Transcript String Theory The Theory of Everything

String Theory
The Theory of Everything
Ryan Tiraschi
Goals
• A brief introduction
to String Theory
– Background
– Development
– Future
• User friendly
– No math!
– Easy to understand
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Overview
• The problem between General Relativity
and Quantum Mechanics
• String Theory
– How it helps
– How it works
– Its problems
• Where are we today?
• Proving String Theory
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Theory of General Relativity
• Newton’s ideas on
gravity - instant
• Einstein refutes
Newton
– Nothing travels faster
than light
• Einstein solves this
problem
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Quantum Mechanics
• Recall chemistry
• Random and chaotic
• Up? Down? Left?
Right? Before?
After?
• Previous theories
can’t predict motion
inside the atoms
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The Problem
• Quantum Mechanics
and General
Relativity do not
work together
• What about:
– before the Big Bang?
– black holes?
• Neither theory can
predict what
happens
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String Theory to the Rescue
• Possible theory for
everything
• “Holy Grail”
• Problems
• Current and future
potential
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How Does String Theory Work?
• Make up everything
• Strings of energy,
not spheres
• Resonate at
different frequencies
• Incredibly small
• “Smoothes out” QM
world
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The Problems of String Theory
• Probably can never
be proven
– Physics or
Philosophy?
• Multiple dimensions
• Five different
versions of String
Theory
– Open strings, closed
strings, dimensions
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Multiple Dimensions
• We know of a 3+1 D
world
– x, y, z, and time
• Sting Theory needs
at least an extra six
• Extra D could exist,
we just can’t see
them
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Five Versions?
• Problem: if one
theory, why five
different ones?
• Which one
describes ours?
• Ed Witten solves the
problem
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Where are We Now?
• M-Theory
– Requires 11D
– Allows strings to
expand into
membranes
• “Branes”
– With enough energy,
they can become
huge
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Implications of M-Theory
• Parallel Universes
– Even right next to us
• Describes why
gravity is weak
– Closed loop string
– Pool table example
• Perhaps explains
the Big Bang?
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Proving String Theory Today
• We can’t see small
strings, perhaps we
can see the
evidence?
• Fermilab and CERN
– Searching for
Gravitrons
– Trying to prove
Supersymmetry
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Conclusions
• String Theory has the potential to
describe everything.
• Even though it has not been proven
true, it seems too mathematically
elegant to be wrong.
• No one knows just how close we are.
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Thank You
Questions?
References
• Greene, Brian (1999), The Elegant Universe:
Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest
for the Ultimate Theory, 1st edition (New York, NY:
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.).
• Kaku, Michio (1999), Introduction to Superstrings
and M-Theory, 2nd edition (New York, NY: SpringerVerlag New York, Inc.).
• Magueijo, João (2003), Faster than the Speed of
Light: The Story of a Scientific Speculation
(Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing).
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Graphics
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http://superstringtheory.com/cosmo/cosmo5a.html
– string theory equation
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program.html
– general relativity , quantum mechanics, strings
http://www.inspi.net/best-of-hubble-telescope/slides/2002-30.html
– black hole
http://www.thocp.net/timeline/0000.htm
– big bang
http://abu9.blogspot.com/2004/11/string-theory.html
– roll of string
http://www.harvardmagazine.com/on-line/110393.html
– six dimensions
http://www.shoppinganimal.com/buy-homeware-online/HOT-DEALS.html
– dressing room
http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/gallery.htm
– cartoon
http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/01330/media/gallery.htm
– membrane
http://www.deadbus.org/archives/2004/05/
– loaf of bread
http://www.particle.kth.se/~fmi/kurs/PhysicsSimulation/Lectures/06B/atlas1.html
– collision graphic
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