In Conclusion

                As I explored the sting theory debate and everything the encompassed it, I gained a great deal of knowledge. I started off with asking the big question: does the string theory debate help scientists explain whether the universe includes everything? Since it was too large to figure out in one sitting, I split it up into more manageable sections. Beginning with the simplest question: what is a string and how are scientists researching it? With that knowledge, I dug deeper into the past history of the string theory and how it relates to what theorists are working on today. Finally, I made it easier to understand these theories by breaking the main ones down to compare and contrast them. All in all, I believe that this information together does answer my original question - the answer is yes.

                In my process of exploration, I think that my six sources provided a wide variety of useful information. Some websites were more factual and detailed as they were published by professional theorists. Others gave simplified versions with several pictures and interactive videos. With this diversity, I was able to compare and contrast the different information I had gathered to create a unique and compact blog.

Although I feel as if I researched thoroughly, I still have the question in the back of my head if experiments such as the LHC will give scientists the data they are looking for. If they can’t find their data from this machine, what will be the next step in proving the theory? Where will it go in the future? When I really pondered the theory of everything, it made me wonder if it can really happen. Many people might have trouble believing in this theory too. For instance, people who are viewing this theory from a religious standpoint think that god is the one that created everything. Science just might be going too far. No matter the case, it is still intriguing to imagine that there might be such a particle out there. As I continue my research for my final project, I hope to answer some of these lingering questions.

Comparing and Contrasting Theories

                As I stated in my previous blog post, I am going to dedicate this post to comparing and contrasting the main string theories. In my research, I found this really informative website that was created by worldwide students for students called ThinkQuest. It gives a full explanation of the history, gravity, supersymmetry, different dimensions and the diverse types of string theories. I wish I had found this source earlier on in my project, but I really encourage my readers to check out this website if they are interested in learning more about my topic.

                Anyways, there are several dozen string theories that have advanced over time which I briefly addressed in my third post. However, there are five major string theories that are currently being debated. In my opinion, I think the current theories are more important to focus on currently now that we all have a background of how they came about. Since the string theory is presently being studied with the LHC experiments, I believe that imperative to understand the theory they are working towards. My only question is if it is one theory or multiple theories scientists are working on? With my research, hopefully it will be easier to understand the difficulty and controversy that scientists are going through today while trying to prove the string theory.

                Now to dig in…The five string theories include the Type I, Type IIA, Type IIB, the Heterotic-O Type, and the Heterotic-E theories. All of which are connected to each other in some unifying way which scientists describe as the ‘theory of everything’ or the M-theory. Additionally, these theories are also related to one another through something called a duality. When a duality occurs, one of these five theories can transform and appear like another. At this moment they are ‘weakly coupled’, (coupling is a measurement that uses strength to differentiate small and large distances in physics), (Schwarz).
 

Originally, the five types were thought to each be separate because of their physics. (For more information, please refer to the table below that I created). However, after the second superstring revolution, physicists decided that they must be unified somehow because of these dualities. As I explained earlier, the M-theory brings together all of the components from previous string theories while adding on its own aspects. If all of these five theories were decided that they were unified into one theory, then I guess scientists have decided to prove the unifying, M-theory – the theory of everything.

            
 

Theories	Vibrating Direction	# of Dimensions	Duality	Open or Closed Strings
Type I	Opposite of Type IIA = particles spin in one clockwise direction	10	Odd	Open and Closed Strings
Type IIA	Clockwise around a string traveling counterclockwise = particles spin in both directions	10	Odd	Closed Strings
Type IIB	Opposite of Type IIA = particles spin in one clockwise direction	10	Odd	Open and Closed Strings
Heterotic-O Type	Clockwise like Type IIB	16	Odd	?
Heterotic-E Type	Clockwise like Type IIB	16	Odd	?

Schwarz, Patricia. "The Official String Theory Web Site." The Official String Theory Web Site. San Francisco State, 2009. Web. 15 July 2013.

 

 

 

The Mindblowing Theories of the Universe!

Personally, I am very intrigued  by the idea that the string theory is so broad and widely known. In my own opinion, I think it is amazing that scientists are trying to figure out what is inside every single particle out there. If scientists come to a conclusion about the string theory, it will be a HUGE break through in modern physics and the way that everything is viewed. We would all know the basic principles that space is built on. There would be no unknown because we would be able to create a new wave of knowledge that further generations can learn from. In turn, maybe that information could help save or even enlighten our planet in the future.

