A String Theory Theory

[Bluemercury]

A few years ago i finally got to know of string theory and it accrued to me that it seemed like particle DNA.

Are there particles that replicate? Can we find ways to affect the particle DNA as we can effect our bio DNA?.

What other parallels can be drawn to help figure it out.

 

This is just a theory and probably a naive one at that.

 

Thanks for your time and space.

 

 

After readiing more on this site you better move this to speculation.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Bluemercury

[ajb]

A few years ago i finally got to know of string theory and it accrued to me that it seemed like particle DNA.

I am not sure how far you can push this analogy.

 

Are there particles that replicate?

There are particle decays, which is the closest I can think of to giving some meaning to this question.

 

 

Can we find ways to affect the particle DNA as we can effect our bio DNA?.

You mean assuming string theory is a good theory can we use this somehow? I guess in principal yes, but the problem is that strings are of length near Planck length. It would seem impossible to 'pluck' one directly.

 

 

This is just a theory and probably a naive one at that.

You should not say this as string theory is a theory, which means a mathematical model. You have asked some strange questions, but they are in the context of string theory.

[Bluemercury]

Thank you for the feedback.

[Ophiolite]

A few years ago i finally got to know of string theory and it accrued to me that it seemed like particle DNA.

I am interested in what it was that struck you as similar between the two. The comparison is not obvious to me.

[Strange]

I am interested in what it was that struck you as similar between the two.

 

They are both counted with hon in Japanese (i.e. they are both long and thin).

[Bluemercury]

Very good made me loll, funny thing is hon can mean book "a container of knowledge" works for me thanks.

 

Ill share my reasoning when i have some time..

[ajb]

Ill share my reasoning when i have some time..

This will be essential if you want some real feedback. However, my warning with analogies is that you have to be careful how you use them.

[AndresKiani]

I don't have enough understanding of string theory as of yet to even in devour into these type of conversations. However, please be careful when throwing words such as "theory" around. Science loses a lot of credibility to the non-scientific portion of our society because some of us loosely use the word theory. It's also not fair to well established theories whom have earned their right to be one.

[Bluemercury]

Yes your right its only speculation, not theory i used the wrong language, im also not knowledgeable enough to understand string theory beyond the concept.

I'm almost afraid to elaborate on it any further.

Just for the record this post is speculation and as the author i agree it should be moved to this category.

 

I hope the post can remain open as i do have further speculative questions, and i am more than impressed with this communities judgement,advice and knowledge.

 

just one question can i rename this thread to "a string theory question"

 

Thanks for your time and space.

[ajb]

Yes your right its only speculation...

It is not even a speculation. I don't really see that you have conjectured or speculated anything. You very loosely suggest that there maybe some parallels between DNA and string theory. I don't see any that are particularly strong parallels.

 

 

(Minor editing, but the difference is essential!)

Edited December 9, 2014 by ajb

[Bluemercury]

"I really see that you have conjectured or speculated anything" With due respect this makes no seance to me, maybe because of the flawed language i can see i am not the only one who has trouble getting his point across.

 

I will refine my loose suggestion when i have all the information i need to engage more accurately.

 

Thanks

[AndresKiani]

I would say.. string theory is more than just a speculation. It's a well establish mathematical model or framework in particle physics, which seems connect many dots in our understanding of elementary particles and understanding concepts in quantum field theory and quantum gravity. However, it is apparent that string theory is in a stand still for the moment, being so that it has not made any experimental predictions.

 

However I do imagine that once the correct particle is found, because as everything with science technology needs to catch up before the framework for string theory can be fully investigated and pushed forward as it is currently stuck.

[Bluemercury]

I would say.. string theory is more than just a speculation. It's a well establish mathematical model or framework in particle physics, which seems connect many dots in our understanding of elementary particles and understanding concepts in quantum field theory and quantum gravity. However, it is apparent that string theory is in a stand still for the moment, being so that it has not made any experimental predictions.

 

However I do imagine that once the correct particle is found, because as everything with science technology needs to catch up before the framework for string theory can be fully investigated and pushed forward as it is currently stuck.

Yes i totally agree it has a long way to go, and for that reason all suggestions should be welcome, know one can say if 100 years from now my "loose suggestion" may make some seance.

 

Thank You.

[AndresKiani]

Yes i totally agree it has a long way to go, and for that reason all suggestions should be welcome, know one can say if 100 years from now my "loose suggestion" may make some seance.

 

Thank You.

 

To be fair, there is nothing wrong with speculating and daydreaming about the possibilities. Infact, one of the greatest pleasures I get from solving a complex problem is imagining and speculating how the problem might be solved or different outcomes of what the answer might be.

[ajb]

"I really don't see that you have conjectured or speculated anything"...

Sorry, the missed word "don't" makes all the difference here. Sorry for the confusion, I quickly typed that before running off to class.

However I do imagine that once the correct particle is found...

What correct particle?

[AndresKiani]

I'm not sure why you feel the need to ask "what correct particle"? When you already have a sense of the answer.. However I assure you I don't believe in dumb questions lol.

