Established Member
I think we've talked about this before (I tried to search, but couldn't find anything), but what do you all think about the potential of string theory? I've read Brian Greene's first book, and I'm about to read the new one, so i know a little about it, but I'm not too well versed yet. I just wonder what you all think about it.
Order of Kilopi
From what I've read, string theory has yet to make any testable predictions. Unless and until it does, it's an interesting set of ideas, but it's not science.
Let's hope it eventually crosses the falsifiability threshold!
Order of Kilopi
As I recall from Greene's book, proof of the Higgs Boson would give string theory a big boost. This could come in a few years.
Established Member
Yup. String theory makes no true testable predictions and therefore cannot be proved right or wrong. The only evidence it currently has going for it is its elegance and its ability to solve the QM/GR incompatibility. I personally hope it turns out to be right, though.
Established Member
It has no true testable predictions yet, and I think there is a distinction. The discovery of supersymmetry (sparticles), as well as the graviton and extra dimensions could certainly provide good circumstantial evidence. I hope it turns out to be right too, especially since I want to go into cosmology and help prove it to be right! :wink:Originally Posted by Pi Man
Established Member
All these sparticles might plug up that nasty 'dark' hole we've been trying to plug...
Newbie
I was listening to some of the public lectures made during last years string conference, curiously it was mentioned that once construction of the Large Hadron collider is completed (2007); the energy level at which it will operate (7 TeV, i think) would allow us to test some predictions made by string theory. For example the possibility (although quite remote) of observing miniature black holes, I'm not sure if it was serious or to simply arouse public interest.
Established Member
Welcome to the board! The LHC as well as CERN will be able to do some high energy collisions that could in theory provide some evidence for string theory. The next few years could be interesting....
Newbie
LHC's primary concern i think would be trying to solve more important issues, such as confirming higgs, not sure if they will devote any energy toward string theory research.
Which brings up an important question, while conducting experiments, are the researchers looking for particles predicted only by the standard model?
String theory has thousands of different models, assuming that a really strong model arrives in the future, i think we are more than a decade away from any stringy confirmations.
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