Before I started this entry, I had no clue that this theory has literally evolved through the minds of several scientists over the past one-hundred years! Therefore, I am excited to briefly compact those one-hundred years of developments for you in this blog. (Most of this information I gathered was from a scientist named Patricia Schwarz who has her PhD in physics from Caltech). In this blog, I really want to introduce two main topics. First of all, I want to explore the different theories of the string. Then, I want to incorporate them all into a sort of time line of the string theory so we can all understand how this theory has developed. Finally, I will compare and contrast these theories with their ideas on the mechanics of this theory in my fourth post.  

                As Patricia Schwarz stated, the evolution of the string theory first evolved in 1907 with Einstein when he came up with the theory of relativity. Not long after, he took on the idea of how gravity works which ended up contracting his previous work. However, he did theorize that space is really curved and warped because of the matter that is within it. In 1921Kaluza evolved on this idea and added that electromagnetism is in a fourth dimension of space above the known three dimensions that we see today. Four years later, quantum mechanics is established into the physics community. Then, a year later in 1926, Oscar Kline stated that there might be different types of dimensions out there that might contribute to the reason why we are unable to see them, (some might be huge, others microscopic).

                Then, Schwarz goes on to say that additional roots of the string theory was born in 1943 when Shiing-Shen Chern classified the characteristics of quantum gauges. This lead to the quantum gauge theories and part of the string theory. Furthermore, in 1953 Gell-Mann found the hypercharge, (a quantum number that represents a quark). The quark was officially discovered in 1964 by this same man. Later in 1967 Steven Weinberg combined the quantum theory to explain the nuclear and electromagnetic forces in a new theory called the electroweak theory, (this new theory was proven correct four years later by Gerard Hooft). In 1971, Ramond and John Schwarz develop a version of the string theory will fermions and bosons that became supersymmetry mathematics in two dimensions. This supersymmetry was later evolved by Wess and Zumino when they added four space-time dimensions.

                Moreover, Glashow and Georgi proposed the Grand Unified theory according to Schwarz in 1974 that encompassed all four forces posed by the previous theories. This new theory eludes the idea that the spin of a particle is accompanied by a shadow or a force carrier particle. The force carrier particle would in turn have a massive superpartner. Glashow predicted that these particles would be invisible to us because of their heavy weight. Additionally, he predicted that this would make protons decay. However, there has been no evidence which shows this, (but scientists are still trying to prove it today in the LHC).

                In 1981, the string theory develops even farther when Michael Green and John Schwarz create the superstring theory which now has nine dimensions of space and one dimension of time. Six of those nine dimensions were posed to be compacted around the three known dimensions we can observe today. Furthermore, this theory also encompassed the four forces of matter and particles with quantum mechanics questions. Three years later, four physicists got together to form what is known as the heterotic string theory. This theory was disputed in 1994 when Seiberg and Witten constructed the supersymmetric gauge theory after discovering electromagnetic duality in four dimensions.  One year later, these men further developed their theory into the IIA superstring theory which contained eleven dimensions, (ten of space, one of time).

                After Seiber and Witten published their accomplishments, they sparked the 2^nd revolution of the superstring theory called the M-theory according to Patricia Schwarz. This new theory had the same eleven dimensions as the IIA superstring theory, but it also added all of the previous theories into it as well. It suggests that large amounts of energy can evolve into the size of the universe and everything else would be embedded in it (which creates the multi-universe theory). Moreover, the membranes of strings would have a range of  0-9 dimensions which would give them each different weights.  Plus, the strings length would determines it’s energy and the fundamental particles in which they lie, (quarks or electrons). The more energy, the larger they would be.

                Almost at the end of this journey, Joseph Polchinski produced the D-brane revolution of the string theory in 1995. As Schwarz mentioned, these D-branes, (or open strings with loose ends that can’t freely move), had the right properties that could hold their loose ends tightly. This is different to the closed string which has both ends attached to the membrane which enables it to move freely. Polchinski thought that the immobility of these strings or D-branes made them visible in other dimensions then the three visible ones known currently.

