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String Theory
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by Prophet Izaach
on 2006-03-26 19:34:22
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| I saw a show from PBS that tackles this theory. It seems very bizarre and confusing. Anyone here knows what this actually is? |
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Re: String Theory
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by
on 2006-03-26 22:58:35 (edited 2006-03-26 23:02:59)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_Theory the media always screws up when they try to "tackle" explaining string theory. string theory requires so much background knowledge that it simply cannot be explained to a layman in a short period of time. you can paint a vivid picture of the ramifications of the theory, or cite extreme consequences of the theory (noticed how i used big words to say the same thing twice?). thats all a load of baloney. sure, it feels good to say things like "oh, everything is made up of little vibrating strings" but it is NOT TRUE that we are made of some tiny parts which resemble cooked spaghetti. my advise to anyone who wants to understand string theory is this: stick with it. to really understand complicated stuff like QED, Unified Theory, or Special/General Relativity, your going to have to do lots and lots of work. I mean, it will take years (if your a n00b to start with). But its worth it, dont get me wrong! 
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Re: String Theory
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by ferrum lupus
on 2006-03-29 01:38:21
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<=) Yikes, so very confusing. I am this noob you speak of. Guess I better start getting to work on learning all this. . .stuff.
Cursed are those who seek with bias. Abandon your past and be saved.
- Me -
I'm so awsome that I quote myself.
- Me -
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Re: String Theory
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by HinKibShin
on 2006-04-04 15:22:59
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As you can see from the first paragraph from wiki string theory deals with fundamental objects that aren't point particles but rather strings that have quantum numbers associated with them. These numbers dictate the strings energy, its tension, frequency of vibration, etc. By varing these quantum numbers you arrive at different fundamental particles. The issue of quantizing gravity is one that is very theoretical. The problem is with Electricity and Magnetism you can Quantize your forces by means of a force carrier, in this case the photon( light particle)is that particle. Quantum Electrodynamics is the framwork in which Electricity and Magnetism is described. Macroscopically everything becomes what you would learn at the senior level in college. There is also a framework for the nuclear forces known as Quantum ChromoDynamics, so called because quarks quantum numbers are called color. The problem arises when you try to understand what is the force carrier with gravity. In General Relativity the frame work of Differential Geometry is used to make Gravity something that is more geometrical than it is an actual force. There are also other questions such as why is gravity so much weaker than the other forces. These questions are all approached by frameworks such as String Theory and its biggest competitor Loop Quantumm Gravity. There are several good books right now for learning General Relativity depending on your mathematical ability. If you are only in High School then I would suggest picking up a Calculus book first and learing about derivatives because they are at the heart of Einstein's beautiful theory. After Calculus you need to know basic matrix operations then I would suggest picking up a book by James Hartle( I think that is his name) they sell it on Amazon. This is a good place to start for most students period, he gets the basic points across without having to go into serious mathematical detail. If you are a math grad student or senior then I would suggest the classic by Misner Thorne and Wheeler called Gravitation. If you have more questions I can try to answer them. |
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Re: String Theory
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by corrupted_nutter88
on 2006-04-08 16:20:02
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| Okaay... I thought it was about parallel universes. |