String Theory For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 3

Accomplishments and Failures of String Theory

IN THIS CHAPTER

Embracing string theory’s achievements

Poking holes in string theory

Wondering what the future of string theory holds

String theory is a work in progress, having captured the hearts and minds of much of the theoretical physics community while being apparently disconnected from any realistic chance of definitive experimental proof. Despite this, it has had some successes — unexpected predictions and achievements that may well indicate string theorists are on the right track.

String theory critics would also point out (and many string theorists would probably agree) that the last couple of decades haven’t been kind to string theory because the momentum toward a unified theory of everything has slowed, and the latest particle colliders have failed to provide any direct evidence for string theory.

In this chapter, you see some of the major successes and failures of string theory, as well as look at the possibilities for where string theory may go from here. The controversy over string theory rests entirely on how much significance physicists give to these different outcomes.

Celebrating String Theory’s Successes ...