 

Whatever that particle maybe boson, fermion. The correct behavior that was predicted by many particle physicists working on string theory was not observed at the LHC observations. This superymmetric particle was not observed as they had hoped and thus remains a hypothetical particle yet to be discovered.

[ajb]

I'm not sure why you feel the need to ask "what correct particle"?

I am wondering what you are talking about.

 

Whatever that particle maybe boson, fermion. The correct behavior that was predicted by many particle physicists working on string theory was not observed at the LHC observations.

Such as?

 

This superymmetric particle was not observed as they had hoped and thus remains a hypothetical particle yet to be discovered.

Okay, you mean supersymmetric partners of the particles of the standard model.

 

So, string theory needs supersymmetry. It seems that if you want to include fermions in the spectrum of the string then you need super string theory. Thus, it is natural to expect that the low energy limit should be the minimal supersymmetric standard model or maybe the next to minimal supersymmetric standard model. (or something similar)

 

However, it is possible that nature uses supersymmetry while not making use of strings. When I asked John Ellis he replied something like "string theory needs supersymmetry more than supersymmetry needs string theory". The upshot is that supersymmetry at the LHC would support string theory, but it would be far from a proof that string theory is a 'good' theory.

Edited December 9, 2014 by ajb

[Bluemercury]

Lets face reality, without imagination no theory or "loose suggestion would ever exist, that is and has always been the start point, I first posted this tread on that premise, because i could not find this suggestion anywhere and that

was not what i expected, i felt compelled to share this remote possibility, as stranger things have been proven correct.

 

My area of expertise is debugging complex electronic circuits and when i can not find the problem i start looking for what it is not, and eventually the problem is found. this is fundamental to the problem solving process but it is the long road.

I have heard nothing to disprove my initial "loose suggestion".

 

Now i know analogy don't go down well here but within the above context i will state the following a sculptor uses a big crude tool to start with and when some basic shape is achieved he switches to a precision instrument to finish his work.

personally i would love to see some of the difficult questions answered in my lifetime, so ill weld my mallet to start and leave to the Wittens of this world to finish. everything that is dis-proven is a victory for the most patient.

 

Thanks for the time and space.

[ajb]

I have heard nothing to disprove my initial "loose suggestion".

Pauli would have said it is 'not even wrong'.

 

By this I mean that your suggestion that there maybe some analogies between string theory and DNA is sufficiently weak that it cannot be considered scientific and therefore we cannot hope to show you are wrong. We are not really sure what links you are suggesting between strings and DNA.

 

 

There maybe some useful connections between string theory and DNA via the use of topological string theory in knot theory. There maybe some mathematical results in knot theory that are useful in protein folding for example. I am far from an expert in this. Try a quick google 'knot theory protein folding'.

[Bluemercury]

Question. are the strings refereed to in string theory (assuming it exists at all) defining the properties and perimeters of a sub atomic particle?. I'm trying to use the mastermind principle so please indulge me.

 

I love your reference to Pauli thanks Doc.

[ajb]

Question. are the strings refereed to in string theory (assuming it exists at all) defining the properties and perimeters of a sub atomic particle?.

The short answer is yes. Loosely, you can identify the excited configurations of a quantum string with particle states. Each vibrational mode corresponds to a different particle.

 

String theory is 'large enough' as to contain all the particles of the standard model plus lots more.

[Ophiolite]

Yes i totally agree it has a long way to go, and for that reason all suggestions should be welcome, know one can say if 100 years from now my "loose suggestion" may make some seance.

One hundred years from now a seance is the only way we will be able to discuss it.

[Bluemercury]

One hundred years from now a seance is the only way we will be able to discuss it

LOLOL That is funny thanks i needed a laugh

 

For the Record it should read "Sense" I'm still laughing.

When the universe was born only a couple of elementary particles/strings existed, through chemical reactions more were created (or evolved) is it possible there are particles that don't exist yet? after all there is room for many more and the universe could still be in a relatively early stage of its life cycle (evolution)?

[ajb]

When the universe was born only a couple of elementary particles/strings existed, through chemical reactions more were created (or evolved)...

 

Whatever these interactions would not be classified as 'chemical'. Chemical reactions are related to the interaction of atoms via their electrons. These interactions are thus electromagnetic in origin.

[Bluemercury]

When the universe was born only a couple of elementary particles/strings existed, through electromagnetic interactions more were created (or evolved) is it possible there are particles that don't exist yet? after all there is room for many more and the universe could still be in a relatively early stage of its life cycle (evolution)?

 

Thanks AJB for the correction.

 

Question. are the strings refereed to in string theory (assuming it exists at all) defining the properties and perimeters of a sub atomic particle?.

The short answer is yes. Loosely, you can identify the excited configurations of a quantum string with particle states. Each vibrational mode corresponds to a different particle. Thanks AJB.

 

Question are the strings of DNA refereed to in Biology defining the properties and perimeters of the cell?

The short answer is yes.

 

Now i understand this is only one analogy or parallel and constitutes nothing but there are many more to explore that i will try to explain as i get more time. to be honest im only getting warmed up. this is the most obvious parallel for those that see none.

 

Thanks for your space and time.