people are seriously working on it full time; it has fallen somewhat out of favour. I think unless some unexpected breakthrough happens, it will just fizzle out over time.