                All of this leads up to what physicists are currently doing with the string theory. According to Brian Greene, string theorists are currently looking at how these extra dimensions contribute to the universe. Further, they want to see if strings are the fundamental particles that make up the fundamental properties in every single thing in space. They are doing this with the LHC experiments. In the next five years or so, they hope that they can find these dimensions in the LHC. To learn more about this, please check out this TED talk by physicist Brian Green who is a well-known string theorist. Or you can check out this other link from Four Peaks Technologies about different string theories.

 

                All in all, the questions posed by several scientists in history that led to the development of the string theory is fascinating to me. It's crazy that something that originally seemed so minuet in the world of science became extremely controversial and widely excepted. As I stated earlier, these progressions make me want to take a step back to compare and contrast all of the past and present theories. That way, it can be easier to understand the advancement on how the string theory has become the ultimate question of whether or not it can truly help scientists explain everything.

 

Schwarz, Patricia. "The Official String Theory Web Site." The Official String Theory Web Site. San Francisco State, 2009. Web. 15 July 2013.

How Small is a String?

                In my first post, I introduced what the string theory is and the different debatable viewpoints of scientists regarding the theory. Personally, this entire idea that there is some underlying particle that is within everything in space is fascinating to me. As I researched more into the string theory and found that scientists are working on a theory that could explain everything I was mind blown. It never occurred to me that there could be such a phenomenon out there which could bring together all aspects of science and math known about the universe into one theory. I have always been curious about the wonders of the universe, but I feel as if there will never be an answer to all questions posed by it. There was a quote by Douglas Adams which says “There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.” I also believe that nobody should ever stop questioning the universe because curiosity has its own reason for prevailing.

However, I was perplexed to why it is impossible for physicists to study strings when I was writing my introductory blog, so I decided to do some research on the matter. As I explored this topic, I came across this website that explained this question perfectly. Apparently, the only piece of technology that can measure such microscopic particles was through something called a LHC experiment. In this experiment, the LCH can measure particles down to 10^-19 centimeters, (a millionth of a billionth of a strand of hair). However, “these strings are only 10^-33 centimeters in size. That is far too small a size to be measured in an accelerator. If we are to observe these strings someday, directly or through some indirect effects, it will have to be with a method that no one has yet invented,” (Nusimovich). Therefore, the existence of strings will have to be inferred from other figures. If you are a visual person, I suggest looking at this link  from the science program NOVA from PBS that provides more information through an interactive video.           

 

 

              

Artist Depiction of Strings

(Four Peaks Technologies)

                Even though this website was helpful in my understanding of the string, it made me start to question the history behind it which led to the debate scientists argue about today. Hopefully by my next post, I will have more knowledge regarding this question. With some background knowledge on the string theory, I believe it can help me answer my original question.

An Introduction:

                 In the past, scientists believed that there is no other space within particles because it is not visible using the technology we have today. In the string theory however, theorists believe that there is an underlying base to which all particles, (from electrons to bosons), are based upon – a one dimensional loop called a string. This string would be the “filler” of all particles in space, which is too microscopic to see. If this theory was to be found true, it would provide the impossible link between the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Moreover, it would create “the theory of everything,” which provides the underlying principle to all aspects in the universe. As Brian Greene, (a string theorist professor at Cornell University), once said “The discovery of the theory of everything would provide the firmest foundation on which to build our understanding of the world. Its discovery would mark a beginning, not an end.”

Whether or not the theory of everything is limited is very debatable amongst theorists. One side, the reductionist philosophers believe that it is not limited because these strings might just be reflections of particles in matter that occur in everything from space to our thinking processes. This idea doesn’t give the possibility of the unknown aspects of the universe, but instead brings together the accepted knowledge people already use. On the other hand, the string theorists believe that this theory can provide an answer to the underlying perplexities of the universe. This theory could also explain how particles in space engage and influence one another. There is also the idea that if scientists discover the theory of everything, than it will lead to a more chaotic and complex view of the universe that would put us in more confusion. Furthermore, there is the debate about whether or not these string particles will then be represented as an additional elemental property, or if they are the base on which all known elements are built upon. 

Personally, I believe it all depends on who you ask. I myself am a very logical and scientific thinker, so I would probably side with the string theorist because their ideals make the most sense to me. Even though I am still learning about the significance of the string theory, I’m interested in discovering more about this controversial topic. My purpose for this blog is to explore and question whether or not the string theory can help scientists explain if the universe includes everything.

 

Different Versions of the Superstring Theory Consisting of 10 Dimensions
(Four Peaks Technology)